Main Range Track Kosciuszko National Park

[Tony]

Some photos from my recent walk with my wife on the Main Range Track Kosciuszko National Park, the walk used to be called the Lakes Track. We started and finished at Charlottes Pass. The weather was warm but there where very strong winds on the ridge tops.


The view west at the start from Charlottes Pass, the first river in the Snowy and the second is Club Lake creek.

Headly Tarn, below Blue Lake.

Blue Lake with Mount Twynam (2178m) in the back ground.

Mount Townsend (2209m Australia's second highest peak) from Carruthers Peak

Mount Kosciuszko (2228m) from Carruthers Peak

Mount Townsend closeup

Watsons Crags from Carruthers peak

Club Lake

Mount Kosciuszko from near Lake Albina

Lake Albina

The view back to the start at Charlottes Pass from near lake Albina

Aproaching Mount Kosciuszko

Mount Kosciuszko from Rawson Pass note the people on top

[eggs]

Visited Blue Lake many years ago when the kids were very young.

Wonderful area & great photos.

[johnw]

Nice photos Tony. I did that walk recently myself, plus some variations on it, having returned there after an absence of a few years. It's a favourite location of mine. Looks like we had similar weather, although the wind wasn't quite as strong for me (mostly). You can see a very strong gust blasting across Blue Lake in your 3rd shot. You've inspired me to put up a few of my photos when I have time.

[Tony]

Thanks eggs and John,

It is one of the great mainland day walks. It was a nice day but the strong winds caused me problems with trying to hold my camera still, a lot of my photos came out blurry. I would love to see others photos.

Back in 79-80 I did the southern part of the main range walk, the path was very badly eroded back then, in some places it was over a meter deep, I went back in the early 80s and did the Thredbo to Kosciuszko walk the metal path was only halfway back then. Lake Albina still had its lodge. The weather that early 80s mid January day was very cold and very windy with a wind chill factor of -15C. I was very impressed with the effort that has been put into the tracks.

Tony

[dancier]

Memory's a bit vague now but we skied to Mount Kosciuszko in the mid 80's and camped below the mountain for few days. What I remember most was two gliders surfing a wave about 10 meters above out heads on the ridge of Mount Kosciuszko, they sat there for ages while we admired the view.

[north-north-west]

This is a regular for me - from Thredbo, up the river, Dead Horse Gap Track to Eagle's nest, Rawson Walkway, Kosciuszko, and all the way around, going back down via Merritt's, or under the chairlift if I'm too knackered for the longer distance. Too many people these days, but still one of Australia's greatest day walks.

The old fence line on Northcote - or is it Carruthers?

Under Abbott's Peak, Christmas Eve, 2006

Heading up Dead Horse Gap track

On the Summit track

Climbing up to Northcote from Albina

[north-north-west]

Hmmmm, most of Main Range shots seem to be off-track . . . ahhhhh well, still the same area:

Hedley Tarn

Albina and points north from somewhere near Alice Rawson

Blue Lake

Snowy River Crossing below Charlotte Pass

Looking north to Jagungal from Watsons Crags

[SueOfTheSouth]

We are going to do the Main Range Circuit from Charlottes Pass next week. It would be good to get an idea of the time needed for the circuit if any one can help with that.

[johnw]

We are going to do the Main Range Circuit from Charlottes Pass next week. It would be good to get an idea of the time needed for the circuit if any one can help with that.

Sue, it's about 22km from memory, easy walking but a bit steep/strenuous in places. For reasonably fit walkers I'd probably allow around 6-7 hours. If you have clear weather it's spectacular and numerous photo stops etc are likely. I think I took 5 or 6 hours when I last walked it just after Christmas, without rushing and with many stops. Although I didn't bother going up Kosciuszko this time. It was raining when I arrived below it and I'd been to the summit several times before. I did add a bit of time by going off track along the upper Snowy River for about 1km and back down Merritts Creek. My usual preference is to walk the circuit anticlockwise, that way you finish with a long easy downhill from Rawson Pass back to Charlotte P. on the old Kosciuszko Road. Either direction is good but clockwise you finish with about a 1km steep climb up "Heartbreak Hill". Allow more time if you do any side trips, such as down to Blue Lake or Lake Albina. You may already be aware but the weather can change rapidly like Tassie, ie sun/rain/snow/wind/whiteouts, which can cause delays and other problems. That's my 2 cents worth anyway, have a great walk.

[johnw]

This is a regular for me - from Thredbo, up the river, Dead Horse Gap Track to Eagle's nest, Rawson Walkway, Kosciuszko, and all the way around, going back down via Merritt's, or under the chairlift if I'm too knackered for the longer distance. Too many people these days, but still one of Australia's greatest day walks.

My sentiments too. On one occasion I did a similar trip but avoided the crowds on the walkway by going out through the Ramsheads then down to Cootapatamba Hut and up past the lake. I think we then went on to climb Mt Etheridge and one or two others, possibly Northcote and Lee, before returning very late afternoon on the walkway. All the tourists had gone by then . We'd planned to cheat and get the last chairlift down but missed it by a long shot and walked down Merritts. Was quite a long day.

Lovely photos too Scavenger. I think that fence post is probably on Northcote rather than Carruthers. Hard to be sure as the visibility in that photo is limited but I've seen quite a bit of old fencing up there. And it's a big grassy knoll whereas Carruthers has some steep drop offs around a fair bit of it.

[SueOfTheSouth]

Thanks John for the helpful info on the walk. We were there in Nov a few years ago but couldn't get across the Snowy to do the circuit. We may not go up Koscioszko this time as we did that on our last trip, but will do a side trip to Blue Lake. We thought anti clockwise may be the way to go as you said so are looking forward to good weather mid next week !! Enjoyed looking at the photos put up by Tony.

[Tony]

Great photos Scavenger.

Thanks

Tony

[SueOfTheSouth]

Yes great photos from both Tony and Scavenger. Looks a nice area for our walk. Thanks for sharing them.