WITHIN the world of adventure activities everyone understands that there is inherent risk involved, but we usually think in the beginning that “it will never happen to me”. I would think this to myself all the time until my recent trip to Kosciuszko NP. My friends and I had planned to complete a four-day circuit starting from the ski station at Guthega, up on to the Main Range, and coming back past Charlotte’s Pass. We checked the weather forecast which said that the wind would be strong, with some rain and possible snow flurries. Nothing we couldn’t handle.
We started walking at about 10am, the wind was quite brisk but not particularly notable, and by 5.30pm we had made good time, ending up getting further than we had expected. The wind was picking up by then so we set up camp behind a small outcrop of boulders in the hope that they would create enough of a wind shield to protect us through to the morning.
The wind gained speed and by 8.30pm it was incredibly strong, barrelling onto our tent and pressing the poles inwards. With the tent roof smacking us in the face as if punishing us for bringing it on the trip, we decided to
