YEAR 10 OES TAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN
By Andrew Lockrey (Sports & Recreation)
Some school excursions are calm, reflective, and gently educational. This… was not one of those.
At 6:30 am, half-asleep and brimming with misplaced confidence, Year 10 Outdoor Ed students piled onto the bus to Lake Mountain Alpine Resort—home to endless snowy trails, alpine views, and, for one day only, a perfect storm of laughter, tumbles, and questionable technique.
Before we even clipped into our skis, one of the Lake Mountain ski patrollers gathered us for an environmental talk. We learned about the delicate alpine ecosystem, how snow gums survive in harsh winters, and why protecting these areas matters—not just for skiing, but for the survival of countless plants and animals. It was the calm before the storm, a moment to appreciate the beauty around us before we inevitably face-planted into it.
The snow coverage was solid, but the icy surface meant every glide was a calculated risk. Some of us floated across the snow like Nordic professionals. Others… moved more like startled baby giraffes on ice skates.
Enter James Mathews—trip organiser, coach, chief morale booster, and possibly part mountain goat. Somehow, he managed to be everywhere at once—shouting encouragement, cracking jokes, and demonstrating perfect technique while skiing backwards. He made cross-country skiing look easy, which was misleading and, frankly, rude.
The tumbles were spectacular. Some started off like they were destined for Olympic gold, only to meet the snow face-first ten metres later. Others crept forward cautiously, legs trembling, hoping to avoid disaster—only to find the snow eventually claimed them too. By lunchtime, no one’s dignity was intact, but the laughs were louder than ever.
By the end, we were exhausted, legs like jelly, arms aching, but strangely proud. Lake Mountain gave us a workout, a crash course in resilience, and an appreciation for the alpine environment.
Huge thanks to James Mathews and Emily Fraanje for organising, leading, and somehow keeping the chaos fun from start to finish.
