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Activities

Trip help

Cross County skiing doesn't require a lot of specialised gear, (apart from skis!).

However, you must be prepared for extreme weather conditions.
A few simple precautions, and a few items of clothing and equipment, can make the difference between being safely prepared and foolhardy.
This needn't cost a lot - there are cheap alternatives to most of the expensive specialised gear. Much of the gear required is the same as for bushwalking.

Before undertaking a trip, ask the advice of experienced club members.

Information you need to know for a bonza trip - On this page you will find:

Bus information
To Falls Creek - Falls Creek Coach Service (formally Pyles)

To Mt Hotham - Snowball Express

To Lake Mountain -
From Melbourne to Lake Mountain (An AATKings -day trip)
- Show Me The Snow
From Lilydate, Healesville or Marysville (Country Touch)
- Lake Mountain Snow Bus

Directions for driver
To Mt Beauty /Falls Creek

To Lake Mountain

How to get from Melbourne to Tawonga South (Mt Beauty)

A slightly-shorter, slightly-more-interesting way.
Join the Hume Freeway (M31) wherever convenient, heading NNE. 
Remain on M31 to bypass Glenrowan, about 225 km from Melbourne. 
Take the Milawa exit (C522) immediately after MacDonalds restaurants.
On the C522, pass through Oxley, Milawa, and Markwood to Gapstead.
At the T-junction with Great Alpine Rd (B500), turn right to Myrtleford.
Pass through Myrtleford to Ovens township ….. Now go to        

A slightly longer, but easier-to-drive way (eg. on a Friday evening)
Join the Hume Freeway (M31) wherever convenient, heading NNE. 
Remain on M31 to bypass Glenrowan, about 225 km from Melbourne. 
Remain on M31 past the Snow Road (C522) and two turn-offs to Wangaratta.
Exit at the Great Alpine Road (B500) for Bright & Beechworth.
At Tarrawingee, take the right fork towards Bright (still the B500).
Pass through Everton, Gapsted and Myrtleford to Ovens.  Now go to       

In Ovens, turn left onto C534 for Tawonga/Mt. Beauty.
 [Be on the lookout for kangaroos on this road around/after sunset.]
At the Kiewa Valley Highway (C531), turn right for Tawonga/Mt. Beauty.
For Tawonga South, proceed through Tawonga for several km.

Maps:  Melway Map 420.   Vicroads Maps 34, 35, 49, 50.

How to get to the Accommodation?  
Please refer to the Information for accommodation at Club weekends.

How to get from Melbourne to Lake Mountain:

The usual route is via Whitehorse Road and Maroondah Highway to Box Hill, Ringwood, Lilydale and Healesville.  An alternative, faster and more scenic route is via Eastern Freeway, Bulleen exit, Templestowe, cross the Yarra to Eltham (via 'Fitzsimons Lane'), Research, Kangaroo Ground, Christmas Hills, Yarra Glen, then travel past vineyards to Healesville.From Healesville, go straight on over the 'Black Spur' to Narbethong, and a few km later, turn right to Marysville (about 11 km).  Go straight through Marysville, and turn right as you leave the shopping area at a roundabout, to start the climb.  About 12 km further, turn left for Lake Mountain, pay the vehicle fee (gate entry), then the Car Park (Gerraty's) is some 10 km further.

Usually, plan to be at Gerraty's for 10.10 am or a bit earlier!  Allow  2.5 hours to travel to Lake Mountain from the inner-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING 
CLOTHING, PERSONAL AND SNOW SAFETY TIPS
XC skiing involves a fair degree of exertion, more than down-hill, and 'body self-heating' will occur.   In 'warm' weather, excess clothing must be removed (eg. into a back-pack, or left in the car) - little clothing can suffice most days.  Bring sun-block & sun-glasses. In wet weather (eg. steady rain/sleet or thawing snow), clothing should consist of a rain-proof jacket & pants, eg. plastic overpants.  Jeans are worst - they absorb too much water too readily.  In very cold/windy weather, gloves, hat/beanie and thermal underwear are very desirable. Weather on the mountain may be worse (sometimes its better) than in Melbourne - be prepared. For a day trip: a small back-pack (‘day-pack’) is great to carry your lunch, energy-giving snacks (chocolate, fresh or dried fruit), sunscreen packaged drinks and/or water (half/one litre per person at least) , sun glasses, sunscreen, plus items of clothing, eg. a spare pair of gloves, a tee-shirt or pullover, depending on the weather outlook (see further below).For a ski weekend it is suggested you bring: Day-pack, water bottle, sun glasses (preferably wrap-around or goggles), personal first-aid kit, sunscreen, toiletries, towel, boots, socks (2 pairs), long pants (preferably nylon track pants or sport pants (not cotton/jeans), thermals, waterproof over-pants and jacket, woollen shirt, polar fleece, fibre-pile jacket or woollen jumpers, mittens or gloves, hat, spare clothes.
Optional: camera.If hiring (or borrowing), be aware that cross-country skis, boots, poles are not the same as down-hill gear.  Refuse any gear which is not in A1 condition - just walk out and hire good gear elsewhere.  Carrying snow chains is now mandatory on all Mountains, but having to fit them is unusual, unless there's been a big snowfall overnight. There might be patches of ice on the road. Chains can be hired in Melbourne, Mt Beauty or Marysville.  Don’t forget to hire them – you won’t get into the resort without them!
Be wary about (black) ice when walking at resort car-parks  ( e.g. Gerraty's at Lake Mountain or Windy Corner at Falls Creek).
For a comfortable journey home, or dining out later, a change of clothing (perhaps everything!) and towel - left in your car - is good insurance.  Changing rooms, toilets, and snack food are available at Gerraty’s and at Windy Corner.

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CROSS-COUNTRY SKI-ING
TECHNIQUE
The basic movement is 'diagonal striding' - an exaggerated glide & walk.  By pushing backwards with (say) the left foot, the right ski commences to glide forward.  When it stops, bring the left foot forward, with ski in light-contact or just above the snow.    Ascents of moderate slopes are possible.  The boot-heel is free and rises off cross-country (XC) skis.    Trails are nicely groomed by machines by compacting fallen snow, and, to assist in directional control, two adjacent tracks (grooves) of ski-width are formed into the snow for 'diagonal striders' (as opposed to 'skaters').  If you want to stop for a while, exit from the tracks to allow others to pass easily.  XC skaters use the groomed trails, but not the grooves. The basic slowing/stopping manoevre is the 'snowplough'.  Move your feet apart and your skis into a toe-in V-formation (in plan view, with the point of the V in front).  For more positive braking, also bring your knees together, so inside-edges of your skis ‘plough’ into the snow in a V-form as seen in a vertical-section view.For slow downhill turning, adopt the snowplough position (above), then transfer some body-weight to the outer leg/ski - yes, the one on the outside of the turn!!   Leaning into a turn is definitely not the way to do it.But these are techniques you will of course learn more about when you take the lesson! SKI ETIQUETTE/SAFETY SUGGESTIONS

NB: Finally, please bring the contact phone number for an emergency contact and let an organizing /executive member know if there are any medical conditions they  should be aware of! If you are a new person, you will be asked  on the day for your emergency contact names and numbers before we start the trip! Thanks to Ian Cochrane ,Vice President, Melbourne Nordic Ski Club IncGlenn Patmore, President.
Friday, June 20, 2008 

 




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