About Mountain Safety Collective
MSC is a not-for-profit association and 1% For The Planet Environmental Partner supporting the Australian backcountry recreation community. Our primary service is producing daily Backcountry Conditions Reports throughout the Australian snow season alongside a range of other information resources and facilities, such as Avalanche Training Centres. We’re supported in this work by individual members, government agencies and industry partners.
If you’re interested in getting involved please complete our volunteer form or contact us.
Backcountry Conditions Reports:
We issue information regarding alpine travel safety across all aspects of the prevailing conditions from the June long weekend to end of September. Our observations and forecasts adhere to international standards set by the Canadian Avalanche Association and conducted by a professional Field Observation Team with the relevant qualifications and experience.
MSC’s Backcountry Conditions Reports alert users to prevailing and expected alpine hazards. This provides timely information from which to make informed decisions and reduce risks.
What we do: We deliver up to date observations specifically on snow conditions that anyone travelling into un-patrolled alpine environments should consider in regards to their travel safety. Whether you are on skis, snowboard, snowshoes or trusty old walking boots, the conditions reports deliver info on what snow conditions to expect, and any relevant safety precautions to consider when travelling in snow bound terrain.
How we do it: We employee a team of qualified field observers and avalanche forecasters with experience in monitoring and interpreting snow and weather conditions and potential hazards. This team liaises with ski patrollers and backcountry guides, meteorological sources, and voluntary observations from the public to compile reports on backcountry conditions and hazards.
Delivery: The conditions reports are reviewed and updated on a 24hr cycle throughout the snow season via our daily reports on the MSC website. We also provide updates on social media via Instagram and Facebook.
The MSC Committee
Mountain Safety Collective is a passionate group of backcountry professionals and recreationalists. At the governance level we reflect our membership with a mix of punters, frothers, avy pros and patrollers who volunteer their time on the committee to ensure MSC maintains its essential services.
Read more about MSC’s professional Field Observation Team.
Craig Sheppard
President - Program Director
CAA Ops Level 3 / 80hour Wilderness First Aid / CSIA Level 2
MSC initially engaged Craig as Program Director, tasked with developing a meaningful Alpine Hazard Bulletin platform consistent with international standards. This was very exciting for us, and really a key part behind the need to drive membership to help fund this project along side government agencies and the RMB’s. Not as exciting as when he stepped into the President. Now Australia has the best qualified snow safety professional in the land heading up both the org and the ops. Congrats Craig!
His time as lead forecaster at Lake Louise reads: Risk assessment. Risk management. Managing a team of six avalanche technicians. Responsible for the safety of +300,000 skiers each winter.
This is off the back of heli-ski guiding, and 14 years as a course instructor for the CAA. We are super psyched to have him with us in the team.
Owen Lansbury
Vice President - Communications
CAA Avalanche Practitioner / Ops Level 1
Owen loves sharing his own stoke for the mountains, whether it’s guiding guests into the Thredbo backcountry or being open with his time and knowledge off the slopes. Starting life as a skier with a 20 year diversion into snowboarding, he’s been back on planks in the backcountry for the past decade spending most spare moments hunting snow at home and abroad. His parallel life in digital media and working with other non-profits brings a mix of marketing and financial skills to help MSC fund its operations and maintain its services for the local backcountry community.
Melissa McHugh
Secretary
Mel's love for all things snow related started in 2003 ago on a backpacking adventure to Lake Louise in Canada. Fast forward 20 years and countless destinations later, she now calls Myrtleford in Victoria home.
Having worked in travel, events and hospitality management, and running her own business Crepe Collective, she's now looking forward to her involvement with MSC to expand her knowledge and help educate others!
As well as splitboarding in the backcountry, Mel gets into bushwalks, camping adventures, river swims and hanging out with her beloved, (such a good boy) Toby - the dog.
Rolf Schonfeld
Memberships & Merchandise
A ‘living treasure’ of the Victorian backcountry scene, Rolf is on the ground working diligently on community nights, clean up bees and the provision of an Avalanche Training Centre at Mt Hotham.
Rolfy has been involved with MSC since day one and has held many roles on both the committee and just getting things done where needed. He currently manages our merchandise and membership program.
Coralie Reich
Treasurer
Coralie is scientist that loves getting out in the field. A skier from Victoria and all round general outdoor enthusiast (climb, bike, hike - just to name a few) she has years of resort skiing that have transitioned in the last few years to venturing beyond the boundaries and exploring the backcountry. Coralie realised she needed to educate herself to make sure she was making informed decisions and really appreciated the MSC and the information that was made available. She feels that she has certainly already learnt a lot, but recognises there is always more to learn!
Coralie comes to the role of Treasurer from a data management background.
Sam Robinson
Fundraising Manager
A passionate backcountry skier, Sam has a leadership background in the retail and resort communities alongside experience in fundraising, membership and technology. He’s worked as the Transformation Lead at Wesfarmers, Head of Sales for Amazon Marketplace, Commercial Operations Manager at Hotham and leading sales for Arcteryx, Salomon and Atomic.