At the 2021 AGM there were four points to summarise the direction that MSC planned on going in 2022:

Continue to develop/strengthen existing relationships
Recruit Field Observation Team
Incorporate Digital Field Observation Plots to data sparse areas
Grow community engagement

MSC has delivered on all of these points this year. That isn’t to say that there are not still some opportunities for MSC to grow and improve, but overall, 2022 was a great year of growth. A big thanks to all our MSC Members, sponsors and supporters for helping make this possible.

The following is a summary of the accomplishments that MSC completed in the 2022 season.

There are many organisations that support the MSC in various ways. This section recognises the relationships that are in place to support the operational side of MSC; i.e. an information exchange as such that supports the daily Backcountry Condition Reports. The more information that the MSC has from the field, the more accurate the Backcountry Condition Reports and the greater the confidence of the Forecasting Team.

Continue to develop and strengthen existing relationships

2022 saw existing relationships continue and strengthen and new relationships form. In particular, MSC saw an emerging relationship with the Mt Buller ski patrol. This line of communication is in its infancy and is an important one to help support the daily report for the Front Range of Victoria.

The MSC Operations Team would like to extend a big thank you the following organisations for their support this past season: Alpine Access Australia, Mt Buller Ski Patrol, Mt Hotham Ski Patrol, Mt Stirling Ski Patrol, Snowy Mountain Backcountry, Thredbo Backcountry Tours Team, and the Thredbo Ski Patrol.

It was a pleasure working with you all and we look forward to next season!

Recruit Field Observation Team

The operational side of MSC is at the core of the daily Backcountry Condition Reports that are published on mountainsafetycollective.org from the long weekend in June to the end of September each year. To have accurate and timely backcountry reports, it is necessary to have consistent field and weather observations throughout the season. Quite simply, the more data that goes into the forecast, the more accurate the product.

This year, due to the increased levels of corporate sponsorship and government funding, MSC was in the position to grow its operational team by several members.

Assistant Forecaster

This position has been added to help oversee the Backcountry Condition Reports of Victoria and is a full time role from the start of the season to the finish. Along with overseeing the daily reports, the role is also responsible for coordinating the Victoria paid observers and liaising with key Victoria stakeholders and supporters.

Paid Field Observers

These positions were added so that the Forecaster and Assistant Forecaster had reliable quality data from the field at key times during the winter. In all there were six observers added to the team: three in Victoria and three in New South Wales. These positions are structured as an “as and when” capacity.

One of the key components to adding the paid observers was to have a direct line of communication within the team. Each morning, prior to the field day, the paid observer would check in with the forecaster of the day to understand the hazards, strategic mindset and objectives for the day. Also, trip plans were discussed prior to going into the field with each observer having to follow check in and check out protocols. At the end of each day the observer team was responsible for filling out an afternoon report with their findings to feed into the system.

Digital Field Observation Plots (D-FOP)

MSC continues to grow and refine this resource for the operation. The D-FOPs exist to complement existing telemetry stations and provide information in data sparse areas.

As of the end of 2022, all of the D-FOPs are based in Victoria. These stations were spread across Mt Buffalo, Mt Bogong, Mt Feathertop and Mt Hotham. In total, there were nine stations in operation during the season.

There are no DFOPs in NSW at this time.

MSC would like to thank Will McRae for the work he is doing in this space. We look forward to fine tuning this resource with Will in 2023.

Membership Drive

Mountain Safety Collective (MSC) ran the membership drive from May 2 - June 12 with the goal of increasing membership numbers from around 400 people. The final tally from the membership drive by June 12 was 789 members and has since reached over 900 members by October 2022, so we more than doubled the membership base and achieved extensive awareness through social and other online media channels and events. We estimate the total reach of the membership drive campaign to be well in excess of 20,000 people.

The membership drive was promoted via the website and a consistent stream of social media promotions and features in online media. Overall, MSC’s engagement and audience reach grew significantly in 2022, with a doubling of website visits and similar increases in social media alongside traditional media channel exposure.

Events

MSC engaged in two prominent event series during the membership drive.

Banff Mountain Film Festival Australia

BMFF attracted around 30,000 attendees around Australia in 2022 and MSC was provided with the opportunity to have booths at 16 screenings in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Wollongong, Albury and Geelong. This resulted in direct exposure to around 5000 in-person attendees alongside social media mentions by BMFF.

Alpine Education Series

Run in conjunction with Arc’teryx and Alpine Access Australia, a series of three events in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra were run, attracting 300 paying attendees. Around $5,000 in registration fees from these events went towards MSC’s professional development fund, and subsidised participant fees for the first Canadian Avalanche Association Avalanche Operations Level 1 course to be run in Australian in September 2022.

Where to for 2023?

Leaving 2022, the MSC is in a good position and we look forward to providing a quality public service in 2023. Pardon the pun, but like a snowball rolling down a hill, we have momentum and we are gathering mass.

Some of MSC’s intentions for 2023:

Expand sponsorships and grant opportunities
Grow membership base and community engagement
Develop new (and strengthen existing) operational relationships
Increase focus on Front Range area
Standardise the existing D-FOPs and evaluate the possibility of installations in NSW.
Install a D-FOP at Mt Stirling.
Enhance our social media and content development
Co-fund an Avalanche Training Centre in NSW (Negotiations underway)
Continue to grow the professional Field Observation Team
Enhance the MSC Professional Development Fund to continue to enhance succession planning for the program

More details about MSC’s recent activities were shared at the Annual General Meeting on October 12. Watch the video below or read the slides.