Mt Bogong rescue

[bushy123]

Thanks Avatar for the past forecast.
so as far as cold weather was concerned the writing was on the wall as it were:
as you quoted for for wed 9/7 : min -3, max -1, winds to 55 kph. ie you would want to be prepared well and truly for the cold.

I had previously copied the actual conditions for the BOM lowest apparent temp, (-0.8, gusts of 78 kph)
the actual min was -3.3, max -2, so temperature wise the forecast was spot on; it does not seem possible to go back to observations for 9/7 anymore on BOM for the wind; however I suppose the careful person might apply the coastal forecast general warning of "wind gusts can be 40 percent stronger" and predict the high gust speeds.

So apart from the actual amount of snow falling, overall the forecast was pretty correct for the cold conditions.

Well done on having a warm time of it (based on your comments, which you have taken off, presumably for your blog as you said you might)

[icefest]

Avalanche beacons are similar to a directional fm transmitter and receiver.

You leave it on sending on your pocket while skiing.
If you get buried, your mates will (hopefully) survive and switch their beacons to receive, in which case they have a display that shows them where you were buried so that they can unshovel you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalanche_transceiver

[Smeagle]

is there a version that sends off a location to a higher level in the aid of recovery????

(P.S By the way icefest i think your quote was the most truthful newspaper add ever written )

[walkerchris77]

Ok. Great thanks for the info. To be honest I have never heard of them. There's probably a lot like me who didn't know either.
The 2 missing have to wait tll tomorrow for the search to start again. Hoping for good news but starting to worry.

[icefest]

is there a version that sends off a location to a higher level in the aid of recovery????

No use, you're dead within 15-20 min, after which help might as well take their time - the snow will keep you from rotting.

(P.S By the way icefest i think your quote was the most truthful newspaper add ever written )

I'm not sure which one you mean?

EDIT: Oh, you mean my signature.
Sadly I had to cut off the last bit.

Can I put an image of the ad instead?

[Avatar]

Thanks Avatar for the past forecast.
so as far as cold weather was concerned the writing was on the wall as it were:
as you quoted for for wed 9/7 : min -3, max -1, winds to 55 kph. ie you would want to be prepared well and truly for the cold.

I had previously copied the actual conditions for the BOM lowest apparent temp, (-0.8, gusts of 78 kph)
the actual min was -3.3, max -2, so temperature wise the forecast was spot on; it does not seem possible to go back to observations for 9/7 anymore on BOM for the wind; however I suppose the careful person might apply the coastal forecast general warning of "wind gusts can be 40 percent stronger" and predict the high gust speeds.

So apart from the actual amount of snow falling, overall the forecast was pretty correct for the cold conditions.

Well done on having a warm time of it (based on your comments, which you have taken off, presumably for your blog as you said you might)

I moved my own brief trip report to another thread as it conflicted with the trend of this thread.

I have camped at -7 under clear sky with a light breeze and it felt much much colder than -3 under snowfall and cloud.
Unfortunately I lost my 20-odd years old Intertrek thermometer on the first day of this trip.

[Strider]

Missing snowboarders have been named as Martin Buckland and Daniel Kerr. Search resumes today - here's hoping for a good outcome.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/la ... 993ecf509a

[Kinsayder]

It doesn't seem very promising, seeing that they failed to set off their EPIRB. Fingers crossed, of course.

[Strider]

From ABC Facebook page:

ABC News
2 mins ·
BREAKING: One of the snowboarders missing in the Victorian Alps has been found dead at the bottom of an avalanche.

Very sad news indeed

http://www.vicpolicenews.com.au/news/40 ... arder.html

[walkerchris77]

Yes listen on the radio. So sad. I dont hold much hope for the other one.

[Smeagle]

Thats a C R A P tittle from abc,

condolences to family

[bailz66]

Yeah very sad and they were very experienced as well.

[Strider]

Thats a C R A P tittle from abc,

condolences to family

I thought so too, but that's the facts I guess. Hard for the family.

[GPSGuided]

Sad! Nature always win. Condolence to their loved ones.

[Smeagle]

http://www.vicpolicenews.com.au/news/40 ... arder.html


just another link,

[GBW]

Very sad news.

[Strider]

Body located today confirmed as that of Daniel Kerr

http://www.vicpolicenews.com.au/news/40 ... -kerr.html

[Travis22]

Condolences to their / his family and friends.

Travis.

[Onestepmore]

Sad news for the families. Condolences to all.

The beacon signals were detected, so that's how he was located, under 4 m of snow. Reporters are saying they are hoping to find his friend nearby, tomorrow. They are now calling it a recovery mission. Well done for the SAR teams, at least the families won't have to wait until spring. Small consolation I know

[walkerchris77]

Yeah very sad day for all. Dont really know what else to say. Might have a quiet beer . Rest in peace.

[walkon]

On the way home from a weekend snow camping when I heard this chilling news today. It resounded with me as on Queens Birthday weekend at Federation Hut whilst talking to an old experienced mountaineer, when we discussed the topic of comparing Mt Bogong and Mt Feathertop, i was told if feathertop was a 7, bogong would be a10 as it was that much more dangerous. Sadly, nearly everything he spoke of has happened this year. People getting lost, dying of hypothermia and avalanches. Bar the grace of God the rescuers found two walkers in the early hours of morning for the medicos said one of them wouldnt have made daybreak from hypothermia.

Is this Australia's most dangerous mountain or is it because we are in Victoria that we don't hear about States mountains as much.

Condolences to the families

[DarrenM]

Is this Australia's most dangerous mountain or is it because we are in Victoria that we don't hear about States mountains as much.

This has been happening in all alpine areas in OZ. Lots of missing, lost and hypothermic people amongst the ones that die. Sad day. RIP.

[Gippsmick]

R.I.P Daniel.

[icefest]

Is this Australia's most dangerous mountain or is it because we are in Victoria that we don't hear about States mountains as much.

Condolences to the families

I think the problem with Bogong (as opposed to Feathertop) is due to how 'easy' the slopes look for skiing/boarding, combined with the fact that the only access to the hill is via the more exposed Northern side.

I wouldn't say that the Mountain is more technical than Feathertop, but that the increase in use results in greater amount of incidents.
As far as danger goes, I'd say that several NSW Mountains are much more technical.

In this case, the boarders seem to have been as prepared as reasonably expected. My condolences to the families and partners.

[walkerchris77]

2nd body now found. Rip

[bushy123]

How do we avoid this type of problem in future? I saw several avalanches in the Himalayas; luckily they stopped before they got to us; however one camp was wiped out as they overnighted under the base of a slope, where as we stayed well away.
Here are my suggestions; others will have more to say knowing local conditions better.

Be aware of
1) A lot of fresh snow; some sites recommend waiting 48 hours

2) Wind loaded slopes

3) Angle of slope greater than 25 degrees; some recommend carrying some sort of inclinometer to measure
and
4) Descend one by one, the first stops at a ‘safety island’ before the next descends; the second follows the same tracks; and can rescue the one in front if necessary, especially if carrying a beacon of some sort, which the recent pair were doing.

However part of the enjoyment of skiing, snowboarding etc is going down steep slopes, and doing it together, so it is difficult to comment from the armchair as it were.
(edit: sorry about the timing of this post appearing, as it was meant to follow from the 2nd last post)

[madmacca]

How do we avoid this type of problem in future?

It appears these guys were doing nearly everything right - well equipped, well experienced, carried avalanche beacons, stayed in contact with their families, etc. They just got unlucky with an avalanche.

We can't know how careful they were being at the time in terrain selection, etc, but if they were carrying avalanche beacons (way less common in Australia than PLB's), it shows they were at least aware of the risk.

One thought here is a slightly larger party increases the odds of one remaining unburied and able to dig the others out?

[GPSGuided]

Out there, risks may be lowered but no amount of human action can beat Mother Nature.

[walkon]

Whether we like it or not, life is fatal!

There's a saying that goes, 'We ALL die, though not everyone lives'. From reading what little is available about Martie and Daniel, I'd say that they have certainly lived. Mates till the end. I just hope that this zest for taking on nature's gifts to us is not regulated out of existence.

Bad things happen, even to the most experienced and well prepared of us. Personally, checking out of this life 'living' in nature would be the best way to go.

[Travis22]

Absolutely Walkon. When your times up it's up.

These two blokes could have just as easily gone out in a horrible car crash on their way to/ from this adventure. I'm sure (I hope) their friends and family find some peace knowing they died doing something they absolutely loved doing.

Travis.