Alpine Club Melbourne

YAASSS! 💓🏔

We're stoked to announce that the Alpenverein Melbourne / Alpine Club Melbourne is a thing now! Last year we started this adventure and this month we put the final pieces together. The club is registered, has an ABN and is officially part of the Austrian Alpine Club and therefore also the wider Club Arc Alpine and UIAA family. 

We've come a long way and it's always good to remember why we started this in the first place. Most of us are one way or the other a member of the Austrian Alpine Club since it comes with the awesome Alpenverein Worldwide Service (insurance for SAR, limited medical and unlimited repatriation).

"We're already paying anyway with no local benefits so let's make it an Australian thing."

Top of Ama Dablam with
Cho Oyu in the back

That was the initial idea and soon we realised there isn't a real Alpine Club either - something which needed to be changed :)

• Having a true Melbournian Alpine Club encompassing all mountain activities
• Providing a great insurance under the umbrella of the Austrian Alpine Club
• Bringing adventurers together with local trips and events

The Alpenverein Melbourne is an all-ages, all-inclusive club which does a baby-hike in Plenty Gorge as well as expeditions to high altitude peaks. Now while you can do the baby-hike on short notice, you can't do the same for major peaks in the Himalayas, Alaska or the Andes. The club is committed to provide a pathway for mountaineers to grow and achieve their long-term goal.

Diving into the mountaineering world can be a bit daunting and especially since Australia is lacking the big mountains and glaciers although we do have some great training grounds. There's plenty of knowledge across the member so joining the club gives you an opportunity to tap into that.

Cheers
Anna, Emil & Philipp


Find out more at

www.alpenverein.melbourne

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Glossary

AVM - Alpenverein Melbourne - Alpine Club Melbourne

AAC (UK) - Austrian Alpine Club (UK)

AVS - Alpenverein Südtirol - South Tyrolean Alpine Club

CAA - Club Arc Alpine

DAV - Deutscher Alpenverein - German Alpine Club

FFCAM - Fédération française des clubs alpins et de montagne - French Federation of Alpine and Mountain Clubs

OeAV - Österreichischer Alpenverein - Austrian Alpine Club

SAC - Swiss Alpine Club

FAQs

Here are the updated FAQs about the Alpenverein Melbourne (AVM) from the previous blog-post. Please drop the club a line if you can't find the answer you're looking for: adventures@alpenverein.melbourne

• Does the insurance cover trips here in Australia? 
  Yes. Absolutely. It's actually worldwide. You'll find more general information here. There's also a specific article which looks at insurances from an Australian point of view.
• Is the insurance any different to the one of other sections of the Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV)?
  No - all sections and groups of the OeAV have the very same insurance. Insurance-wise it doesn't matter if you're a member of the AAC (UK), the Section Vienna or the Alpenverein Melbourne. 
• Does the insurance include other leisure activities?
  Yes. All leisure activities in general are included. However there are some exclusions like paragliding, high altitude mountaineering (above 6000m) or arctic expeditions. 
• Does the insurance cover backcountry, side country, off-piste, ski-touring or other out-of bonds adventures?
  Yes. All of them.
• Why wasn't the AVM initiated as part of the German (DAV), French (FFCAM) or South Tyrolean (AVS) Alpine Club or any other alpine club?  
• Simple: The Insurance of the Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV) is better for Australian based activities
• Why is it Melbourne and not the Australian Alpine Club? 
  The Australian Alpine Club already exists but has a strong focus on snow sports. Mountaineering and Alpine Adventures aren't something the AAC does. On the other hand the names Alpine Club Melbourne or Alpenverein Melbourne have not been used prior to the AVM.
• How does the AVM fit into the Victorian Club Landscape?
  The club has the mandate to establish and maintain relationships with similar or the same goals. While building our membership base we're also facilitation cross-club events and create new partnerships. 
• Can I join without becoming an OeAV member?
  No. The Alpenverein Melbourne is a local group of the Alpenverein Österreich - Sektion Innsbruck. If you join the AVM you're joining the OeAV.
• Can I join if I'm already member of another OeAV section?
  Unfortunately not. You'll need to switch to the Section Innsbruck in order to become a member of the AVM.
• Is the Alpenverein Melbourne incorporated in Australia?Yes - we are registered with Consumer Affairs Victoria. The registration number is A0107950D. The ABN is 93 853 885 730
• How is the Alpenverein Melbourne be structured?
  It's not much different from any other club you know. There are club rules, a committee and there are club events.
• What is the structure within the OeAV?
  The OeAV is made out of 197 independent member-clubs - so-called sections. One of them is the Section Innsbruck. The AVM is a local group within Section Innsbruck. See the diagram below.
• Why Innsbruck - why not any other section?
  This is the biggest section within the OeAV and we thought it might be hard getting this off the ground with smaller sections. We got and we still get a lot of support from Innsbruck so we think we made the right choice.
• Why do we use the German "Alpenverein" instead of "Alpine Club"?
  We're simply sticking with the Corporate Design Manual of the club. Even the pommies with their British Section couldn't escape that. Besides we do have some German native speakers as members.
• What do we do about the language barrier when we need to communicate with Austria?
  The current AVM Secretary is a German and the English of the guys in Austria is also pretty good.
• How much does the Membership cost?
  The prices for 2020 are:
  Individual € 78
  Family € 132*
  Senior € 64
  *Children are free if all parents (single or couple) are members of the same sections and the children are insured too. 
• For which time-frame do I sign up?
  In general you're singing up for the calendar year however there's a spring special every year. If you join after the 1st September, you'll get the remaining year for free and just pay for next year.
• Are there any local club trips?
  Absolutely. They are listed on the club's website.
• Where can I sign up?Right here - Registration Form - click on the link and on the upper right is the Union Jack to change the form to English.

Simplified Structure of the OeAV

Rescue @ Razorback

After Emil's grand entrance into the world of snow-camping last year, we took him out again to Federation Hut. The Winter Camp is annual event since 2013 to get mountaineers, snow- and backcountry lovers together for a play in the fluffy white. Each year we return from the mountain with great memories and this year would provide a lot of entertainment ... although not for everyone. 

As it turned out Anna's and my fear our little offspring will keep the camp-site awake was completely unfounded ... it was actually an AW139 helicopter hovering about 20m above the hut at 5am almost flattening a couple of tents with its downwash ... and of course Emil slept through all of this.

Our recent post (see below) got a bit of air-time on social media however we didn't go into the details of what had happened and what we should learn from it. Please keep in mind this isn't about blaming someone. Yes of course these rescues would have been preventable - the guys could have just stayed at home but that's not what we want. As a SAR volunteer I want people to go out on adventures and enjoy the benefits which come with being outdoors. In this case nobody got injured so these are great outcomes. Overall the (mental) health benefits of you getting fresh air outweighs the costs of the occasional rescue by far!

So don't be a keyboard warrior, think about where you did stupid mistakes which could have led to a call-out and learn how to do it better next time.

What happened?

There were two helicopter rescues. The first one took place around 4 pm and can be filed under "unfortunate circumstances". One of the two experienced guys simply got sick and that's something which is hard to prevent. Fortunately they had left early and therefore they could make the call for help while there was some daylight left. There's still a takeaway in this: 

Once you called for help, put your valuables, car-keys, wallet and other need-to-have small items in your pockets. It's not guaranteed that the rescue heroes get your backpack.

Locations of rescues 17.8.2019

The second rescue happen not far from the first - about 400m - and also not far from the hut at around 9:30 pm. Well that's when the whole thing started. Sunset on that day was 5:37 pm with last light just after 6 pm and a full moonrise around 7 pm which means the visibility was good because there were no clouds.

The hikers started at Diamantina Hut around 3 pm which means they covered roughly 9km in 5-6h. This isn't a terrible pace although it's at the slower end of the spectrum. 

As mentioned in the facebook post, a MICA flight paramedic was winched down near the spot but couldn't be picked up with the hypothermic patient due to high winds. The paramedic and the AT skiers who stumbled upon the hikers earlier moved everyone to the hut from where the patient and the paramedic were eventually airlifted at 5 am.

Is the Razorback a trap for beginners?

In winter all hikes are easy to underestimate since a bit of snow can slow you down significantly. However in my opinion the Razorback is especially prone to lure people into a false sense of security.

• In summer it's a simple and easy hike. Trailrunners wrap it up in less than an hour quite regularly while hikers take about 4 hours.
• It's easy to access. You simply park your car at Diamantina Hut and off you go. 
• It doesn't look that far or steep from the road. Yes you can see Feathertop from Mt Hotham and it seems quite ok.
• Finding the trail shouldn't be hard since you just follow the ridge-line.

The Razorback and Feathertop

This doesn't sound too bad for a little snow-shoe adventure, right? Length-wise it's almost the same as Bungalow Spur and you have far less of elevation to tackle. For sure the Razorback is the faster and easier option, isn't it?

Yeah nah mate - unfortunately the reality is slightly different:

• In winter the time on the trail blows out quite fast. Five to seven hours aren't unusual which means if you want to leave some room for error, you should be on the trail by 12 noon at the very latest. Earlier if you're beginner or not a fast walker.
• It is indeed easy to access but only costs a bomb since you need to pay resort entry for Hotham - it's $102 for 2 days.
• It's roughly 10 km up and down little hills with 300m of ascent. In snow that's not a piece of cake especially since the whole track will be covered. The icing on the non-existent cake are icy conditions because some of the slopes are quite a steep and exposed and a slip can result in a fast slide into a snow-gum. In general that's fairly unhealthy unless you know how to self arrest.
• In good conditions the trail isn't hard to find however Australian winter has the tendency to be windy and it comes often with poor visibility. Then it's easy to miss a turn and go down one of the many ridges to the side and after dark all bets are off anyway. Speaking of windy - which is was on that Saturday - the whole Razorback is extremely exposed and every little movement of air hits you hard with a wind-chill factor. 

Anna and Emil in the snow

There you go. Suddenly the nice ramp up Bungalow Spur seems to be quite reasonable despite 1100m of elevation gain. This track is actually easy to follow, sheltered from the wind, at least half way without snow and therefore overall faster in winter. Anna did it in a bit over four hours with a baby in the backpack. Now don't get overconfident - that's on the upper end of the speed-scale but it shows you even with 25kg on the back it's a fast approach.

How to do the Razorback

In good winter weather the Razorback is an amazing hike. If you haven't done it yet, the above story of doom and disaster shouldn't deter you from doing it one day. There are just a couple of simple things to consider:

• Check the forecast and the avalanche bulletin. Wind, snow or rain and bad visibility are to be avoided.
• Leave early. Aim for a 10 am departure at the latest.
• Don't go after big fresh dumps or if the bulletin shows other severe dangers.
• Know how to self arrest and carry the needed ice-axe, if the conditions are icy.
• Have an emergency shelter like a bothy or bivy bag.
• Pro-tip: If you have friends with another car, do a key-swap. They come up Bungalow Spur and go out the Razerback the next day. Since you already did the Razor, you can scoop down to the Snowline and have a beer while you wait for your car to arrive.

Some of the VCC Crew on Sunday Morning

Now in case you wonder whether the four hikers of the second rescue were experienced or not, don't take my word for it. By coincident Kat Crema - two time Winter Olympian and Winter X Games competitor - came across them: 

"There was definitely a lack of experience there... we passed the 4 snow shoers on our way back to the road at 4 pm, they were 1.5 hours in and least 3-4 hours away and didn’t know where Fed Hut was... 😬"

Hopefully you learned something from the post and if it's only to take you wallet and car-keys out of the pack when the chopper is coming 😉

Cheers and enjoy the backcountry 🍻

Philipp

Mont Blanc 2019

"Mountaineering in Europe is so ... civilised"

Once upon a time a Kiwi claimed New Zealand has the best mountain huts in the world. After I recovered from a hysterical attack of uncontrolled laughter, I got back up from the floor, wiped off the dust and asked that mistaken individual whether he had been to Europe. He had not. I explained to him that this what he calls a hut, Europeans call a bivy-box.   

Refuge du Goûter

Now if you've never climbed or hiked in Europe, I'm putting it straight out there: You're missing out. It's one of the better things since sliced bread because it comes with pastry and wine. My profound love for the mountains can be traced back over twenty years ago when I first rocked up at Les Houches to climb Mont Blanc. It was not only the first major peak I ever climbed, it was also a life-changing moment and the beginning of an ongoing passion - Mountaineering. I had no idea that a stupid idea brewed up over too many drinks in a pub on Christmas Eve 1998 will condemn me to this lifestyle. 

But let's step back a little bit. In general Australians who mountaineer tend to hop over the ditch or head straight for the Himalayas before even considering the Western Alps. On the surface that makes sense since the Kiwi Alps and Nepal are simply closer however there are a bunch of things which speak for climbing in Europe:

• Accessibility
• Information about routes and conditions 
• Weather Stability
• Rescue Services
• On-mountain accommodation
• Off-mountain activities
• ... and of course: Food, Wine, Beer & Cheese. If you believe the Swiss, Germans, Austrians, French and Italians don't have these essentials covered, there's something seriously wrong with you.

Of course none of that crossed my mind back then in 1999 since I was living in Munich and the biggest mountain around was simply Mont Blanc. And this is why Dirk, Peter, Stefan and I decided to tackle this "little hill" without any climbing let alone mountaineering experience. Yeah, what could possibly go wrong? That's a whole story in itself but obviously the four of us are still alive and let me tell you this: It was a steep learning curve with a lot of close calls. However that didn't distract from the beauty of the mountains and the sense that we can and want to do this more often. Eventually we did a technical mountaineering course (TMC) and learned how to do these things without giving our parents a heart-attack.

Now instead of boring you with tales of our climbs last month ... and in the years before ... I'll give you a bunch helpful pointers to get cracking at your personal Mont Blanc and European alpine adventure.

Acclimatisation Hike

Refuge du Fond d'Aussois

You're in the Western French Alps. They are amazing so why not make use of a good hike to get your body used to a bit thinner air. Recently we found a gem you really do not want to miss: The Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise. It's epic. We did a short circuit over four days with a baby and it was one of the best hikes I've done in my life. In fact I've done the Routeburn in perfect weather and this is simply better - I know this is a big call. The Tour isn't as crowded as the Tour du Mont Blanc, stays higher - always above 2000m - and you can pick a couple of variations which means you can adjust this to your schedule. If you're keen, you also have the option to sneak in a climb of the Dôme de l'Arpont 3599m but you need a bit of gear for this.

The huts are all fully catered which means you're only taking a small pack with some food for the day, change of clothes and sleeping liner. You can get a lunch box for the next day, beer, wine and sometimes a shower. Yeah I know - how civilised!

Now flip through a couple of pics and then I'll tell you a bit more about Chamonix and climbing.

Pointe de l'Échelle reflection

Above Sardières

Ruisseau de Pingon

Beer on tap @ Refuge de l'Arpont

Fun afternoon at the hut

Marmots - the little hearts of the mountains

Not so shy chamois

Blue butterflies

Looking at Monte Pelve

Gentiana aka Enzian

Grandpa Ibex

Do you feel like hopping on a plane yet? Great, let's get a bit more into the logistics:

Where to set up camp

If you want to climb around Mont Blanc, you got a couple of places where you can stay. There are some camp grounds, you can rent a chalet or simply check into one of the hotels or B&Bs. Chamonix, Les Houches, Argentière and Saint Gervais les Bains are all villages you should consider. Obviously Chamonix is the hub of all mountain activities but that shouldn't stop you from looking a bit further. There's also the Italian side of the mountain however that's more for advanced mountaineers unless you're aiming for Grand Paradiso which is one of the easiest 4000m peaks you can climb.

Now back to France our personal favourite is Saint Gervais les Bains which is the village where the Tramway du Mont Blanc starts its climb up the mountain. It has a fucking cute village square which hosts two markets per week and a free car park right next to it. There's a climbing wall hidden under the big bridge (think Burnley but lead-climbing), there are plenty of shops to get your cured meat and cheese kick, heaps of bistros & restaurants and the icing on the cake is the Boutique Hotel La Feline Blanche - again if you don't love Anne's hospitality there's something wrong with you. 

Ah yes ... the cat is actually a dog and his name is Bob ... but he fulfils the colour-requirement. 

Maison de la Montagne

The House of Dreams

This is special. Chamonix has little cute building called the House of the Mountains. It's basically the office of the local guide association ... however ... it's also a place of the volunteer organisation La Chamoniard to get the latest information about routes and conditions ... for free. Yes! This is a service supported by the local council to keep climbers safe. Are you listening New Zealand?!?!? You can just walk in there and have a lovely chat about your trip intentions with a professional guide or a Gendarme of the PGHM*. They are very forthcoming and provide you with a lot of insight, can advise alternative tours or simply point out some key issues. In the end these guys would also come to your rescue so they want you to be safe. Of course if you decide your objective would be best to achieve with a local guide, you can find one right here.

Also if you don't have a plan yet, the Office de Haute Montagne is filled with folders of topos, maps and 1:10000 model of the Mont Blanc Massive. Here you can dream up an adventure in no time - there are plenty to choose from and all of them are right at your finger tips. 

*Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne - French High Altitude Police Rescue Squad. They are absolute professionals. If you get in trouble by not following their advice, you're not getting any sympathy.

Accessibility

The iconic gate at Aiguille du Midi 

You might have gotten the vibe so far: We are not purists. It doesn't need to be the raw wilderness with hideous approaches and self-imposed privations which are borderline to type III fun. While you can walk up the hill - Les Houches to the top of Mont Blanc bears more elevation change than Everest Base Camp to the summit - you can just take various ski lifts, trams or cable cars. In fact the peaks are so accessible that you can do a 4000m peak in a day. Most tours are just a two day trip which means within a week you can easily squeeze in three climbs e.g.

• Aiguille du Tour 3540m
  Take the gondola and chair-lift in the afternoon and walk leisurely 2h to Albert 1er Hut. Early morning, summit and back down. Booking the hut is essential.
• Mont Blanc du Tacul 4248m
  This is an easy day-trip from the Aiguille du Midi. Take the earliest cable car you can hop on (reserve one online or rock up at stupid o'clock), out through the iconic gate and off you go. You might need a second ice axe for the ice-fall.
• Mont Blanc 4810m
  Take the first tram up to Nid d'Aigle, hike up to Refuge du Goûter and get your gear sorted. Very early morning, summit and back down. Again booking the hut is essential. You need one otherwise they will stop you at the Tête Rousse Glacier. The booking opens somewhere around April for the season and normally the hut is booked out within hours however, if you're flexible you can get in on a cancellation as well.

These three peaks would also be my recommendation for medium-level first time visitors. You can also do Mont Blanc du Tacul as a cool-down climb after Mont Blanc and if the ice-fall looks at you with its angry face, turn left and have a beer at the Refuge des Cosmiques instead. 

Bad Weather Alternatives

Unfortunately you can be washed or blown off the mountain and there are options beside going to the climbing gym or disappearing into the void of French cheese, wine and small-good shops. 

• Les Thermes de Saint-Gervais is worth a trip but keep in mind boardies aren't allowed in French pools >> budgie-smugglers it is.
• Check out the Musee Alpin de Chamonix or Musée Montagnard, Les Houches. The first one is about alpinism in general and the latter showcases mountain lifestyles of past times.
• Obviously being a gear-slut, shopping is a great way to pass time and empty your bank account. You won't have any problems finding shops in Chamonix. Think Bogong Equipment on steroids plus all the big brands shops. In case you got wheels also check out Au Vieux Campeur in Sallanches or Decathlon in Passy. Pro-tip: maxing out you baggage allowance on your way to Europe is a mistake
  ... but maybe you should just wash your clothes, stay in the chalet and save some money.

This should give you a starting point and an idea where to begin your European mountaineering adventure. Now it's just about to find a spot in your calendar during the French climbing season, block it and book some flights.

Now if you're still wondering how our 1999 Mont Blanc adventure turned out, you're in luck. I recently recovered a trip report from the depth of the internet and translated it:

How not to start your Mountaineering Career

Yep. I'm also glad that I'm still around ...

Cheers and good luck 🍻

Philipp

This 2019 trip was the first overseas adventure of the Alpenverein Melbourne. If you're an mountaineer or alpine adventurer, this club might be the right thing for you. Check it out at www.alpenverein.melbourne

Free Capes Track

Recently we did the slack-packing trip down in Tasmania and you'll find tons of blog and self-proclaimed expert hikers who give you all kinds of tips for this indulgence. Basically you have three major options on how to do the trip:

• Glamping - around 3k AUD
• Slack-Packing - roughly 500 AUD
• Old-School Camping - free (besides the park pass) 

Now I don't want to bore you with yet another insta-blurb or re-written track-notes, so I'll quickly run down some pro-tips on the slack-packing option and then go into the free old-school version.

Slack-Packing

• Day 1 - Port Arthur to Surveyors Hut
  This day is short so load up fresh food, booze and steak. Don't worry about a hangover, because day two can be endured with it.
  
• Day 2 - Surveyors Hut to Munro Hut
  About an hour before you hit the hut, you literally get to the junction which is only 10 minutes away from the Retakunna  Hut (Night 3 accommodation). Stash some critter-proof packed food & drinks for evening number 3 and save yourself carrying some stuff for 2 more hours.
  
• Day 3 - Munro Hut - Cape Pillar - Retakunna Hut
  Since this is the main event, you want to be down there in good weather ... if possible. Get the latest forecast from the ranger. You can pick up some phone reception near the loos / helipad. We left the hut at 11 am with a baby which left plenty of time for an easy walk, breaks, taking pictures and getting to the last hut.
  
• Day 4 - Retakunna Hut to Fortescue Bay
  There's a BBQ at the end of the track ... steaks and beer ... just a thought. There are also showers in case you feel like one.

Free Capes Track

First of all the current Three Capes Track is false advertising: Cape Raoul is still missing in the itinerary. As of end of 2018 the tracks around there have been upgraded which means you can do it as a day-walk however the huts haven't been constructed yet. From what I gathered the development of this section is still on the cards. For now it's a day hike which you can just google > here's a tour-description on the Alpine Club Portal.

3CT development map from 2012

That's one cape down, on to the next one. If you google Cape Pillar and camping you'll get a bunch of conflicting information. This is what's actually happening:

• Yes you can go camping, 
• No, nobody forces you to do one of the paid trips
• Yes you can camp in other spots than the Wughalee Falls. Just get in touch with the rangers.

So there is free version of the Three Capes Track which can be done in two to three days using the Wughalee Falls Campsite. This is an easy hike which let's you experience one of Tasmania's crown jewels without forking out a lot of cash AND big plus: You can pick a good weather window! Now you can do this as one epic day however this is more of a trailrun than a hike. Maybe if you want to take it all in, this is not the best choice.

Two-Day option:

Go to the campsite first, drop your packs, do Cape Pillar and return to the camp for the night. The next day do Cape Hauy and return to Fortescue Bay

Three-Day option:

Go to the campsite and stay the night. On day two travel light, do Cape Pillar and come back to camp for the second night. The next day do Cape Hauy and return to Fortescue Bay

My recommendation is to do it in three days and load up on good food > you don't have to carry it far anyway and if you suffer from FOMO because you'll miss day one and two of the 3CT, don't beat yourself up. Day one is barely worth mentioning (4km) and day two isn't that great compared to what you're doing. However there is an option to access these parts of the track as well, if you're really keen.

You'll find the complete description including a GPS file on Alpenvereinaktiv: 

Free Two Capes Track.

... and here are some pics from our trip.

Enjoy & Cheers
Philipp

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Founding the Alpenverein Melbourne

The Idea - Why are we doing this?

Yes you read that correct: We want to found the Alpine Club Melbourne. The plan is to set it up as a local group (Ortsgruppe) within the Austrian Alpine Club (Alpenverein Österreich / OeAV) in order to benefit from a bigger network of European Alpine Clubs. We already reached out to the Section Innsbruck and got some positive feedback. What we now need is founding members and this is where you come in.

If you're a mountaineer, climber, backcountry skier or snowboarder, hiker or simply an adventurer, this might be right up your alleyway. Here are some advantages the Alpenverein Melbourne would bring and why you should join:

• Insurance 
  This is probably the biggest draw-card. As an Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV) member you benefit from a great insurance. You'll find the details on the OeAV website.
• Big Adventures 
  Trips to the big mountains are already on the cards. We have Mont Blanc booked in for next year and we intend to continue doing this.
• Family Friendly 
  Getting children outside is one of the best things you can do. It fosters resilience and self-confidence. As parents we know this can be hard but it's much easier in a group. Don't believe us? Have a look at Emil's recent snow adventure.
• Melbourne Based 
  Part of the Austrian Alpine Club tradition is to have regular social nights. Sounds good to us.
• Safety Culture 
  Mountaineering safety culture differs between continental Europe and the Anglo-American mountaineering community. The aim is to tap into the latest safety research of the CAA - Club Arc Alpin - and make use of that here in Australia. 

We know there are other climbing and mountaineering clubs in Victoria but we don't see this as competition. Actually quite the opposite: We're already encouraging joined trips and cross-club activities. 

Now you want to join this adventure? Awesome and welcome aboard! Here is how it works:

1. Join the Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV) - preferably the Section Innsbruck - if you haven't done so already. If you join after 1st September, you'll get the remainder of the year 2018 for free when paying your 2019 membership fee.
2. Come back and enter your membership details into the webform. 
3. We'll collect the details and once we got a bunch of members, we'll put or application forward to the committee of the Section Innsbruck.

Webform - Founding the Alpenverein Melbourne

That's it! We hope we sparked your interest and we'll have our local Alpine Club soon. In the meantime join us at the upcoming Mountaineering Social Night At the Clifton Hill Brewpub.

Cheers 🍻
The Valentines

2018 trip to the Dolomites

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FAQs

Here are some potential questions you might have. Please drop us a line if you can't find the answer you're looking for: go@mountaineering.me

• Does the insurance cover trips here in Australia? 
  Yes. Absolutely. It's actually worldwide.
• What happens next? 
  We'll collect details throughout September and if we get to 15 -20 founding members, we'll submit the list to the committee of the Alpine Club - Section Innsbruck for consideration. If they accept our application we'll be the "Alpenverein Melbourne" as a Regional Group of the Alpine Club - Section Innsbruck.
• Why not the German Alpine Club (DAV) or any other alpine club? 
  Simple: The Insurance of the OeAV is better for Australia based activities
• Why not found the Australian Alpine Club? 
  It already exists but has a strong focus on snow sports. Mountaineering and Alpine Adventures aren't something the AAC does.
• Can I join without becoming an OeAV member?
  No. The Alpenverein Melbourne will be a sub-group of the Alpenverein Österreich - Sektion Innsbruck. Technically you'll be joining the OeAV.
• Can I join if I'm already member of another OeAV section?
  Yes! Just enter your membership number in the form.
  
• Can I join at a later stage?
  You can but if we don't get the numbers this might not happen!
• Will the Alpenverein Melbourne be incorporated in Australia?
  That isn't planned at this stage since we'll be a subgroup of an Austrian club. If the necessity arises, we can revisit this at a later stage.
• How will the Alpenverein Melbourne be structured?
  This hasn't been decided yet. That's up to the members who found the group - meaning you :)
• What would be the structure within the OeAV?
  The OeAV is made out of 197 independent member-clubs so-called sections. One of them is the Section Innsbruck. We'd be a sub-group with in  Alpine Club - Section Innsbruck. See the diagram below.
• Why Innsbruck - why not any other section?
  This is the biggest section within the OeAV it might be hard getting this off the ground with smaller sections. On top of that we're already members of that section.
• Why do we use the German "Alpenverein" instead of "Alpine Club"?
  We're simply sticking with the Corporate Design Manual of the club. Even the pommies with their British Section couldn't escape that. Besides we will have some German native speakers as members.
• What do we do about the language barrier when we need to communicate with Austria?
  Luckily we got some German native speakers among us however the English of the guys in Austria is also pretty good.
• How much does the Membership cost?
  Individuals € 57, Family € 101, Senior € 44 - All options are on the OeAV website. You can pay with credit card. There won't be additional fees for the local group here in Melbourne.
• Will there be local club trips?
  Absolutely. That's one of the reasons why we're doing this. We'll also organise regular social nights.
• What if I join the OeAV and the Alpenverein Melbourne doesn't get off the ground?
  You'll still have the benefits of the OeAV and that includes the insurance. Basically you won't lose anything. 

Simplified Structure of the OeAV

How not to start Mountaineering

I dug up an old trip report I wrote over 20 years ago about climbing Mont Blanc. The original is in German so enjoy this ridiculous tale of an adventure 😉 Also don't try to kick-start your mountaineering career in the same way.

I've added some photos from other trips since I can't find the original '99 pics.

Cheers
Philipp - August 2019

---

2009 - Sunset at Gouter

Original Report from July 1999

Out of boredom I wrote this report on the high spped train (ICE) from Munich to Guzbach and back - useful information can not be found here. If you should read it, then you will figure out what kind of unprepared mission we executed. The participants were

• Dirk "Schmelz" Schmelzer
• Stefan "Horni" Hornke
• Peter Hammes 
• and myself Philipp "Fuzzel" Hammes

Tuesday, June 15, 1999, afternoon

Unsuspecting I drove with my mate Deffe through Dachau as my phone rang meaningful with the German hymn - My brother's question was also easy to understand:

"Remember that pub-night? Coming with us on Mont Blanc?"

"When?"

"In 2 weeks."

"OK."

So I agreed and started to buy / borrow equipment. Dirk, Stefan, Peter and I then emailed each other until we had everything together and a meeting place had been agreed. Oh, our previous mountain experience? Zilch.

Thursday, 1.7.1999, 10:09

And so it begins - I was on the train on the way to Darmstadt. Although many people advised us against this endeavour , we tried anyway. Only one had a certain amount of optimism: Horst Oster, our cousin from Rosenheim. Mum's intention was that he dissuades us from the idea; Well, that backfired a bit. Horsti has been a mountaineer for about 20 years and had already achieved entertaining peaks like Denali and climbed various mountains in South America. The statement that Mont Blanc is a nice beginner's mountain can be attributed to him a and we "should just go for it". In Darmstadt, I bought a bit more stuff and then went for some shut-eye.

Friday, 2.7.1999, 01:00

As it turned out later, the following section - the car ride - was by far the most dangerous part of the trip: Somewhere in Switzerland Dirk fell asleep - unfortunately at this time he was the last occupant awake and sat also front left[1]. Horni's Golf cruised down more or less uncontrolled with 100 km/h on the Swiss highway. Lucky us only a boundary pole, a headlight glass and a turn signal were the casualties. Also Dirk was pretty much done afterwards.
Once we arrived in Chamonix, it was time to stare at the mountain and have breakfast. Since we did not have all the equipment and provisions, we went shopping and moved on to Les Houches - a little village not far from Chamonix.

After more or less functional packing of the backpacks, we were welcomed by very nice weather, but after a few meters, the first obstacle was in the way - a nice little mountain stream. Anyway, a hop, skip and a jump later we continued up the mountain. At some point the trees stopped and a short time later we came hit the mountain tram, which takes 99% of all climbers. We took some care that the thing does not flatten us and then arrived at 2300 m. Somehow this was just a nice mountain hike so far and not so much should change until the hut: Apart from the fact that someone had substituted the remaining vegetation with snow fields and we were allowed to look at some ugly chamois.

[1] this is where the steering wheel is located.

Friday, 2.7.1999, 19:00

New Tete Rousse in 2019 with Baby Play Corner

Finally the Tête Rousse Hut[2] came into sight. After a few minutes, we also reached it and were able to rest comfortably.

The view down the valley was just great, although it was a bit hazy. At some point my digestive tract made itself noticeable and while I was thinking, if I want to use this strange toilet house at all, Horni and Peter were already thinking loud about its engineering: "For sure there's a 50m pipe going down there so the shit isn't kicking up a stink here."

The pipe was 1/500 of that - it stank. Eat, go to sleep - that was the first day: about 2000 meters without much difficulty.

[2]The old Tête Rousse Hut has been dismantled and a new hut was build in 2003

Saturday, 3.7.1999, 06:00

Getting up, do not wash and have breakfast. For the day we had planned the Grand Couloir, but we did not leave until very late, because we had not adjusted the crampons and had to figure out how the climbing harness works and minor things along those lines.

Saturday, 3.7.1999, 09:00

Specki below the Grand Couloir

The sun had been up a long time, but the slope of the Grand Couloir was still in the shade - not for long. After a short snow-hike we made the first acquaintance with rockfall - that was even before the traverse - luckily only a stone caught my ass and it was so small enough to avoid serious consequences. That was a bit of an unpleasant wake up call and because of that, the traverse should cost us some nerves.
It started with the fact that we did not even know that there was a steel cable to secure us and that we started to improvise:

• Peter and Stefan went over with a (much too short) sling and had some problems because they could not pass quickly.
• Dirk and I have took a 12 meter rope, clipped it on the cable in the middle with a screwgateand us at the each end - very handy and you get across in a double pack.

Peter was pretty exhausted now and the panic point came immediately afterwards, a short rock climbing section with a via ferrata - technically relatively simple and we would pass it without problems on the way back. We started very cumbersome belaying and meanwhile a boulder struck right next to us with a loud bang. Because we did not manage to move quickly enough and we were still in a rock-fall area, we were still losing our shit. Then, after a rather brutal rock fall rolled down the Couloir, the first voices of retreat could be heard.

Why didn't we go back? Because we thought it was bad to go through the traverse again at this time of day. The sun was shining straight into the Couloir and getting more stones ready to tumble.

2009 - Climb up to the Gouter Hut

The rest of the way up to the hut wasn't a problem anymore - Horni drove us on with his permanent gas emissions ... We were only wondering about all the others who went up or down being short-roped - if one falls, all fall, right?[3]

[3]As further research by the alpine clubs turned out, we were on the money with this assessment back in 1999

Saturday, 3.7.1999, 14:00

Still a bit nervous, we arrived at Goûter Hut. The rest of the day's program consisted of eating, drinking, preparing equipment (yes, we became a bit smart) and trying to sleep.

Sunday, 4.7.1999, 2:00 clock

Horni had not slept so much due to the altitude, but otherwise everything was still in the green area. After the short breakfast, we put on our gear and joined the queue up the mountain.

Although not very fast, but with a steady pace, it went up the Dome du Goûter. Horni started to struggle with altitude - it was not his fitness that annoyed him (he had a training plan to increase stamina for the project), but simple nausea. Our speed was constantly decreasing but still acceptable. In the meantime, it dawned and the last shelter in front of the summit was in sight. We were looking forward to a break, which unfortunately had a bitter aftertaste: Meanwhile, our water supplies were already so decimated that we should not have any more in the foreseeable future. 

2009 - Vallot Hut at Sunrise

A little bit recovered we went on but the beautiful weather, which had accompanied us until now left at the same time as really started to feel the thin mountain air. The air pressure on the summit is about 590 mbar - not very much and at 4400 meters it was not much more. Somehow we finally got to the summit as one of the last rope teams crawling over the Bosses ridge, which we fortunately did not see due to the fog because it goes straight down towards Italy (right) and France (left).

Sunday, 4.7.1999, 10:00 clock

On the summit, the wind was pretty strong, the visibility was almost zero, we weren't in a good shape. The summit wasn't very pleasant either - it is mainly characterised by the spots of vomit and yellow snow, at least for that day. We briefly tried to capture a summit photo (which turned out to be a dud) and then it was time to go down again.

Plan A (climbing Mont Blanc) was successfully completed at this point - we set out to work on Plan B (come down and tell about it). Because descending is much easier than climbing, Peter and Horni were soon able to grab their backpacks, which they had deposited in the Vallot Hut.

Our water was finally depleted and so Peter, Dirk and I decided that it would be better for Peter and me to go ahead and get water from the Goûter Hut.

I don't want to bore you with details again, so I'll cut it short: Peter and I ran down the Dome du Goûter - which turned out to be very fast descend - whereas Dirk and Horni immediately slid down on iso-mats, which went even faster. Why did we even bring iso-mats? NFI ...

Sunday, 4.7.1999, 16:00

After a break of 2 hours in the Goûter Hut decided to leave for the Grand Couloir. The descent to the Traverse went quickly and without problems, but a wet snow avalanche had flushed down the middle section of the trail of the traverse and we faced a 1.5 meter wide channel. Stefan and I awent first, but I had to step a little bit into the snow which did not offer as much support as it did 1.5 days ago. After a bit of hesitation we just jumped over the channel. Then came a rockfall, then Dirk and Peter and then a rockfall again - done! The successful implementation of Plan B was within reach. Comfortable and relaxed, we went to the mountain railway station.

[4]Being real tight arses we made the major mistake of not buying water at the Tête Rousse Hut. Boy we were sooo thirsty for the rest of the hike and eventually dehydrated, I'm wondering why this never got a mention although I can vividly remember it 20 years later

2009 - Summit again

Sunday, 4.7.1999, 21:00

Break, Petzels on and onwards.

Monday, 5.7.1999, 1:00

After a never-ending descent through the French forests, a few hundred meters in front of the car, the mountain stream stood in the way again - meanwhile it had significantly grown in size due to melting snow. Somehow we managed to get over this one too ... you don't want to know.

Monday, 5.7.1999, 1:20

Plan B (almost) done - we sorted our gear, played with a little black cat, which saw our equipment chaos as a playground and in the end threw everything in the car and drove off - the cat escape an involuntary trip to Germany at the last second.

Monday, 5.7.1999, at noon

Darmstadt had us back again - after an almost never ending drive during which the one or the other driver would have almost fallen asleep  behind the wheel and therefore plenty of unplanned power naps. Plan B completed - what about plan C? Well, very simple: Now it is the highest mountain in Africa![5]

[5]Not long after Stefan and Peter actually had a go at Kilimanjaro but only Peter made it to the top ... in a blizzard.