b' Club SpotlightLROCVHigh Country Exploration CThe initial plan for this trip was to oncoming New Year and a group of band was no different! Before settingkick off the New Year by gathering a wedding guests partied into the night off we collectively re-evaluated thegroup of like-minded LROCV folk and a few minutes down the road, I sat fire situation as we knew it. It washead out on a circuit of the Victorian with Prue who was co-located at the agreed that we would follow theHigh Country, taking in iconic Licola campsite, looking over maps original route out of Licola to Thelocations like Licola, Talbotville, and by torchlight, discussing the options I Pinnacles. I knew that there was a fireMounts Blue Rag, Cobbler, Stirling had come up with. This was helpful as tower there, so useful informationand Buller. But, of course, this was all Prue gave some good suggestions about the local situation could bewith the backdrop of widespread fires from her many years running trips with obtained. Also, we would not haveacross much of Victoria. So the plan John. committed ourselves to entering anwas expected to change at short Day 11 January area which would be hard to escapenoticeand it did! As is the custom with trips, everyone from if that became necessary. If weIn the days leading up to the trip I arrived at the appointed time outside couldnt proceed past the Pinnacleskept an active watch on all the Licola General Store, ready to go and down Billy Goat Bluff Track, then werelevant websites for fire danger and enjoy some Alpine scenery. For me, could easily return to the vicinity ofclosures as this was surely the there were new members to meet. I Licola to camp for the night andbiggest single risk we would face. As have always found fellow members to perhaps enter the ANP from anotherlarge parts of Victoria burned, almost be friendly and chatty, and our merry route.unbelievably the pocket of the AlpineNational Park (ANP) we would headinto remained unscathed and open fortravel. It was most likely that this goodluck would not continue, so I lookedat possible Plan B, C and even Dvariations to the trip so that if it did goahead any risks would be minimisedand all participants would be kept assafe as possible.As I pressed the GO button on thetrip our previous good fortunesuddenly deserted us. On New YearsEve, a storm passing over the ANP lita series of fires with dry lightningstrikes.Whilst people celebrated the22 JUNE2021 TRACKWATCH'