Winter Is Here ... and C19

It has been a while since the last post ... I got busy and then the whole SARS-CoV-2 shits-how started. You know all about it. 

Let's start on a good note: We got a beautiful new team member. Little Winter joined the crew in late May and although adventuring is a bit limited, we're still getting enough fresh air to be prepared for the trips ahead. Her older brother is pretty stoked to show her the ropes. 

Now going from Winter (Baby) to Winter (Season), I've restarted the Natural Snow Depth Tracker. Spoiler: So far there's just a bit of dusting and Falls Creek & Hotham have postponed their season opening until the 6.7.2020. In short we haven't missed anything. 

Obviously it's way too early to write this season off and hopefully it will be good enough for some backcountry fun. In doubt ask the Grasshopper because he has the latest intel on the fluffy white.

Victorian Winter Trips

Obviously the virus slashed most trips until now and the spike in community transmission doesn't spark confidence in organised trips going ahead. Currently the numbers are limited to 10 people as they're classified as outdoor gatherings. The Mountain Sports Collective has a series of events in the line-up. The upcoming Uni trips (MUMC & ROC) have a questing mark hanging over them. Carpooling isn't happening and nobody knows whether the trips go ahead at all. Alpine SAR Victoria has announced they're doing their main training event if restrictions allow it. The Alpine Club Melbourne has only two trips lined up but given the circumstances that's not too shabby.

Here we go:

• ROC Intro to splitboarding - Mt Stirling Fri 24 - Sun 26 Jul  
• MSC Slay Safe - Falls Creek 30th / 31st July
• aSAR Alpine Rescue Training - Mt Baw Baw Fri 14 Aug - Sun 16 Aug
• AVM Winter Camp - Feathertop Sat 15 Aug - Sun 16 Aug
• MSC Slay Safe - Mount Hotham 27th / 28th August
• ROC Christmas just in July - Edmonson's Hut, Falls Creek Fri 31 Jul - Sun 2 Aug
• MUMC Midnight Ascent - Feathertop Fri 28 Aug - Sun 30 Aug
• AVM Stirling Snow Camp - Mt Stirling Sat 29 Aug - Sun 30 Aug
• Backcountry Festival - Mount Hotham  Fri 4 Sep - Sun 6 Sep
• MSC Slay Safe - Main Range 24th / 25th September

Let's keep the fingers crossed 🤞 that the covidiots don't ruin it for us. I won't bother telling you how the access to the resorts works since that might change tomorrow and you're better of checking the right website from the start. Just keep in mind simply rocking up isn't an option this year.

Crowded Backcountry?

Mont Equipment Facebook Ad

With the immanent opening of the resorts and the limitations at the same time, it's not a surprise that the chatter in backcountry forums has picked up. Of course this includes the usual suspects getting stoked but there are also more than usual noobie questions - which isn't bad at all, better ask than being dead. On top of that are so many gear requests that I wasn't the only one wondering if this is above the usual.

If people use SARS-CoV-2 as an opportunity to finally make a move on their backcountry aspirations, it should not come as a surprise. I think this is a good thing since more backcountry lovers means a bigger voice for access and better availability of gear because there's money in it. In that spirit we should reach out a helping virtual hand and be nice to each other. However this also might come with a couple of challenges. 

First of all the meat-works outbreaks around the globe should have taught us that cold & wet indoor spaces are to be avoided. Yes - don't use the huts. I know this is hard for some but it's far better than killing Nanna. Some huts will have a sign limiting the amount of people who can be in there e.g. Bluff Spur Hut is limited to 4 people however the reasonable thing would be not to go in there at all. Also check out the box about Cleve Cole Hut below.

The second thing is that enthusiasm and interest are no substitute for knowledge and experience. The backcountry is littered with hazards, like rocks under the shallow surface, avalanches, hypothermia, carbon-monoxide poisoning, camp fire burns, icy slip'n slides or exposure. Only time will tell whether this is a good combination with beginners heading for the hills. Anecdotally SES Bright, BSAR and Police SAR Victoria expect some call-outs. 

That said if you're one of those beginners, check out events like the Alpine Club's Winter Camp or the MSC Slay/Safe program. They are really good and free for members.

Personally I don't expect this year to be a rescue disaster. Most rescues don't result in a major call-out anyway - as we've seen it on the Razorback last year. 

Slay Safe ⛄

Cheers Philipp

COVID-19 Parks Victoria have asked the Mount Bogong Club  to ensure that the rules put in place by the Chief  Health Officer are respected at the Cleve Cole Hut.  This means a maximum of eight people inside the hut 1.5 metre social distancing is maintained no cooking or sleeping in the hut  fill out the visitors’ book for contact tracing purposes. supply and use your own hand and surface sanitisers. Sanitise all surfaces after use - this includes toilet door handles. IF THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT MET  THE CLEVE COLE MEMORIAL HUT MAY  BE CLOSED BY PARKS VICTORIA.

We are better than this

Let's start this post on a positive note :) The headline isn't a question or a call for action. It is a simple statement because a handful of climbers created the Gariwerd Wimmera Reconciliation Network to form positive and enduring relationships with Traditional Owners of Gariwerd and Djurite. Among those climbers are Claire Evans, Mark Gould, Daniel Earl, Adam Demmert and Kieran Loughran who are all without a doubt great ambassadors for this initiative and the climbing community in general. 

The formation of the GWRN has already sparked positive reactions both from climbers and the Traditional Owner which hopefully is a good foundation for future relationships. You will find more about the GWRN on their facebook page so head over there, give them a like and be part of this journey of reconciliation. 

"Where there is light, there must be shadow."

Unfortunately not everything is nice and rosy this week in the news of climbing access. Let me get straight to the point: Last week the ACAV's president Mike Tomkins announced that he'll disregard the current climbing bans and therefore the Traditional Owner's wishes and go climbing in Special Protection Areas. On Sunday he decided to rub it into the face of Traditional Owners that he has done that^[1].

The ACAV president is struggling with this

Personally I'll file that type of behaviour under intentional stupidity but if you want to use different words, be my guest. In any case it is important that we as a climbing community speak up if someone is doing the wrong thing and this is what I'm doing here. After all there are these two posters of CliffCare's Access Is No Accident campaign. However the topic just doesn't stop there.

Access Is No Accident

The VCC should not affiliate with the ACAV

In the upcoming adjourned part two of the VCC AGM the members will be asked whether they should affiliate with the ACAV. There are four options for affiliation so let me quickly run you through them and explain what they mean:

1. No affiliation
   Both clubs stay separate and there is no formal affiliation. If they want to collaborate in certain areas, they can still do that.
2. Supporting partner
   Open reciprocated support between the clubs but no flow of money.
3. Affiliate club membership
   VCC pays $500 and members can buy a $10 discounted ACAV membership. VCC gets a vote at the ACAV's AGM (Yay! As if you couldn't buy that for $15 as well)
4. Automatic dual membership
   VCC pays $10 for every new or renewing membership. Currently that'd be ~$5000 per year.

First of all option d might be a bit of an administrative nightmare because I wouldn't know how you handle the memberships of people who are already signed up with ACAV but that's not my problem. Now the real question isn't how to make this work but

"What's in it for the VCC?"

And this is where the whole thing falls down. The sales-pitch is that the VCC gets a certain amount of influence but the reality is that the players in the ACAV are doing whatever they want - see above. The ACAV obviously is happy to pocket the money and any legitimisation which comes with an old standing club like the VCC. I can't see how this could be beneficial for the Victorian Climbing Club. In fact I believe there are a two big disadvantages which outweigh any perceived benefit:

• Financial Loss
  The money would just be gone and couldn't be used for CliffCare, Social Events or the Bouldering Walls. Would it be in good hands? I doubt it given the ACAV has been found in breach of gambling regulations by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) because they couldn't even set-up a simple club-raffle the right way^[2]. How on earth should they be able to handle real litigation as they plan to do?
• Damaged Relations
  So far the positive engagement of the ACAV and their committee members with the Traditional Owners has gone up like a lead balloon. Given that no climbing ban will be lifted against the will of the Traditional Owners, it would be foolish to affiliate with such an organisation. This would simply remove the VCC's option to have meaningful and respectful conversations in the future. And yes - there's already a potential backlash for the atrocious behaviour of the ACAV's president. 

Nope. I think this is a terrible idea and therefore as a VCC member you should vote No affiliation on question 6. Now to make this easy for you here's the proxy form you can use for that. If you don't have a proxy who's voting no, check with any committee member if they'll be there and proxy vote for you.

1. Download this Proxy Vote Form
2. Open it and fill it out with 
1. Your details
2. Your proxy's details
3. Your vote
4. Today's date
3. Sign the form (You can sign the form without printing and scanning it within the Adobe Acrobat Software. You can also use this website: https://smallpdf.com/sign-pdf) 
4. Email it to the VCC Secretary secretary@vicclimb.org.au and CC your proxy

Personally I'd like to return to all those great crags in Gariwerd and know that this has been achieved by following a path of honesty, genuine listening and true reconciliation. I trust that the Gariwerd Wimmera Reconciliation Network has taken the first steps on that very path and I will support them along the way. 

Thanks Claire, Mark, Earl, Adam, Kieran and whoever else is with you! 

Cheers 🍻

Philipp

[1] I decided to not link to the post or upload screenshots of this infuriating behaviour but if you want to see them, feel free to drop me a line.

[2] CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post I stated that the ACAV is facing enforcement actions by the VCGLR. The ACAV's secretary has clarified that this is not the case and the matter has since been resolved.

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

---

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