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Alpine travel in winter brings its own challenges. Here are some of the extra pieces of equipment that can enhance your safety, mobility, or enjoyment.
- as well as being expensive, loss of a ski impairs your mobility. Ski leashes are cables or wires that prevent your skis from running away downhill if they detach from your boot in a fall. You can make your own from cord or stout shock cord. See also ski repairs
- a snow shovel 
is essential for building a snow cave or igloo, and almost essential for snow camping. We use a sturdy folding model with an aluminium blade
- a piece of 5mm foam cut to the size of your tent floor and spread out inside the tent makes it warmer.
- when snow camping, carry a small rag or sponge to soak up water and melting snow which enters your tent
- a white-out cord. This is 50 metres or so of thin, brightly-coloured cord; we use nylon builders’ cord. You use it when following a pole-line in a white-out, to tether one person so they can go out to find the next pole and then ‘reel in’ the rest of the party
- a space blanket is essential for your first aid kit
- although we use simple UV-resistant sunglasses, snow goggles offer more protection for your face in bad weather
- there is debate in some quarters over whether you need a four-season tent for Australian conditions, or whether a quality three-season tent will do (and also about whether such ratings are meaningful anyway). Whatever, you need a tent which is sturdy enough not to fall over during the night, in terms of ability to withstand both snow loading and strong wind
- beware that methylated spirits stoves perform very slowly in the snow, and gas also does not work well at low temperatures. If you have the option, a shellite stove is preferable
- traditional tent pegs perform very poorly in snow. You have several options:
1. You can buy snow pegs,
2. Orange electrical conduit can be cut lengthwise and have holes drilled in it to make an affordable snow peg,
3. Dead men are sticks buried horizontally in the snow, perpendicular to a guy-rope, that anchor the guy in the snow. They are very effective; some people say you can also do this with a plastic bag, although we have not tried this technique, or
4. If you are skiing, and the snow is deep enough, you can push your skis vertically into the snow and use them as peg
- avalanches are not common in Australia, but both avalanches and cornice collapses can occur. We have seen what appeared to be avalanche debris in Stanley Bowl (Mt Stirling) and the eastern side of Mt Feathertop. An avalanche beacon, avalanche probe, and snow shovel for each member of your party, and the skills to use them, may be appropriate in some steep areas. See also alpine safety
Avalanche prediction and rescue are specialist areas beyond our expertise; seek professional guidance if you think this applies to you.
Alpine expeditions have many similar characteristics to bush expeditions, but with additional factors caused by the more extreme environment. Parties venturing into alpine areas in winter should be properly equipped and prepared for the conditions.
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