Land of Oz: Ramshead Range

[graynomad]

After seeing Graham's (gcowan) shots of Kosciuszko I thought I might post a few myself. So I'll start with the Ramshead Range but I might make this the first of a "Land of Oz" series of threads showing places and wildlife I've photographed during my travels around the country.

The Ramshead Range is a magical place of crystal-clear streams and granite tors. In some ways it's the wilderness you got to when you haven't got time to go to the wilderness. By that I mean that you can reach the area with a half-hour walk from the top of the chairlift at Thredbo.

That said once you get even just a few 100 metres from the tourist walks in Kosciuszko you have the mountains to yourself.



On the way up on the chairlift. If you want to spend some time on the range you can get your return ticket for a few days later. Or you can walk down the Merrits nature trail form the top.




Not the best time of day for a landscape pic but up here the weather can turn to crap at a moment's notice so I grab a couple of quick panos before I set up camp.

At least up here you don't have to carry water.

Note that despite the crap light a vertical version of the first photo was used as a cover for "Australian Photography"


I set up camp and make a cuppa, not much point looking for photos yet in this light. At the bottom of the valley behind me is the elevated tourist board walk used to get to Mt Kosi from Thredbo. As I said, not exactly wilderness but almost nobody comes up here even though it's just a few 100 yards.

Note the thermals, a good look eh? I've always been very fashion conscious while walking but in this case it's to stop the UV, it's very easy to get sunburnt up here.



Later in the afternoon I go looking for photos.


There's a jazz festival down in the valley at Thredbo, I do a time exposure in that direction. The lights you can see are the buildings at the head of the chairlift, I think there's a restaurant there as well.


My camp at dawn (see the tent in amongst the rocks). There's nothing better than camping up here on the main range.



After a clear start to the day the fog rolls in, but this is the sort of thing a landscape photographer likes. I get a few nice panos.



Later while wandering around I spot some of the local wildlife. Lovely as they are they are considered feral up here.


As dusk approaches I climb to the top of an outcrop on the western side of the range. I don't get a good photo but this one shows the lay of the land fairly well.


As I return to camp I notice this prominent outcrop, it's too late to get over there today so I flag that as tomorrow's dusk location.


That's not frost, it's dead trees from the 2003 bush fires. Some will never regenerate.

Next day at dusk


The outcrop I spotted last night.


While taking the above photo I looked behind me, that's not a bad shot either.


At about 4AM I hear stuff sliding down my tent. When I get up an hour or two later I see what it was. Snow.


I'm not the only one a bit dismayed by the cold.


Time to head back to civilisation. I grab this photo on the way down to the chairlift, it gets an "Australian Photography" cover a few months later.


A sign at the start of the tourist walk.

Minutes later I'm sitting on the quad chair. There's a howling gale and it's snowing so the trip is not that pleasant until the chair gets further down the mountain.

Shortly after I'm enjoying a coffee in the village. It's a tough life.

[gcowan]

Hi Rob,

Really nice set of images. I particularly like the colour, which looks like Fuji Provia to my eye. I have been getting sucked into over saturating I think.

My wife and I walked up there on snow shoes during winter last year. Unfortunately mobility issues limit us a fair bit though.

Oh by the way did you ever teach at ACP in Paddington late 70s or early 80s? One of your B&W 4x5 images looks familiar.

Graham

[Plumcrak]

Rob, what a great set of photos. Thanks so much for sharing views of a land that I more than likely will never get to visit.

[graynomad]

which looks like Fuji Provia to my eye. I have been getting sucked into over saturating I think.

Despite my B&W heritage (or maybe because of it) I do tend to over-saturate. Also I'm partly colour blind and I think I sometimes over compensate. No matter, I think the end result is OK.

Unfortunately mobility issues limit us a fair bit though.

If you can snow shoe you can get up onto the Ramshead, it's one of the best places in Kosi and also one of the most accessible.

The other place I usually recommend to people who need an accessible place to get good photos is exactly where you've been, the trail head at Charlotte Pass. On a wet day that's one of the best snow gum places around.

Oh by the way did you ever teach at ACP

I taught a bit at TAFE in the 80s and ran workshops in the Blue Mountains in the 90s, but never at ACP. I use to sell a lot of B&W landscape prints from my small gallery, maybe one made it's way down to Sydney. Also my B&W stuff was published a bit, maybe you saw it in SilverShots or somewhere.

If you remember the old "Best of Friends" annuals by Creative Monochrome I have a few shots in them as well and there was a range of posters available.

So I guess there's a fair chance you've seen one or two of them somewhere.

more than likely will never get to visit.

C'mon, get on a plane. I'm thinking of going to the US next year, if we travel at the same time but in opposite directions the net results is 0 so maybe we'll get free flights

[jeeperman]

A nice series and I like the naration of the trip. While there are some that a very nice....the 6th image is my favorite. I love everything about it. 9,10, 15 and 16 are right there with it. Great light.

[dje]

What an interesting piece of countryside Rob. Great set, I love the light in #6, #15 and #16 particularly.

Dave

[pnodrog]

Another place in Oz I would like to visit. Some good photographs and I like the photo essay approach as it gives me a feel for the area. The saturation looked fine to me it but then I used to use Velvia film so I obviously like rich tones.