Table of contents for Issue 160, July-Aug 2017 in Wild

It is with enormous honour, pleasure and, to be honest, some trepidation that I have recently found myself the new publisher of Wild. the honour comes from being involved with a magazine and brand that is synonymous with outdoor adventure in Australia and beyond. A brand that sponsored Australia’s first summit of Everest in 1984, a brand that stood alongside campaigners fighting for the protection of Tasmania’s Franklin River in 1982, and a brand that has profiled and supported some of Australia’s great outdoor adventurers. However, and most importantly, Wild is a brand that has inspired many thousands of readers to get outside, to explore new places and to try new things. We’re truly blessed to have so many great contributors, both writers and photographers, who have and will continue…

Jake Candy of NSW writes: This shot was taken on a climb in the Grosse Valley, Blue Mountains, NSW. The climb was on pitch five of ‘Bunny Buckets Butteress’ (18) 275m. A lovely sunny day on the wall with great views and nothing else to focus on but the climbing. Climber: Cameron Bolding. Photographer: Jake Candy. Camera: Olympus Tough digital camera using Dramatic Tone setting Jake wins an Osprey Manta AG 28, valued at $239.95. Designed for lightweight hiking for the day or even overnight, the Manta includes Osprey’s LightWire frame, mesh backpanel, BioStretch shoulder harness and AG hipbelt for on-the-go comfort. SUBMIT A PHOTO OR LETTER TO THE EDITOR For your chance to win a quality piece of outdoor kit, send your photo or letter to contact@wild.com.au…

I haven’t met many mountaineers. I’ve read loads of books written by mountaineers, but having actually sat down and spoken to them? Not many at all. Given the high altitudes climbers often find themselves in, the extreme exposure of having to traverse razor thin arêtes, the consequence that an accidental stumble or fall could result in serious injury or death, and the reality that sometimes your time is just up and if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time there is nothing you can to prevent your own end, it all must have a profound impact on the type of person who chooses this activity for fun. I’d imagine that to choose to climb big mountains again and again, you would need to be intent, focused and determined.…

It’s 6am. The sun is out with not a cloud in the sky as I turn my car onto the tiny parking next to the bridge in Undersåker. Mount Åreskutan stands tall in the distance. Although it’s early in the morning, I’m welcomed by a pleasant warm summer breeze. I’m here to meet up with Rickard, owner of a local outdoor company. We are going for an adventure at one of the region’s most well-known places, Lake Blanktjärn. A few years ago, Lake Blanktjärn suddenly received worldwide attention when a short video released on You- Tube showed ice skaters playing around on crystal clear “see through” ice. The clip logged over a million views. The video inspired us to try a similar thing in summer with our standup paddle boards.…

Bolivia straddles the spine of the Andes; landlocked, a high dry plateau with glimpses down to the misty Amazon jungle 5,000 metres below. Bolivia is home to 12 of South America’s 100 mountains over 6,000 metres. Yes, exactly 100 mountains. For this reason, Bolivia is a classic high altitude mountaineering destination, albeit without the history and majesty of the mighty Himalaya (but the logistics are far more straightforward). A Bolivian 6,000-metre peak usually involves being picked-up by taxi in downtown La Paz after breakfast, being driven to the start point, and then hiking into base camp in time for lunch. For this reason, Bolivia is a timeefficient and cost-effective 6,000-metre playground. La Paz, the capital, sitting at the foot of the mountains, is a convenient launching pad. While the great…

STATISTICS Few major cities in the world can claim to be the starting point of a 250+ kilometre, long-distance footpath which encompasses such a diverse range of habitats as mangrove swamps, national forests, drowned valley estuaries and sandstone plateaux. Still fewer can also boast a public transportation network capable of depositing hikers at key points along most of that route. Considering the number of bushwalkers in Sydney and Newcastle, it is surprising that more do not take advantage of the world-class trail on their doorstep. However, one can appreciate why. If I were planning to spend two weeks hiking, there are many places that would spring to mind first. The Larapinta Trail, the South Coast Track, Everest Base Camp. All those trips require a reasonable amount of money and/or a…

MERINOFUSION In 2003, Wilderness Wear (WW) , Philip Endersbee created a breakthrough in the world of base-layer fabrics, with the creation of Duotherm, a blend of high quality Merino and Polypropylene yarn. Merino was chosen for its soft , durable and odourless qualities, and polypropylene for insulation but more importantly for its wicking qualities. Polypropylene is considered to be one of the best materials for moisture wicking (ie not sticking to your skin when wet). WW went to market with a range of base-layer garments employing this new material. Over the next decade-and-a-half, numerous other manufacturers, realising the benefits of blended materials, developed their own range of fabrics. Nylon/merino and polyester/merino products flooded the market. Unfortunately, it became a race to the bottom for many producers, with both nylon and…

A t 5:50am I was awakened by a small hand shaking my shoulder. My mind was in the process of working out what was happening when I heard my six-year-old son whisper excitedly into my ear, “Dad, it’s BUSH DAY!” I’d been up late packing the night before, but my tiredness was diminished by the radiant glow of anticipation emanating from this smaller version of myself – possibly the only person I know who loves ‘bush time’ more than me. It was Term 1 school holidays and I’d been thinking about an overnight adventure with my son. I received a text invite from my mate Stevo asking us if we’d like to go on an overnight canoe journey for the exact dates that I was planning. I knew it was…

STATISTICS HISTORY Formally established as a National Park in 1967, and renamed Bouddi National Park in 1974, areas of the park were already set aside in the mid-1930s for bushwalking. The land having been originally reserved for coal mining as far back as the 1870s. The last additions to the park occurred in 2002, including the extension of the Bouddi National Park Marine Park. In 1898, the 70-metre paddle steamer SS Maitland ran aground during wild seas while trying to seek shelter in Broken Bay. Twenty-seven people lost their lives when the vessel crashed against a rock shelf at Bouddi Point as crew and passengers attempted to reach shore. Remnants of the wreck are still visible at Bouddi Point during low tide. CULTURAL HERITAGE The word Bouddi, meaning a heart…

The southern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree) is one of Australia’s most iconic amphibian species, and amongst the most visually spectacular frogs in the world. With very few individuals remaining in the wild, it is also one of Australia’s most critically endangered frog species. The southern corroboree frog is a small species (typically only 2.5 centimetres in length) that is only found in an area of Kosciuszko National Park from Smiggin Holes through to the Jugungal Wilderness Area near Cabramurra. In the 1960s, an ecologist named Ross Pengilley was studying the southern corroboree frog and estimated that it was the most abundant vertebrate in the sub-alpine environment. Undoubtedly, it played an important role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem in Kosciuszko. A fight for survival The southern corroboree frog breeds in small…

Back in my university days, I took a holiday with friends to southern France and Andorra. We were hiking in the mountains in Andorra and decided to spend a night in one of the many free mountain huts across the country. More than 20 years later, I still remember this night as being one of the coldest and most uncomfortable nights of my life. It probably didn’t actually get that cold that night, perhaps only -5C. However, there were five of us and we had two lightweight, super-cheap sleeping bags between us. Here we were, four 20-something guys and one girl, all huddling, shivering and clattering on the wooden bunk-bench of the hut, trying to share the bags as blankets. Sleeping cold sucks. Being unprepared in a cold climate is…

FICKLE ELIZA Location: Southwest National Park - Tasmania Photographer: Sergej Schatz Sony A7 II, ISO100, F4.0, 1/125 Date: 04/14/2017 After four hours hiking, we make it to the summit of Mt Eliza. For 30 minutes, the skies open up and I take this photo. Not 10 minutes later and heavy fog completely envelopes us; we can hardly see 10 metres. We then decide to turn back and leave Mt Anne for another day. VISIBILITY WARNING Location: Southwest National Park - Tasmania Photographer: Sergej Schatz Sony A7 II, ISO100, F5.6, 1/60 Date: 04/14/2017 Exploring Southwest National Park in Tasmania, a friend and I decided to climb Mt Eliza and Mt Anne (2-day return hike). Heading toward Mt Eliza, on the Mt Anne Track, we pass two hikers who are returning back…

HEATHER HAWKINS TO LEAD EVEREST TREK FOR CANCER RESEARCH Adventurer Heather Hawkins has been announced as the leader of a 23-day circuit trek to Gokyo Lakes and Everest Base Camp, raising funds and awareness for cancer research. Hawkins, who overcame ovarian cancer in her early 40s, has since gone on to complete 17 marathons and three ultras, including the North Pole Marathon (where she was female winner), and the World Marathon Challenge (seven marathons in seven days across seven continents). the trek, which is set to depart Kathmandu on the 17th of October this year, is non-technical. Trekkers will enjoy views of Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga and Cho Oyu, as well as experiencing local villages and shrines. the trek is organised in partnership with Huma Charity Challenge and the Can Too…

T he problem with journeying from the Gates of Hell to the End of the Earth was this: It seemed too simple. Actually, in truth, that was not the only hitch; there was the issue of my sheer foolishness as well. Never mind, I’d told myself, that we were traversing one of the planet’s wildest coastlines. Never mind that our companions would be waves that had travelled 15,000 kilometres unimpeded, wild and free, nor that the winds accompanying them would likely be full of rage and fury. And never mind that we had a major river, unbridged, to cross. No, I was far too dimwitted to factor these into the equation, an equation I saw as simple. Two fat bikes. A string of beaches. 180 kays. Three days. Easy peasy.…

I focus on my boots. Illuminated in the bright bubble of my head torch, they crunch evenly through the snow in the crampon prints of my guide, Andy. I’m concentrating hard and though I’d love to steal a glimpse at the jagged peaks of the Haast Range, silhouetted attractively on my left by the first light of dawn, every time I raise my head I wobble slightly and lose my balance. Not advisable when traversing a 45-degree snow slope with a run out of bottomless crevasses. I keep my head down and plod on. It’s 6am on the lower slopes of Mt. Aspiring and we’ve just started what promises to be a big day. Situated in Mount Aspiring National Park, just west of Wanaka, this 3033m peak is only the…

STATISTICS In 2015, Tasmania Parks & Wildlife (“TAS Parks”) completed a comprehensive upgrade of a once rugged and difficult trail along Tasmania’s spectacular far south-east coastline. A new well maintained, dry-boot stone and gravel walking trail, suitable for most ages and abilities, was launched to the public for Christmas 2015. Campsites were replaced with eco-lodges and many hikers would now complete the walk as part of a fully supported tour. This decision by TAS Parks has not surprisingly created some anger within the local bushwalking community. Nevertheless, the new track has allowed an exceptionally stunning coastal walk to become accessible to many hikers who may not have been able to access this walk previously. TAS Parks have a strict quota of walkers allowed into the area each day, with a…

It was the early 1970s in Seattle (Washington State, USA) and Jim Lea and Neil Anderson were out of a job. For the past decade, Lea and Neil had been part of the booming Seattle economy, thanks to the Boeing Company aerospace and defence program. However, with the decline in Vietnam War military spending, the slowing of the Apollo space program and the massive debt Boeing found itself in the development of the 747, some 80,000 employees would be laid off between 1970 and 1971. AN IDEA IS BORNE Wanting to maintain their engineering careers and to avoid having to relocate to another State to find work, Lea and Anderson’s good friend, John Burroughs (who had managed to keep his job at Boeing), suggested that his friends should design a…