Extreme Alpine Gardening - summer works update

Have you ever tried to hike up a mountain carrying a chainsaw?

Ebony and the summer ‘slashing’ crew do important work each summer to maintain the ski area. We can thank our ‘mountain goats with chainsaws’ for improving snow coverage on all our favourite runs, caring for Mt Buller’s native plants (and taking out invasive weeds) and protecting lifts and buildings from fire risk.

There are just 4 people on the trail team, and they skillfully manage the vegetation in the ski area to strike a balance between cleared runs for improved skiing and snowboarding, fire safety and caring for native plants and habitats. It’s essentially extreme alpine gardening! The team hike into remote parts of the resort carrying fuel and water while wearing protective clothing and heavy chainsaws and trimmers, often climbing steep terrain - think about some of the black diamond ski runs you’ve been on at Mt Buller – now imagine walking up with all that gear and then putting in a few hours on the tools…

There are detailed guidelines for managing alpine plants and the Mt Buller team cares for areas that include habitat for the endangered Mountain pygmy-possum and Broad-toothed rat. A regular day in the office can include spotting beautiful wildflowers, encounters with snakes, finding colourful ‘Buller bugs’ and sometimes they find deer antlers, lost airpods and dropped ski gloves. It’s a physically challenging and important job, which fortunately comes with one of the best office views anyone could dream of.

The team at work - in a beautiful alpine office.

Why is vegetation management important in the ski area?

From a skiing and snowboarding perspective, ‘summer grooming’ - when grass and plants are mown and trimmed - makes it possible to open more terrain with better snow cover each winter. The less woody shrubs and small trees in the run, the more we can all enjoy better snow cover and smoother grooming. Simply mowing ski runs such as Shakey Knees and Bourke Street to remove the tall summer grasses makes a huge difference to the quality of the snowpack by removing air pockets and allowing the snow to settle evenly on the ground ready for skiing.

How does cutting back the alpine shrubs support the ecosystem on the mountain?

Small and endangered animals such as the Mountain pygmy-possum and broad-toothed rat along with many reptiles, small birds and insects rely on plants such as plum-pine, native raspberry and other woody shrubs for protection from predators. Regular trimming of these plants achieves an important balance making the ski area available for winter guests to enjoy while preserving a protective shelter and food sources for these creatures as well as protection for many smaller flowers and plants to thrive in the shaded sub-layer. The removal of invasive plants and weeds is also a critical part of this work so native plants have a chance to thrive without being crowded out by invasive species such as hawkweed, thistles and blackberries.

Where has the ‘summer grooming’ been done so far?

So far, the crew have completed a major portion of the scheduled work this season including Home Trail, Lower Chamois, Sun Valley, Shakey Knees, Bourke St, Baldy, Burnt Hut Spur, Skyline, Wood Run, Wattle Wiggle, Men’s Downhill, Colt, Brumby, Women’s Downhill, Tirol, Cut 73, Hangman’s Drop, Bloody Hell, Ridge Run and Elephant Run.

You will notice underneath lifts and around ski area buildings and huts the grasses and plants are kept tidy and trimmed so Ski Patrol and the Mountain Operations team can safely access these places year-round for maintenance and safety. It makes a big difference to have these areas clear when one of the team need to ski under a lift line to collect a dropped ski pole, or if Ski Patrol need to access tower pads or perform a rescue.

So, next time you are out in your garden pulling some weeds or skiing down your favourite run at Mt Buller take time to think of Ebony and the crew who have put in weeks of ‘gardening’ time to care for the mountain!

• Watch this short snippet to see what's involved in this important piece of summer work on the mountain.