Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Bogong Summit Cairn... 17-Jan-2007 At 9:39:32 PM brough

Message

On 16th January (on the ski.com forum) Bogong wrote
>Well the Cairn has been looking pretty sick for the last few years, I was thinking about getting a group together to rebuild it. But it looks like someone has done it for us

>Don't worry about the God-Botherers, (Roman Catholic by the look of their words), the old steel pole in the cairn was constantly being struck be lightning, which is why it was so badly split. I assure you that no action is neccesary. The Weather Gods will zap that crucifix out of existence in the next few months with a well aimed lighning bolt.

>Thanks to the God-botherers for restoring the cairn. We should also be thankful that they're so ignorant of mountain weather that lightning strikes hadn't occured to them

This is great. That this "monstrosity" was erected on the summit of Mt Bogong and that it will be blasted apart by the very elements it was created in deference to.

I had always been impressed by the austerity of some religious monuments in the European Alps, with their weather ravaged charm. I think this one on Mt Bogong is a bit tacky and an eyesore, but obviously very beautiful to the people who erected it - perhaps an engineering wonder?

I find it interesting that these well meaning folk took it upon themselves to cart all that stuff up that hill and erect the monument, in an act of some value that I can't quantify, but apparently without any regard for others who will follow. Did they consult those tasked with managing the National Park, or was a higher authority consulted? Perhaps they envisaged that others may have a deeply religious experience on the summit:

I think "Bogong" has summed things up nicely with his post. In terms of practicalities, wood was clearly not the material of choice for what will ultimately be a lightning beacon. Perhaps it was the weight which determined the material of the cross, and the fact that 12 year old kids carted it up there. I also find it interesting, that the principal argument, in the written plea in the track book, is that 12 year old kids helped cart it all up there. I wonder if said kids volunteered their time for this or did so under duress?

I particularly enjoyed another post on the ski.com forum, where someone was pondering whether the cross would be a fire hazard. This is a classic example of the contrasting approach, of those who installed the cross, and those who question it's existence and ponder the practicalities of it's nature. For the former, it's a symbolic and beautiful monument of faith, that far outweighs it's humble and earthly appearance. For the latter, the object raises design, engineering and environmental issues.

With storms currently passing through that area, the new cairn's time may be dated. Will it arise again?

cheers brough