Snowkiting

Hi Guys,

I'm back from the snow in Japan and thinking about the next Winter

I've mentioned Bogong to a couple of you, we're now planning this winter's trip. Essentially we have a back country chalet (through the scout association) we ski into from Falls Creek for a week at a time. Don't worry, it's only 7k's on a fire-trail.

Chances to get stay right on good snow-kiting snow here in Australia are few and far between, so if anyone's interested in coming down let me know.

The chalet sleeps about 30, is off the grid, so generators and wood fired stove, and no staff or anything, so everyone pitches in to cook, chop wood etc, but even with that we're on the snow from 9am - 4pm most days. It's about $400 for the week and that includes all the food you can eat and wood you can burn.

Cheers,

Christie.

Looks like a pretty nice spot there Christie. Unfortunately for me it seems like i'll hardly have time to go skiing in NSW let alone VIC this coming season. What sort of wind conditions do you get down there from your experience? it looks good on the topo map...

Hi Christie,

When are you thinking of going? Approximate dates?
Is the wind there regular?

Curious as this seems like a great place looking at that photo you put up.

Regards,

.Joel

Certainly looks like a great spot for a bit of snow kiting.

Yep I'm interested .How do you get in there ? Walk ? Osnow.

Hi there - inexperieced kiter, but love snowboarding, so think this sounds great.

What size kites do you guys use, and does anyone use LEI for snow kiting, or just foil? I got over-enthuastic after a kite lesson and bought an old LEI 12m. I've tried practicing for kite boarding in the water, body drags, etc. but haven't got a kiteboard, so haven't progressed with it. It's probably way too big for snow?

Was considering trading it in under the Kitepower "Kite Amnesty" deal for 25% off a new kite for kiteboarding, but maybe a foil snow kite may be the go! Also, what dates were you thinking about?

Hey Guys,

Sorry, work's been crazy (same old excuse).

So what happens is that you head down on a Friday to Mt Beauty, pick up some hire skiis (backcountry touring skis).

We then spend the night camping on the floor of a community hall, before catching the bus up to Falls Creek in the morning. Everyone has the usual "hiking" packs i.e. 65 liters, and in them you carry your clothes and sleeping bag for the week, and your share of fresh food (either roasts or a crap-load of broccoli). (The dry food is stocked on the Queens Birthday weekend). We do eat very very well.

The ski-in from Falls Creek follows an aqueduct, basically the chalet was built on a spring long before the dams up there, but when they put the dams in they built a creek to send the water from our spring to the dam - this means the ski in is an almost perfectly flat trip (you gain one inch over one yard). Skiing is just walking with skiis on. (I actually find it easier than bushwalking).

Once you get to the Chalet you light the fires and pull the boards off the windows and get settled in, and then head back the following Saturday.

As for wind conditions, no real idea. I've never kited up there, I'm a newbie myself. But every time I've been there I've wished for a kite. The top of Falls Creek Ski Resort is on the high plains, so it should be fairly similar to Falls Creek historical records.

Dates this year are 6th of Aug - 13th of Aug.
It's $395 before 1st of May, otherwise $420, that includes your accom, all the food/wood/diesel and the bus to and from Mt Beauty. Getting to Mt Beauty is your own money, as is ski hire, but for boots, skis and poles it's $120 from memory. We usually car-pool on the Friday morning.

If you want to know exactly where it is, it's between Cope and Wallace Huts.

Cheers,

Christie.

Hi Christie,

So did you have a chance to try snow kiting in Japan?
Hope you and hubby have been practicing, you both should come to Mayday and try some depowers out, which would be ideal for snow kiting.

Sounds and looks like an awesome place, shame I don't know nothing about skiing


JD

Hey JD, if you can teach me to fly a kite, I can teach you to ski! (if you can walk you can x-country ski).

What's the details with MayDay, the thread doesn't really spell it out to someone who's not in the loop.

Didn't get to any snow-kiting in Japan, there was too much to do in the resorts

If Im not working, Im in.
Cheers Chris

Cool, well let me know. You going to be at Mayday?

Sounds awesome, I'm coming with new toys and video cameras.

Do they have Mobile or GPS 3g?

Photos from another snow kite trip:

https://picasaweb.google.com/christian. ... /SnowKite#

Mad!

Would be great to have you.

We have a Sat-phone/land line thing for emergenices. Generally no coverage in the chalet (it's behind a hill), but up on top I get Telstra 3G with my iphone easily (but now I'm with Vodafone so don't like my chances).

Every party going out also has to carry radios, and there are big radio's back at the chalet, so communication is good.

For toys, we run the high amp generator for an hour or so each night to run the washing machine, (low one most of the night for the lighting) so you can charge toys if you need to.

PM me and we'll have a chat, I see you're in brisvegas so catching up beforehand might not happen - although I'm up in Bris on the 21/22nd of May.

Ciao.

I don't know why I assumed you were in Brisbane. Must be a friday-arvo-brain-mush thing.

Taa, im in Syd, I need to check emails a few times a day to manage orders, or clients go postal.

How hard is it to get to the top of the hill?

Well, we do have a tow-rope.

But someone needs to ski up the hill to start the engine.

But it's a bit homebrew, and a bit non oh&S...


But it's really not that far, we're just low enough to be out of the weather. It might take 5-10mins to get up on the plains depending on which direction you're heading. And I'm talking a slow slow slow cruisy 5-10mins.

Here's a better shot of the tow-rope.

This is 200m from the top of the tow rope.

(I'm starting to get a little excited.)

We're finalising the trip now. If you're coming, please give me a call on 0488 01 04 07.
Cheers.