Along The Track

(Commonly called The Poo Workshop)

At the end of March. I represented Confederation at this 5-day workshop, initiated by the Australian Alps Liaison Committee and held in Canberra (1½ days) and Jindabyne. Some 100 delegates, mostly Rangers, attended it from the NSW and Victorian National Parks Services. The Keynote speaker was Bob McConnell from the American Alpine club, the man who organised and led an expedition to assist the first American woman to reach the summit of Everest. He claims to have made every mistake in the book on that expedition because of ignorance of Tibetan cultural values. He then spent the next five climbing seasons as the leader of teams cleaning up the high altitude rubbish of seventy years of Everest expeditions. He was expelled from Tibet for life by the Chinese authorities because he dared to photograph the "non existent" rubbish. If you ever find yourself near Colorado Springs give yourself a treat by calling him. (Phone number and email address available from me).

Also attending were scientists from USA, UK and Australia and Parks administrators from Tasmania and New Zealand. Several papers related to "failures" of commercial composting toilet systems at high Altitudes. Manufacturers documented some successes and park managers and other successes were mentioned in out of session conversations. The consensus was that there is no universal system for such locations and that even the best systems failed if they did not receive regular maintenance. This is not wholly bad news. The composting toilet at the Schlink Pass hut is not performing well probably due to variations in usage and low overnight temperatures. However it has eliminated the mine field and probably the gastric wogs that were features of this location B T (before toilet) and if necessary can be pumped out when the management trail is open to road tankers in spring.

The papers of most interest to bushwalkers relate to methods of carrying out human waste. (See separate article on the Poo Tube Revolution) and to research into decomposition rates of toilet paper and tampons, and into the environmental effects of a synthetic urine. I had thought to review a number of the papers in Bushwalker but I have found that the preprinted papers do not always do justice to the personal presentations, which I attended. (There were three concurrent sessions) I will lodge the complete papers in the library in the Sydney office of the National Parks Association. I am a sure member of Confederation clubs will be welcome to read them. On request. For interested Country members I can provide a list of the papers and, within reason, copies of selected papers.

I believe that the workshop did allow me to raise the profile of Confederation with Park Managers and rangers and provided me with a number of personal contacts for future Tracks & Access problems or queries. I was able to get more information on a number of issues, including advice that the Permit System for the World Heritage Wilderness area of Tasmania is not yet in force. It seems that there is some residual opposition probably at the political level. See also the separate article on the sewage treatment plants of the Kosciuszko resorts.

A few days later Alan Vidler of the Canberra Bushwalking Club represented Confederation at the half yearly meeting of the KSTC, which focussed on the track upgrading work between Charlotte Pass and the the summit. Naturally a visit to the new composting toilet was included. (This innovative design possibly warrants a later report because the amount of composting material is still less than the minimum needed for a complete trial. The Contractor will monitor the operation for up to 2 years before receiving his final payment) Incidentally portaloos have been provided at Rawson’s Pass where there is management vehicle access, at least during summer

Three casual employees have been working on the old Summit Road, stabilising the surface, rectifying erosion, narrowing the track in places and restoring the path through the rocky area near the summit.

The committee members were pleased and impressed with the

A "high wear and rubbish " hot spot was noted at the Kosciuszko Lookout on the walkway from the Thredbo chairlift because many walkers lunch and/or turn back at this point. There is also concern about phosphorus build up at camping sites just outside the Blue Lake catchment.

The proposal to reroute the AAWT down Spencers Creek is still a possibility, but obviously has a much lower priority than the summit and other popular existing tracks.

Methods of making the Snowy Crossing stepping-stones more stable and user friendly are still being considered. A bridge to withstand the peak snowmelt would be a massive structure and neither environmentally nor visually acceptable. Using the crossing is only a problem for a few days each year and so the priority is not high.

Further to the T&A report in the February issue the President of the Queensland Federation of Bushwalking Clubs has provided some more information on the lost walking party, based on the debriefing of the S&R participants and thus not necessarily the complete story. The National Parks Service requires bushwalking parties to apply for a permit by completing an 18-page questionnaire detailing the proposed route, the number and ages of party members, their experience and equipment etc. The reported statement by the NPS District Manager that the party had met the self reliance & experience criteria would have been based on the completed document. (I speculate that whilst the answers given by the party may well be completely true, their problems after missing their intended track might have arisen from a failure to agree on one plan and to stick to it. This is a lesson that we all may need to remember)

For Rugged Remote Areas of Lamington and other Queensland National Parks, signs at entry points warn that there are no maintained tracks and no track signage. A further sign listing the risk factors to be considered is often located a short distance into the area. (The copies of the text of the signs as provided by QFBC may not be suitable for reproduction in Bushwalker) Confederation agrees with the NPS and QFBC that this signage is appropriate and adequate for such remote areas.

The current advice is that the Christmas Creek route is generally the best approach to the campsite used by the survivors of the Stinson crash and thence the sidetrack to the few remnants of the aircraft. However sudden storms can cause fallen trees or landslips on either track. Walkers should contact the District office for the latest information and should provide feed back on the conditions found.

too can spread organisms like giardia and cryptospiridium and the incidence of the former is said to be increasing in possums presumably after digging up our cat holes.

Canyoning and ski touring are likely to be the first activities in NSW where the use of poo tubes will be encouraged or made a condition of an access permit. However the timing should depend on the provision of facilities for disposal by or for the NPWS near popular entry points.