Splitfest Weekend 2014

I rubbed my eyes, and reached up to brush the inside of the tent and see how wet it was from the morning dew. It was dry – suspiciously dry. I tried again with my fingernail, and flakes of frost rained down. In fact, Nick’s cheap single skin summer tent was completely frozen. At that moment I just knew it would be a great weekend.

A frosty spring morning at Island Bend campground on the Snowy River.

The Guthega carpark was packed with splitboarders. We “warmed up” with a horrific icy run down to the dam wall. Well, it would soften soon enough.

Splitfest attendees gather on the far side of the dam wall.

We did a traditional Guthega tour, by skinning up towards Guthega Trig, then down through the trees to the river, then up the other side towards Gils Knob and Mt Tate.

The logs of death have been much improved by adding grating.

It was still icy up the top, but we found plenty of great corn on the way down.

Here Katie and I re-enact a dramatic scene from Vertical Limit.

Tilly and Joss climbing with Guthega resort in the background.

“Guys, you see that big one in the distance? You’re lucky I didn’t make you get up at 5 to climb that today!”

Laziness resulted in an early retreat back to the torrid nightlife of Jindy.

Returning across the dam wall.

Lake Jindabyne at sunset. “Let’s go to the Banjo!”

On Sunday we drove to Perisher Valley to tour out to Mt Paralyzer. We skied up the road to the Perisher Gap, and then up the SW ridge of Mt Perisher to do a quick run on the SW face of Mt Perisher.

Strolling up the road out of the Perisher resort.

Jim demonstrates his skinning hat.

Bulti went to NZ this year and actually learned how to ride.

Chinese downhill

We had lunch in the little valley between Mt Perisher and Mt Paralyzer. Afterwards, we left our packs and skinned up to the saddle, then climbed the east peak of Mt Paralyzer.

A relaxing low angle skin track.

That valley is where we were yesterday.

The true summit is actually over there.

That’s everyone.

It was a good run back down. The south facing bits were icy, but there was more good corn. Even the littlest bit of north aspect helps.

Lovely rolling fall line.

The “easy way down”

Back at our packs, a few of the guys took advantage of a small open section of the creek, for a refreshing bath in the snowmelt. (I’m leaving that video untagged).

The way back was mostly down hill, and we made good time back to Perisher. After walking through the mud and the blood of the village and car park, it was time to part ways.

James, Jim, and Matilda are off down south to Mexico (ok, Victoria) to ski at Mt Buller for Unigames over the next week. The rest of us had to endure the drive back to Sydney once more. Spring’s here, but it seems the high country hasn’t quite made up its mind – as I write this, it’s snowing again.