Climbing

Follow Bogong staffer Scott on his first voyage into the hard granite world at Mt Buffalo.

During the month of May my husband and I took quick trip to the South Island of New Zealand. The focus of our trip was to boulder at Castlehill among the amazing limestone boulders. It was arguably one of the most scenic crags I have ever visited.

Belay devices come in many shapes and sizes. What's the difference? Which one would suit my requirements? Find out everything you need to know.

Rock climbing gets into your blood. In 2007 and 2008 I was lucky enough to disappear from the ‘real’ world and follow my passion for rock climbing for nearly 2 whole years. Here is a list of my 5 favourite climbing areas.

I first met the Grossglockner in 1993 on a six day hike through Austria's Hohe Tauern National Park. The thought of climbing it was immediately alluring. Not only because it is the highest mountain in Austria but also because of its beautiful shape.

Bogong staffer Anna Bolmat recently ventured to France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland on a mountaineering trip with her partner Philipp.They encountered unfavourable weather for large part of the trip which put the kibosh on their Mont Blanc attempts. Heavy snow fall and high winds turned them around at the Dome de Gouter. The consolation prize was a trip to Mt Blanc du Tacul, where European summer finally showed its face, resulting in some stunning views from the summit.

What is Via ferrata all about? Via Ferrata is an Italian term (translation is iron way). It is used where a route is fixed up a cliff or mountain using fixed steel cables for the climbers to clip into for protection. Access may be facilitated by ladders or metal rungs on particularly steep sections. In this way routes up peaks become accessible to persons who would not otherwise be in a position to attempt them.

We are often asked the benefits of down filled vs synthetic sleeping bags. Both types have advantages and disadvantages but to put it simply for virtually all of the outdoor activities that our customers are involved in down is the better choice and this is reflected in our range.

Bogong staffer, Paz, heads to Tassie in search of some classic climbs, some R&R and the perfect jaffle. It had come to this. The crux of the problem you could say. How to fit so many ingredients into a jaffle iron without breaking poor Betty's hinges. Fried Egg, Ham, Salami, Feta, Nimbin Natural, Olives, Capsicum, Tomato, sun dried tomatoes, mushies and most importantly, love. I put the billy on the boil to deliberate how best to overcome such a challenge. The entire day's success depends on this jaffle. Because this isn't merely a jaffle. It's a work of art. And if it doesn't work out now, we'll have to try again.