AVOIDING BUSHFIRES WHEN WALKING

With the summer walking season well and truly upon us it is timely to look at how we can avoid bushfire danger on our walks.

With a bit of forethought, a modicum of technology and a healthy dose of common sense this should not prove that difficult.

1. Take heed of fire warnings. Following the disastrous fires of February 2009 Australia now has a raft of fire warnings. Take heed of these and avoid walking on days of:

CATASTROPHIC fire danger
EXTREME fire danger

2. Obey all warnings and instructions from regulatory bodies. For example, last summer in Victoria on particularly hot and bushfire prone days Parks Victoria (the regulatory and controlling body of all National Parks in Victoria) would not allow commercial operators to conduct tours in the Parks and advised all private walkers not to enter the Parks and if already in them, to reconsider their walking plans and seek to vacate the Park.

3. Do not wait to be told of a fire risk. Use your own common sense and judgement to assess the fire risk. If it is obviously hot and if these conditions are associated with strong, hot, dry winds, the the bushfire risk is obviously going to be great. Do not walk and make plans to leave the bush early. If you have no transport, consider your options. For example, you may be able to head to an open beach or rock platform which may be the safest place to be. Remember, the bush is dry and burns hot and fast. Do not be caught in the bush when fire hits.

4. Check the weather forecast before you go. If the forecast is for hot & dry weather, reconsider your options. The walk can always wait till later. It may be that a swim at the beach is a safer (and cooler) option.

5. Find out about the weather when you're in the bush. You have many options these days so consider the following:

AM/FM RADIO - the ABC has the strongest signal strength and is the official broadcaster of bushfire alerts and information. Pack a small portable radio and tune in to find out.

MOBILE PHONE / PDA:
a. RING THE BOM (Bureau of Meterology) to find out.

BOM WEATHER WARNING NO: 1300 659 217

TELSTRA has by far the best phone coverage in Victoria. You have more chance of getting a signal with Tesltra than other carriers. Be aware that even though your carrier claims your phone will default to Tesltra if they have no coverage this does not always occur.

b. PHONE A FRIEND to find out.

c. TEXT: text a friend to find out OR arrange for a friend to text you when a
pre-determined TRIGGER weather event occurs. This trigger should be concrete and easy to find out.
It could incude:
SEVERE WEATHER WARNING (for your area)
TOTAL FIRE BAN
EXTREME FIRE RISK
CATASTROPHIC FIRE RISK

SATELLITE PHONE: Consider hiring a satellite phone for your walk so you know you will have a communication device that works where you're planning on walking. These are usually pretty cheap (around $20 - $25 a day to hire - cheap if split a few ways and what price safety?)

WITH ALL BATTERY POWERED DEVICES :
- Know how to use them before you find yourself in an emergency. E.g. practise using your satellite phone before you head out; if it requires a PIN number then record it somewhere where it won't get lost
- carry a small laminated CONTACTS LIST of all possible emergency contact numbers and hand one out to each member of your party
- program this list into your phone (backups buuild redundancy into your plans - less chance of stuffing up in a real emergency)
MAKE SURE YOUR DEVICE IS CHARGED
CARRY SPARE BACK UP BATTERIES
DO NOT LET YOUR EMERGENCY DEVICE RUN OUT OF JUICE!!!

6. Avoid walking in bushfire prone areas at times of known hire fire danger.

A sobering thought: bushfires are real and people do die.

Respect the bush, respect the weather and mother nature and follow the SIX Ps at all times and you should be able to enjoy your walking year round without getting caught in the bush at the wrong time.

Happy Trails!

Spot Satellite Messenger

We are excited to be an authorised retailer of Spot Satellite Messenger, the world's first satellite messenger. These are available for purchase through our website.

Spots are an amazing life saving device and if you head outdoors, or for that matter go anywhere remote, even if it's out of cell phone range in the car, you really should have a SPOT.

SPOTS do a few things really, really well.

1. They allow you to send an OK message via SMS or email to anyone on your pre-prepared contacts list ( up to 10 contacts). You hit OK and SPOT sends its message via satellite to your contacts, also sending them your GPS position and a link to where you are in Google Maps.

2. If you need non urgent HELP you hit the HELP button and this sends a pre-prepared message to your contacts telling them where you are (again GPS position and a link to Google Maps) and that you're OK but need their help. This lets you keep it 'in the family' so to speak. Nice.

3. IN EMERGENCIES: This is where SPOT really shines. If you really need to be rescued, you can hit the EMERGENCY button and this sends a message via email and SMS to the local authorities telling them you need HELP urgently. Of course the SPOT also sends them your position (GPS coordinates) and link to where you are right now in Google Maps and your SPOT keeps on sending this message every 5 minutes and till you hit cancel.

4. Live Satellite Tracking. SPOT allows your family and friends or business to follow your progress live, in real time, via satellite. Once you have set it up, your SPOT keeps sending out your location (GPS coordinates) and your position in Google Maps, allowing your contacts to follow your progress and see where you are, right now.

This feature is incredibly useful, which is why SPOTS have proven so popular - not just with recreational users, but with schools, mining companies, fishermen, search and rescue services, farmers and any company who has workers working in remote areas.

Many companies now use SPOTS to fulfill their Remote Area Policy obligations as part of their OHS risk management strategy.

Soulfree Adventures has SPOTS availble RIGHT NOW at the LOW LOW price of AUD229.00.*

Furthermore, if you order one now & register before Nov 15, we will include 12 months free live satellite tracking (normally USD49.99 per year).

orders: sales@soulfreeadventures.com.au

*registration fees apply

Cactus Climbing Equipment Clothing & Gear

A HUGE THANK YOU to our Kiwi friends at Cactus for allowing us to distribute & sell their awesome clothing and equipment through our website. We are huge Cactus fans and use their gear for all our guiding.

We're only too happy to sell the gear we use because we have no problems recommending it. We doubt if you can treat it any tougher than we do!

Cactus make rugged purpose built clothing & equipment for most outdoors pursuits.

Check out their range on the Soulfree Adventures website.

We proudly support Cactus ethical construction.

30 August Last Snowshoe Tour for the Season

My apologies for taking so long to get around to posting this!

This was our last tour for the 09 season and couldn't have been with a nice group.

The young couple arrived with their Moms to scope out the area for their wedding in 2 years' time, which will be in Dinner Plain.

We had lots of fun despite the weather and found plenty of good spots for wedding photos in amongst the gnarled Australian snow gums.

We would be happy to take the bridal party out for a complementary snowshoe on the big day!

All the best for your wedding guys!

Soulfree Spring eBrochure Now Available

Soulfree Adventures' Spring eBrochure is now available!!!

For your copy email Andy: andy@soulfree.com.au

In this eBrochure:

- new Assisted walks
- new walking venues: Victorian High Country, Mount Hotham & Dinner Plain, Falls Creek & the Bogong High Plains
- walk from Mount Hotham to Falls Creek in a day!
- Spring 'wildflowers in the high country' walks
- Group Socials
- advance notice for winter 2010: Challenge Week Snow Treks five days of snowshoeing in the mountains, including ascents of Victoria's Five Highest Peaks. Challenge yourself like never before on one of our Snow Treks!!!

Andy on Feathertop Search for Missing Minister

Returned Tuesday afternoon from search deployment on Mount Feathertop to assist in the search for Victoria's Minister for Water and Tourism, the Hon. Tim Holding. I went as an Alpine Search & Rescue member (AlpineSAR) of the volunteer group BSAR (Bush Search & Rescue). Big thank you to the Hotham Lift Company for flying us searchers back by helicopter from Federation Hut to Harrietville. Our group searched Monday and Tuesday and were high on the ridge line of North West Spur above MUMC Hut looking on as Minister Holding was located and winched out by chopper. SES team members from Bright also spotted the minister signalling with his reflective space blanket.

Was good to be searching in my 'backyard' and ironic that we held Alpine Search & Rescue training in this same location three years ago, camping in the gully where the search efforts were concentrated.