Huw Kingston’s mission improbable, the Alpine Odyssey 700km hike & ski traverse of the Aussie Alps is on track geographically and financially as he ticks off all 8 Victorian ski areas already and raises $37,000 of his hoped for target of $50,000 for Save the Children’s Our Yarning project.
After one month, Save the Children Ambassador Huw has now skied at all 8 Victorian snow resorts and moves closer to NSW.
Over the past fortnight Huw has made his way from Mt Buller to Mt Hotham to Dinner Plain and then across the High Plains to Falls Creek before skiing at Mt Buffalo yesterday.
“It took me 5 days to reach Mt Hotham from Buller, 5 days of walking in generally low, snow-free Alpine country. Getting over Mt Despair, The Razor and The Viking was pretty challenging, particularly when the weather turned ugly. So, when I reached Resort No 5 Mt Hotham, it was certainly nice to know I had the best part of a week ahead of me to enjoy that resort, the little resort of Dinner Plain and then a 2 day ski across to Falls Creek. With a lovely fresh fall of snow it was magic to ski some Hotham powder and make first tracks across the High Plains to Falls, joined by a couple of friends.” said Huw.
“Once at Falls Creek I really could put my tired feet up (in between skiing of course), with thanks to the Astra Hotel who hosted, fed, massaged and even styled my hair, which is some achievement! The Astra and parent company, The Traverse Alpine Group, have also been great supporters of my fundraising including creating a very refreshing Alpine Odyssey cocktail and special menu items at their various venues with proceeds to Our Yarning.”
But it wasn’t all ski lifts and downhill runs at Falls Creek. Last Saturday Huw joined 900 other skiers in the 30th edition of the Kangaroo Hoppet, Australia’s largest XC ski race. ‘It was great to finally race the Hoppet after all this time and to do it on a perfect bluebird day and so good to celebrate the XC skiing community after 2 years of Covid cancellations.’ said Huw, adding ‘It was the furthest distance (40km) I’ve gone in one day, in the shortest time (2.5hrs), during my Alpine Odyssey but I just ended up back where I started!’
Yesterday Huw skied at Mt Buffalo, certainly one of the most unique landscapes of our Alpine country. It was his 8th and final Victorian snow resort, leaving just the 4 NSW resorts to visit. ‘Despite the paucity of snow we had a ball messing about amongst the rusting old lift lines and unique granite blades and boulders. The Buffalo lifts have not turned for nearly 20 years but Buffalo was the first place in Australia to have ski lifts, lifts that started turning 90 years ago.’ Huw said of his visit to Mt Buffalo ‘Whilst my journey is a celebration of our Alpine country and its communities, it is also about recognising the very real threats to this fragile landscape – from feral animals and plants and of course from climate change. Everything flows from us. The trend this past half century has been reduced snowpack and warming temperatures. In alpine landscapes like Australia’s, where the temperatures hover close to one side or the other of zero, a small change means the difference between snow and rain. Marginal, lower altitude resorts like Buffalo feel these effects the most.’
Tomorrow Huw picks up his big pack again to head over Mt Bogong, Victoria’s highest, and continue on toward NSW. He hopes to reach Thredbo on Sunday 4th.
Supported by The North Face and partnering with many of the resorts he will visit, the success of the Our Yarning fundraising is as important to Huw as the success of his journey. Some $37,000 of his $50,000 target has been raised to date.
Full details on Alpine Odyssey at www.huwkingston.com/alpine-odyssey with the Fundraising page at https://our-yarning-save-the-children-huw-kingston-fundraiser.raisely.com/
