11-12 July 09: Attempted to get to the top of Mt Bogong with my friend Brad via the Staircase Spur. Snowline was reached just past Bivouac Hut and walking became increasingly difficult. First, it was the thin layer of snow on rocks making the trail slippery. Next came the deeper snow which we sunk into until we put on our snowshoes. Next came the icy steep slopes and the surface was quite solid. On top of all of these, wind grew more and more violent as we approached the summit past the memorial cairn. The summit attempt was abandoned when we were only 120m away as it was becoming clear standing on the summit plateau was a challenge and getting back to safety was the priority... We dashed back to the campsite just below the memorial cairn and spent the night there. Even the relatively sheltered spot was lashed by the wind all night long. Well, there's always the next summit attempt!