Thredbo to Smiggin Holes, AAWT, Kosciuszko National Park - November 2017

Lake Cootapatamba

Now I have to be straight up here, today was probably the biggest disappointment of my whole AAWT stroll. You see today I had to choose between following the official route, which is a little bit uninspiring in parts as it leaves the crest of the Great Dividing Range and follows various roads, or I could stick to the Great Dividing Range and head out across The Main Range and The Rolling Ground for a fairly long off track ramble way above the tree line. Normally I wouldn’t lose much sleep over this decision, I’d be heading off on the high route. Unfortunately for me there was a complicating factor on this visit though, almost every afternoon since I was back at Mt Bogong fairly big storms had been rolling through most afternoons. While I’d been largely below the tree line on my journey through the north east of Victoria and was able to take cover occasionally to avoid the worst of the weather, if I decided on The Rolling Ground route there wouldn’t be much cover for the best part of two days. Reading the first line of this paragraph gives the game away I suppose but I decided that the cautious option would be my best one. Oh well, there always next time I walk the AAWT I suppose!

The three quarter full pack is a bit of a give-away to my plans for today.

I was on the lift just after 9am this morning.

About the only positive I could draw out of this decision was that I could spend another night with Sam at Thredbo. The plan for today was a day walk from Thredbo to Smiggon Holes where Sam would drive over to in the late afternoon to drive me back to our apartment in Thredbo. So anyway that’s why I found myself wondering over to jump back onto the Kosciuszko Express Chairlift for my lift back up to the AAWT early this morning. Once off the lift I picked up the Mt Kosciuszko Track a set off towards the mountain. This track has to be one of the most popular walks in Australia I’m guessing, although with the hour being fairly early, the weather less than optimal and a fair bit of snow around it wasn’t too busy this morning.

The Rams Head Range looked pretty good this morning.

With the AAWT utilising the steel mesh boardwalk that is Kosciuszko Track on its way over to Rawson Pass I left the walking poles in the pack this morning, it’s a frustrating activity trying to use poles on this type of track. Luckily the track didn’t really provided many challenges this though, only the occasional lingering snow drift providing any need for caution. The easy walking allowed me plenty of time to relax and take in the scenery, which was a good thing as despite this being a fairly touristy walk the scenery is still pretty sweet. Initially the track passes beneath the granite tors of the Rams Head Range off to the west, with its flanks still covered in patchy snow and a bit of early morning sun poking through there was quite a few photo stops on the climb up to Kosciuszko Lookout.

There is no getting lost along here. 

Etheridge Ridge

The headwaters of the Snowy River.

Arriving at the windswept lookout I got my first good view of Mt Kosciuszko for the day, the huge round summit looking a little uninspiring when I thought of some other countries highest peaks. After a bit of a break I set off again along my meandering mesh walking track, crossing the infant Snowy River after a few minutes as the track dropped a bit before climbing gently again up towards Cootapatamba Lookout. Passing through Etheridge Gap the view down to the glacial alpine Lake Cootapatamba opens up for the first time, with the high ridge behind it still covered with a descent covering of snow this was probably the pick of the scenery today in hindsight.

The weather was looking OK so far.

I'd be walking that road in a couple of hours.

The view from Cootapatamba Lookout is pretty sweet.

The little red speck down in the valley is the tiny Cootapatamba Hut.

Leaving the Lake Cootapatamba Lookout the highlights continued this morning as I shuffled my way up to Rawson Pass where I took the almost mandatory side trip up to the Mt Kosciuszko summit. Climbing to the summit this morning I bumped into the same group of school boys that I had seen way back on the morning that I’d left Mt Hotham, the boys were on their last day now and were all pretty happy to be heading back to civilisation by the look of it. Somewhat unusually I was only sharing Australia’s highest mountain with 5 other walkers this morning, sometimes it can get very busy up here. Looking wistfully north along the Main Range towards the Rolling Ground the storm clouds cloaking the higher peaks didn’t escape my attention, but I was still disappointed that I wasn’t heading that way.

Climbing up to the Mt Kosciuszko summit.

The cloud was still brushing some of the higher peaks along the Main Range.

It was pretty quiet up on the summit this morning.

Eventually I decided that if I wanted to get to Smiggon Holes by 4pm to meet Sam then I’d better get moving. Dropping back down to Rawson Pass I started todays road bash, initially the walking was still pretty good as I followed the closed gravel Summit Road down to Charlotte Pass. After passing the deserted Seamans Hut my route crossed a large lingering snow drift before gently dropping in a big arc to once again cross the Snowy River, a substantially bigger river the the one that I’d crossed around three kilometres up stream earlier this morning. When the track started to contour the northern slopes of Mt Stillwell it signalled my imminent arrival at the Charlottes Pass carpark. Arriving through the Snowgums at the busy car park was a bit of a shock, with cars parked for a hundred metres down the road it was a bit jarring after the mornings quiet walking.

Dropping back down to Rawson Pass.

Seamans Hut

Etheridge Ridge from the other direction.

Summit Road still had a few lingering snow drifts across it.

Crossing the Snowy River again a couple of kilometres downstream than my first crossing today, there was a lot more water down here.

Stopping for awhile I enjoyed my lunch while the local Currawongs did their best to ransack my pack, the cheeky birds at least they were keeping me entertained as I ate! Now the real road bash started, not since my climb to Mt Hotham had I had such a long section of bitumen road to walk, I now had around 11 kilometres of it in front of me. Thankfully the traffic was fairly light, I only averaged around 10 vehicles an hour on my march so that wasn’t too bad really. The scenery is also pretty good, the road heading through beautiful alpine valleys compile with bubbling streams and the occasional drifts of snow. The road actually crossing Spencers Creek on its way to Perisher, Spencers Creek is where Snowy Hydro takes one of its snow depth readings….a reading that I’d been paying particular attention to in the months prior to me setting off on the AAWT.

The view from the lookout at Charlottes Pass back up to the Main Range, not a bad spot for lunch.

Charlottes Pass

Hmmm

Climbing a little after Spencers Creek I crossed over a pass and dropped down through the almost deserted Perisher Valley ski resort, I think I’ve said it before but there isn’t a much more forlorn scene that a ski resort without snow, with the skiing infrastructure creaking in the wind I pushed on the afternoon. After another short climb I started my last descent down into Smiggon Holes, the looming dark clouds giving me a strange feeling of satisfaction that maybe I’d made the right call after all in not going over the tops. Less than half an hour after leaving Perisher I arrived at Smiggon Holes to find Sam awaiting for me in the ute, jumping in we motored back over to Thredbo were I enjoyed a hot shower and soft bed, hey now I was walking the AAWT in style I suppose, although it did feel a bit like I was cheating!

I suppose if I have to walk a road then this one isn't a bad one to walk.

Spencers Creek

There wasn't a lot going on at Perisher this afternoon.

The Dirt.
I walked 26 kilometres and climbed 360 metres on todays medium grade walk. On my 30 walking days on the AAWT so far I’ve walked 514 kilometres and climbed 23,155 metres. Water and navigation are both no problems today, camping is more of an issue though. I’ve used the spot where the Main Range Track crosses the Snowy River near Charlottes Pass a few times and its good in most weather, the other option would be to head off the road near Spencers Creek until your out of sight of the road. Actaully Spencers Creek provides another way across to Guthega and down to the Power Station if you want to avoid a little of the road walking but its off track and scrubby from what I’ve heard. My Telstra mobile worked in numerous spots today. I used John Daly’s and Chapman’s notes for this section along with SV Maps 1:50,000 Kosciuszko Alpine Area and Rooftop’s Kosciuszko National Park Forest Activities Map Jindabyne -Khancoban map.

Relevant Posts.
AAWT, Day 1, October 2017.
AAWT, Previous day, November 2017.
Main Range Journal, November 2013.

I was racing the weather again late this afternoon.

Smiggin Holes

Back at Thredbo, it appeared that I may have dodged a bullet with the storms today.