| Mount St Gwinear Skiing |
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| Sunday, 11 July 2010 13:58 | |
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Snow gums on one of the many clearings on the Baw Baw Plateau Mount St Gwinear is located on the Baw Baw Plateau in Gippsland, approximately 2.5 hours drive from Melbourne. Mount St Gwinear is part of the Baw Baw Plateau in Gippsland, which undulates between 1250m and 1560m. The plateau receives high rainfall and is the only place in Victoria I know of where Myrtle Beech rainforest merges into sub-alpine vegetation. To cover snow clearing costs, Parks Victoria charge a $10.50 entry fee (this fee may be removed as of July 2010), with no trail fees. The place is stunning and makes for great cross-country skiing for beginners through to experienced groups who would like to snow camp. Mount St Gwinear does not offer the same amount of groomed trails as Lake Mountain, but rather a couple of trails leading to a mini-wilderness of snow plains. Alternatively you can ski to the Mt Baw Baw ski village and back, as either a very long day or book a night accommodation and return the next day. The dense vegetation of the plateau makes for sheltered skiing, and in my experience is just as amazing when the fog rolls in compared to a day of perfect winter sunshine. There are two or three places to view immense vistas across the ranges to Mount Buller and Mount Reynard. First time skiers will find a short trip to Jeep Track Flat enjoyable, with a nice downhill schush at the end of the day. Experienced skiers could aim for a challenging return trip to Mount Erica, requiring good tree-skiing skills! The Main Trail Is Groomed and Perfect For Beginners There are no shops or ski hire at Mt St Gwinear, so it is a good idea to bring a small stove to make hot drinks. The Wilderness Shop offers ski hire starting at $30 for a day and $45 for a weekend. Let's hope 2010 is a good season! By Nick |
