Winter Group Inc. Cross Country Ski Club

This year there were seven of us – Marianne, Masako, Anne, Loch, Peter and Anthea & David (who both decided to keep to the trails in and around the resort, whilst the first five ventured out touring).

We had four great days and had to call it quits on the fifth and final day because it was bucketing down with rain. Marianne came straight from a week at Rover’s Hut and had a day indoors at Howman’s on the Sunday while waiting for the rest of us to arrive (and it was a day of wind and rain too); Anne came down from Canberra after a week at Perisher and Peter joined us a day or so later.

On the Monday we went off the Edmondson’s Hut via Watchbed Creek and up the Paralyser. Weatherwise it was not so good but we managed to slither our way across to Edmondson’s Hut for lunch where we met a lone camper who was planning a week in the general area. Rather than return via a different route in low cloud and poor visibility over Heathy Spur we chose to return the way we came which had the advantage of being all down hill (ie down the Paralyser part).

On Tuesday Loch had a yen to go to Mount Nelse so we set off this time over Heathy Spur – the weather was much better. We had a bit of a struggle on the approach to Mount Nelse – slipping and sliding on the ice – with Marianne vowing this was her first and last visit to Mount Nelse. Just as we reached the trig point at lunch time, the low cloud lifted and we had really stunning views. The return journey (particularly coming off Mount Nelse) was not as bad as I was anticipating as we descended more gently and in snow rather than ice by going out on Baker’s Spur.

By Wednesday we were joined by Peter and set off for Sun Valley and then climbed up to Rocky Knobs (nice snow there) and finally over to Cope Saddle Hut, where we achieved our objective of locating Marianne’s “mouse mat” which she had inadvertently left there during a tour in her Rover’s Week. We stopped for lunch amidst rocks on a windy plain prior to negotiating melting snow and emerging streams to reach the Hut. After a break and some practice turns on a nearby hill, we started our return journey which took us past Pretty Valley Hut and back via the Mackay Road, reaching Howman’s rather late to the consternation of Anthea and David. This was a very long day!!!

By Thursday we were keen to have a less strenuous day – aided and abetted by poor weather. So we ventured once again to Sun Valley and then to a different area of Rocky Knobs and had an early lunch on a knob overlooking Pretty Valley and its hut. The weather was alternating between sun and snow. On the return from Sun Valley. we decided to take what turned out to be a long short cut to end up at the junction of Mackay Road and Wombat’s Ramble. Some returned to Windy Corner via Wombat’s Ramble and others were introduced to Aitken’s as a down route not frequented by downhillers.

On the last day, as it was pouring with rain, we decided it was pointless to attempt any skiing and so some of those returning to Melbourne popped into a winery or two in the Millawa area and by chance met up with Anne who was filling in a day prior to joining another group for a further week of skiing at Falls Creek.

Once again Howman’s Gap camp proved to be a good place to stay – the duties that we are now required to do are minimal – long gone are the days of washing up and drying up etc etc – only a little vacuuming here and there, now and then. The food is also remarkably good.

Anne Campbell