August 2004
The rescue of three cross-country skiers caught
in difficulty at the summit of Mount Bogong.
In the early hours of 9 August 2004, five members of the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club and a member of the Mt Hotham Ski Patrol rescued three cross-country skiers caught in difficulty at the summit of Mt Bogong. For their efforts, the group received a ‘group bravery citation’ at Government House, Melbourne. Click [HERE] to view.
The six men in this group were volunteers tasked with the rescue mission. At approximately 12:30 am, carrying heavy loads of equipment for both their own and the three skiers’ survival, they began the 4 kilometres, thousand vertical metres climb to the top of Mt Bogong in darkness, in temperatures of minus 10 degrees, with winds gusting up to 80 kph and a wind chill factor of between minus 20 and minus 40 degrees. The terrain was very steep and covered in deep snowdrifts with dangerous drop-offs on both sides of their route. They found the three skiers at about 4:15 am. All three were partially buried in the snow and suffering from hypothermia, with one unconscious. The rescue party worked from then until 6:00 am, erecting tents, moving the unconscious skier to shelter, and administering first aid, warm drinks and food. When the weather cleared briefly at around 9:00 am, the rescued skiers were evacuated by helicopter. The rescue party descended the mountain, returning to their vehicles 12 hours after setting out.
July 2014
Snowboarders search on Mount Bogong.
July 2019
Training weekend on the Eskdale Spur Mount Bogong
On the weekend of the 27th – 28th of July 2019 all BSAR members were invited to a Steep Snow and Ice (SSI) training weekend on Eskdale Spur – Mount Bogong. The ‘Birkie’s’ hosted the trip. Ian Franzke, David Panozzo, Bob Flower, and Warren“Sheepy” Sanders were joined by 19 other members from around the state. Click [HERE] to read the report which includes photos.
