Table of contents for Issue 190, Summer 2023 in Wild

It was already getting late in the day, and it had become apparent we were unlikely to make it to our intended campsite before nightfall. But that seemed a poor excuse to rush things; it’s not like we get to the Victorian High Country every day, and the views as we climbed towards the summit of the Bluff were too precious to squander by merely racing to the top. So instead we lingered. Not just at this viewpoint with Mt Cobbler in the distance, but at the summit of the Bluff to come, and then some more after that on a high, long, treeless ridge so broad and smooth it felt more like an uplifted alpine meadow than ridge. In the end, this lingering would mean Ryan and I would…

After fifty crossings of the Overland Track, I was finally presented with a spectacular display of the Aurora Australis overlooking the Spires on Mt Oakleigh. The gauges on the aurora forecast were maxing when I arrived on the summit at sunset, but it was just as heavy mist descended on the peak. In seemingly vain hope I hung around, and eventually the clouds parted. revealing this incredible scene. BY SHAUN MITTWOLLEN Nikon Z7, 14-30mm, f4: Triple exposure at 20sec @ISO 3200 for sky; 30sec @ISO 12800 for mist structure; and 7 mins @ISO 1600 for spires & valley Dave McLoskey getting hammered descending Danae Brook in Kanangra NP, NSW. Unlike this part[cular image, in most of the shots I took of Dave during this abseil, you could barely see him;…

The appalling truth of nature writing since the 1960s, when the impact of contemporary climate change began to become widely recognised, is that it has all been about survival—the survival of nature. Even when celebrating works written before the Sixties, it inevitably draws attention to our current sick Earth. And this affliction is, of course, the work of a single species, the planet’s apex species—do I need to name it? Another truth of nature writing is that it encapsulates hope, and is a literal/literary example of humans doing something material to reverse or stop climate change. This is worth celebrating. But let’s be realistic, it’s not enough. Not nearly enough. We can do more, like change our buying habits, ensure our super is not supporting climate change-generating companies, and vote…

It’s hard to know where to start a profile on Beau Miles. He’s lived about thirty different lives (a conservative, factually accurate figure), has approximately 3,000 divergent interests, and wholly defies pigeonholing. To give insight into how hard this gig is, let’s imagine Beau at the bank, filling in a loan application, pausing when he reaches the dotted line for profession. He could legitimately write many things: filmmaker (he’s made hundreds, and has more than 600,000 YouTube subscribers); adventurer (that’s what all those films are about); author (of so many things, and working on his second book); academic (Dr Miles was lead academic of Monash University Outdoor Education until 2019); and there are many others that fit, too, like public speaker, head of production team, actor, thinker, and oddball. (Ed:…

In the void below me sat the West Face of Mt Aspiring/Tititea: fifty degrees at its steepest, and today in less-than-perfect conditions. Adam and Ollie had already dropped, departing with the harsh scrape of sharp edges on icy snow. On my snowboard, I am confident. I back myself to get down just about anything. But this—a classic ski-mountaineering line on a big mountain—would be the toughest test yet of that belief. If I lost control in these conditions … well, there was no margin for error. This was the moment, the peak of a winter spent getting after it in the mountains of New Zealand, climbing like it was my job. It was a moment I believed I was ready for. But the joy and exhilaration of getting here couldn’t…

NEAR THE SOUTHWESTERN CORNER of Victoria’s sprawling but beautiful Alpine National Park lies some of Australia’s wildest and most beautiful country. Cragged peaks thrust towards the sky; alpine grasslands spread across high plateaus; and forests of gnarled snow gum shrawl the higher hills. In the valleys, meanwhile, there are forests of towering mountain ash and rushing rivers. This three-day loop takes in a spectacular part of the region. Starting from the Jamieson River, you climb the Bluff—a serrated peak that punctures the horizon south of Mt Bulller—before heading across to a string of peaks including the King Billies, Mt Clear, Square Top, High Cone and the Nobs. And they’re just the peaks you actually climb; there are views across deep valleys to dozens more stunning peaks, including Mt Buller, Mt…

THERE’S A BIT TO UNPACK about Scarpa’s new offering in the bushwalking-boot department, the Mescalito TRK Planet GTX, not the least of which is the name (what a mouthful!). But don’t let this bamboozle you; there’s a lot to love about them. And what better place to start than with their most appealing feature: their ‘greenness’. With the Mescalito TRK Planet GTX, Scarpa’s gone all-out in its goal of manufacturing the most sustainable trekking boot, hence—or, at least, I think—the name’s reference to the ‘planet’. Not one, not two, but all three of the major construction components (the upper, inner, and sole) comprise a large percentage of recycled product: The Perspair upper contains 45% recycled materials; the Vibram Ecostep Evo tread incorporates 30% re-used rubber; even the Bluesign-certified lining is…

Australia has many great bushwalks. However, in recent years, it appears some walks are greater than others. Governments of both persuasions appear to have their favourite ‘Great Walks’. These walks, targeting high-yield tourists, seem to attract large, disproportionate amounts of public funding while less-favoured walks have their modest budgets continually squeezed. Ultimately, it means that national parks like the Grampians NP get huge funding to ‘upgrade’ tracks and build high-end infrastructure, whereas other national parks get their maintenance funding reduced. The result is the less-favoured tracks become degraded, which not only causes unnecessary environmental damage but the tracks also become less enjoyable and less safe. Take, for instance, the Mitchell River Walking Track in Victoria. Last year, I was involved in an outdoor-education camp that took school students along this…

It’s a terrifying thing, to watch someone’s lips turn blue as they gasp for air. Rapid, staccato breathing, audible over the violently flapping tent—a harbinger of the worsening storm bearing down on us. We had just tumbled into the hastily erected tent, searching for a brief respite from the cold, dry air that clawed at our lungs. Now I pull at my face, tearing off the tangle of frozen coverings, discarding them on the tent floor with beard still attached. The stove sputters in its feeble attempt to warm the tent air. I look over at Squiz and Vinnie. Hard men, both of them. But their faces mirror mine—fear. The child-like scribblings on the tent wall behind them show the passage of time: We have been out here for 54…

DREAMING OF A MULTI-DAY JOURNEY with days spent soaking up the sun, cooling off in clear water and watching the sunset from idyllic campsites? Look no further, packrafting may just be the sport for you! It can be a rewarding way to experience wilderness, an excellent medium for travel, and a wonderful way to get to know people—lifelong friendships are forged on the river. Every packrafting trip is unique, but they’re all as good as life gets. Like many, I came to packrafting from a whitewater-kayaking background, although this isn’t a requirement by any means. For me, the difference between the two is that whitewater kayaking is all about the rapid—the quest to paddle ever-harder, more challenging river runs. Packrafting, on the other hand, is more about the journey—enjoying remote…

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Each issue, I get to sit at my computer and write my editor’s letter. Sometimes, often in fact, I seat myself down with a sense of trepidation, knowing that I have no idea of what I should say or talk about, and wondering for how long exactly I might sit and stare at a blank screen in the vain hope some words come out. There are other times, however, when the opposite is true. I arrive at the desk with confidence because I know exactly what I want to say. And this, dear Wild reader, was one of those times. Except it wasn’t. I thought I knew what I wanted to talk about—a recent event that was perhaps one of the most bizarre events I’ve ever experienced. I’ve seen a…

 A selection of environmental news briefs from around the country. “THOUSANDS OF HECTARES OF FOREST WITHIN THE PROPOSED NATIONAL PARK AREA COULD BE DEMOLISHED WHILE PLANNING TAKES PLACE.” The NSW government promised a park to save koalas from extinction, but won’t stop logging it in the meantime. Every year in NSW, around 14,000ha of native forest—home to an astounding array of globally unique plants and animals—is torn apart by logging. This is compounding the devastation wrought by the Black Summer Bushfires and is pushing some of Australia’s most iconic wildlife to the brink of extinction—including our eucalypt-munching marsupials. The NSW Labor government has realised that something must be done to protect the state’s koalas from the biggest driver of their demise: habitat destruction. It has committed $80 million to deliver…

Bushwalking clubs have long been an integral part of the outdoor adventure landscape in Australia. For generations, they’ve provided a place for bushwalkers to learn and share knowledge, discover new locations, and form lasting connections. However, an ageing demographic of members and leaders could spell the end of this Aussie legacy. Jonathan (Jon) Gray, 64, is Vice President of Bushwalking NSW Inc. He is also chair of the organisation’s Young People in Clubs (YPIC) Working Group. He’s been a member of multiple clubs over the years, and he sees the ageing of members as a significant concern to the ongoing viability of bushwalking clubs. “Individual clubs will eventually cease to function if they are not replenished with younger members,” he says. “Even the bushwalking club movement as a whole will…

The relationship between climbers and climbing is complex. For some, there’s the physicality and adrenaline and, yes, ego. For others, it’s about community, wild places, or challenging yourself to see what’s possible and to see who you are. But none of this happens, on outdoor rock at least, without access. And access is no accident. As a climber, I feel I must acknowledge this journey the climbing community is experiencing: On the one hand, there are instances where climbers, whether by their sheer numbers or sometimes by the reckless actions of a mere few, are impacting the natural environment. On the other, there are climbing communities moving to care for and restore cliff environments, weaving a brighter future. Let me address the former first. Climbing numbers in Australia have exploded,…

"Whaddya reckon?” It was the end of Day Four of a planned six-day canyoning expedition in the south branch of Bungleboori Creek (AKA ‘the Boori’) in NSW’s Blue Mountains NP. Just then, having completed only two canyons of our intended five—after lugging in 20m+ of spare tube webbing, a collection of rope off-cuts, and six spanking new rap rings to replace old or damaged anchors—we ran out of anchor materials. Well, to be precise, there were no remaining rap rings; there was still ample webbing. There’d been many surprises—navigational blunders, plus taking twice as long as anticipated to reach base camp—but the biggest shock was how few recent visitors had been to these canyons. By ‘recent’, I mean in the last three years, since the Black Summer fires. The anchors…

IT’S SOME OF THE DEEPEST SNOW I’VE EVER WITNESSED. Once again, I have been drawn back to Japan, and as I climb out of the resort boundaries of Nozawa Onsen in Nagano Prefecture, the deep press of my skins builds lactic acid in my legs. But I am distracted from the burn in my muscles by soft-falling snow, snow that shimmers in the sunlight between winter trees as we hunt to find an untouched forest to immerse ourselves in. It is not a long search. We quickly find ourselves in the most perfect corridors of beech trees. The branches are heavy with snow, yet it’s the lightest fluff you’ll ever find. I am fortunate to share this skin track with Aussie freeskiers Drew Jolowicz and Theo Lansbury; the former is…

KOSCIUSZKO NP IS THE HIGHEST PARK IN THE COUNTRY, and it contains all of Australia’s 2,000m plus summits. Despite its many peaks, the crest of the park is a series of mostly open rolling hills and meadows containing rocky outcrops with patches of snow gum forest adorning the slopes. But it’s far from all gentle, and, especially on the western fall of the Main Range, the relief can be huge; the vertical ascent from Geehi Flats to Mt Kosciuszko itself is, at 1,800m, the largest in Australia. The park is huge (at 690,000ha, it’s the largest in NSW), and there are many bushwalks across the range. Alpine huts, most of them historic, can be found dotted throughout the park, and in summer, wildflowers are found in abundance. In winter the…