In Australia, Good Friday and the Monday following Easter are public holidays. Faced with the prospect of a four-day weekend, I opted to see the Snowy Mountains and hike to the highest point in Australia, Mount Kosciuszko. The Snowy Mountains are approximately 467 kilometres south of Sydney, so a long weekend is required to make the drive. Below are photos of my solitary adventure, so please enjoy.
Windfarm at Lake George which supplies the electricity to run the Sydney Desal Plant
View from Mt. Gladstone near Cooma
Gum trees and clouds, Mt. Gladstone
Lake Jindabyne, the view from my hotel in Jindabyne
Lake Jindabyne
I decided to take the most challenging route to the top of Mount Kosciuszko, which is the Lakes Track beginning at Charlotte Pass. This is a 21 kilometre bushwalk along the rooftop of Australia and provides views of five glacial lakes and of the steep, dramatic western side of the Main Range. Bushwalking guides recommend hiking in a clockwise direction, however doing so requires you to save the most challenging aspects of the walk for the end. I decided to walk the circuit in an anticlockwise direction as the last seven kilometers of the hike would all be downhill on a dirt road that has been closed to vehicles since the 1970's.
Start of the Lakes Track at Charlotte Pass - you can see the track crossing distant mountains
Snow Gums
Snow Gums
Snow Gums
Descending from Charlotte Pass towards the Snowy River
Snowy River
Crossing the Snowy River on stepping stones
The Snowy River
Looking back toward Charlotte Pass
Crossing Club Lake Creek
Ascending toward Blue Lake
Looking back toward Charlotte Pass - you can see the trail snaking up the distant mountain. 2 k's down and 19 to go with rain in the forecast
Ascending to Blue Lake with a view of Mount Lee to the west. Juicy clouds crossing the Great Dividing Range - I'll have to be passing through these clouds soon
Still on my way to Blue Lake and getting a bit concerned over the appearance of the clouds. Nothing too nasty, just don't feel like being wet and cold.
More views of Mount Lee and clouds gathering over the Great Dividing Range
Mountain meadows
Hedley Tarn
Hedley Tann and temporary shelter
Still ascending toward Blue Lake
Still ascending toward Blue Lake
Crossing an unnamed stream
Nearly to Blue Lake
Blue Lake - about 4 k's down, 17 to go
Leaving Blue Lake and heading towards Carruthers Peak
Gathering clouds over the Great Dividing Range, heading toward Carruthers Peak
Passing through the clouds, no rain!
Hiking along the Great Dividing Range
Nearing Carruthers Peak, looking toward Mount Sentinel
Ascending Carruthers Peak
View from Carruthers Peak
View from Carruthers Peak
View from Carruthers Peak
Descending Carruthers Peak, Club Lake
Between Carruthers Peak Mount Lee
Club Lake and rocky terrain
Rocky terrain. Snowy mountains are made from granite
Heading towards Mount Lee
Northcote Pass and Albina Lake
Albina Lake from Northcote Pass
Northcote Pass and Albina Lake
Albina Lake and Northcote Pass. I actually had mobile phone reception here...
Northcote Pass and Albina Lake
Northcote Pass and Albina Lake
Northcote Pass and Albina Lake
Northcote Pass
Last look at Albina Lake
Ascending towards Muellers Pass
Getting close to Kossy
Getting closer...
Must have been quite hard work constructing this trail
Nearing the end of the Main Range Track, getting close to Kossy
Mt. Kosciuszko Track to the highest point in Australia
At the top of Mt. Kosciuszko - apparently I'm not the first one to scale the peak
Lunch
View from the top of Kossy
View from the top of Kossy. There's another route to the top of Kossy - you can take the chairlift from Thredbo and then walk the last five kilometers to the peak. The Lakes Track is much more satisfying.
Descending Kossy
Descending Kossy
Descending Kossy toward Charlotte Pass. An easy 9 kilometers downhill
Seamans Hut - provides shelter during stormy weather
Near the headwaters of the Snowy River
Getting back into the snow gums which means Charlotte Pass and the carpark are near
Distant view of the Lakes Track heading off towards Blue Lake and the Great Dividing Range
Snow Gums
Rainbow over Lake Jindabyne. I was fortunate to miss the rain during my bushwalk