Two North and Two South

After my doctor put me on some medication for my heart last Wednesday, I thought today would be a good test for it. With an overnight freeze and a spectacular day forecast, my initial plans were to go to Kosi and ski both the North and South Ridges on the same day. I've skied both before but never on the same day. I finally decided to climb Sig Hill and make a last minute decision from there depending on snow quality, wind, temperature and how I was feeling on the new meds.

My vest was off even before I started to kick in a new staircase up the hill and when I reached the top I knew a trip to Mt Kosciuszko was on the cards. Of course the painkillers always help ;-) I got to ski from Pyramid across to the walking track below Cootapatamba Lookout. I walked almost to Rawsons Pass and then skinned straight up to within 20m of the peak. There is no snow on the peak - how sad.

First run was along the North Ridge past the cornice and down to the walking track. The snow was great - soft but not sticky or sliding. In fact, it was so much fun that I skinned back up and did a second run skier's right of the cornice. Back to the peak again (3rd time) and I took a leisurely ski along the South Ridge, keeping as far from the cornice cracks as possible. Not that this was a long distance because there's not a lot snow between the grass and the cornice.

I went to the end of the cornice and had my best run off Kosi in years. At the bottom I decided to have some lunch. Over a cheese sandwich and coffee I realised that I had already exceeded my expectations. I'd had 2 runs off the north of Kosi and 1 to the south. May be it was the medication or the superb weather and snow - what the hell - I climbed the South Ridge to have another run. Lance Armstrong eat your heart out - I hadn't done this much skiing on Kosi in years and I'm on legal drugs;-) My second run off the South Ridge wasn't quite as good as my first because as I skied over the top (the descent is blind until you ski beyond the edge) I realised I was a tad too left and a large rock was blocking my fall line so I had to make an adjustment half way down and that just broke my rhythm.

After a long, hard climb back out of Cootapatamba up behind Pyramid, I was then able to ski almost to the top of Sig Hill, where I took the steepest line that still linked up with the snow pack leading to the bottom. A lot of snow has gone and many lines I could ski last weekend had broken into disconnected bits.

Five and half hours on the main range, not counting lift time or the cold beer cool-down at Eagles Nest on the way back. I can honestly say I'm a little weary and sore as I write this report.

Kosi on left and Etheridge on right
And looking from Kosi across the North Ridge towards Watsons Crags

Close up of Watsons Crags

Kosi South Ridge from Cootapatamba Lookout and the lake is thawing

View from Kosi to Guthega
And below the Kosi North Ridge cornice

View of Cootapatamba Lake (bottom right) from the South Ridge cornice

View to Victoria from South Ridge
with Cootapatamba Hut - the red dot slightly left of centre

Kosi top left, narrow snow along South Ridge close to the cornice
And the entire South Ridge cornice with my tracks on left

I've never seen this wall before but it made a nice bridge
helping me climb out of Cootapatamba Valley

Ramshead Plateau in thaw - looking towards top of Sig Hill
Everest on the left

That standard photo of the 'hill' from the bridge

Oh, by the way, today I passed my personal best for the number of days skied in Australia in one season. I've reached 113 days and there's still at least 2 more days of Kosi chair running. I say "at least" because I heard a rumour that Kosi may run on Monday due to the work going on above Snowgums chair. What work you ask? The snow making pipes are being installed up Eagle Way :-)

Hooray, it's only taken 3 years since it was first promised. Thank you KT for finally getting around to it.