Recently Tasmania has experienced an extended period of cold weather thanks to a strong blocking high pressure system sitting off our west coast. This has resulted in Liawenee, Australia’s coldest town, recording 4 nights in a row at -10°C with a minimum recorded of -13.5°C. Pretty cold for Tasmania. The record lowest temperature at Liawenee is -14.2°C recorded in August 2020.
This is a fascinating area in the Central Tasmania highlands with a superb amphitheatre of mountains surrounding a collection of alpine tarns, grasslands and forests.
Once again conditions were cool, around -14°C but once I started walking I was quite comfortable. It’s remarkable how little clothing suffices even in such low temperatures.
March in Mongolia is late winter and my destination was a lake in northern Mongolia called Lake Khovsgol. This lake stretches north 135kms from the village of Khatgal to within 25kms of the Russian border. In the savage Mongolian winter, where temperatures can drop below -50°C, the surface of the whole lake freezes to a depth of approximately 1.1 metres.
As we celebrate Earth Day 2024, let's celebrate this beautiful planet that we all love exploring. Whether you are attending local events, participating in activities from home or simply taking a moment in the great outdoors to appreciate nature, your actions matter. Together, we can protect and preserve this planet for generations to come.
I had climbed El Cap before, but this adventure held a special significance, as I was sharing it with my brother, Joe. The bond between us, forged through countless shared experiences, made this journey all the more meaningful and reminded me of the value of family and shared passions. The beauty of Yosemite Valley served as a backdrop to a cherished memory in the making.
A few months ago I heard about Lake Baikal’s “little sister”, Lake Khövsgöl in northern Mongolia. Only 200kms from Baikal, Lake Khövsgöl exhibits the same characteristics in winter, freezing to a depth of approximately 1.8 metres in the savagely cold Mongolian winter with temperatures of below -30°C. This lake is smaller than Lake Baikal which is some 700kms long but it is still 137kms long and has a surface area of 2,620 sq kms (that suddenly sounds awfully big!!). The two lakes combined hold more than 20% of the world’s fresh surface water (NASA).
I drove West for a couple of hours from my home yesterday afternoon then walked 12kms until reaching my chosen location. I was hoping to miss the midday heat by walking into early evening and I arrived at the camp site at 7 pm. It was still warm, 20°C or so which in my mind is about 15°C too much but not unbearably so.
Gravity Jindabyne will be holding a gravel bike demo day in the new year hosted by Snowy Mountains Backcountry at the Guthega Mountain Centre on Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd of January.
Last year I had the dream of climbing The Nose of El Capitan. It seemed incredibly far fetched but I knew with enough preparation, I should at least have a go someday!
