This is Part 2 of 3 of my blog from the Australian Alps Expedition I was part of last year. Part 1 covered Pre-Expedition and Section 1. This part will cover Section 2 and 3 and the final part will cover Section 4 and Post-Expedition. Thanks also to Tessa (@Mowgli_tesla) for some of the photos and videos.
Section 2
Start: Denison Campground
Finish: Munyang Power Station
Days: 8
Distance: 102.4km
Route Overview:
After crossing the Eucumbene River we followed Tolbar Road to the Grey Mare Trail. We then continued along the Grey Mare Firetrail past O’Keefes Hut, where our food stash was, to Grey Mare Hut. From there we went along the Valentine Trail to the Schlink Pass Road and out to the Munyang Power Station.
We left Adaminaby about mid-morning after another radio interview. After Pete dropped us off we layered up ready to go as the weather was cloudy and drizzly only to delayer a couple of hundred metres later for a freezing river crossing. Both Tessa and I looked up and down stream for a crossing point however couldn’t find anything more suitable than where we came to the river. It was the deepest river crossing I’ve done with a full pack. I also seem to have a thing for throwing Angela into the deep end of any adventure stuff. This was going to be her first time snowshoeing and camping on the snow and now she had her first river crossing. As usual she found it pretty easy and somehow walked the shallowest route across. When I crossed the others saw some type of water rat playing in the water behind. However they didn’t tell me until I had crossed so there wasn’t a repeat of my last water crossing.
Our route for the first part of the this section changed after receiving a message from someone on the expedition page saying it looked like our intended route was going through a closed area. They had also sent us a photo of a map showing the closed area. It was the map we later saw on the previous section. T wasn’t aware of the closed area even though she had been talking to a ranger about our route and expedition. I did find this a little odd and decided to have a look on the National Parks website but couldn’t find the map on there and also couldn’t find any clear information about closed areas. T rang the ranger on our rest day to find out more information about it and also which route he took to drop our food stash off at O’Keefes Hut. The information T passed onto us didn’t make any of it any clearer. My understanding is we took a similar route that the ranger had taken to drive our food stash out. We never passed any closed or do not enter signs and in the log books at the huts other people had passed through the area earlier in the year hiking or bike packing.
We finally had our first camp on the snow and then used our snowshoes the following day. We also saw plenty of animal tracks and some wombat holes. Then we saw some more wild pigs. They were off in the distance which didn’t bother us however further along there were 3 in front of us near the track. It was sad to see all the damage they were causing especially in a fire affected area. Thankfully they ran off as we got closer and we didn’t have a repeat episode with T. However T didn’t want dinner again that night. Also that night we heard some dingoes/wild dogs howling.
We were hoping to get to O’Keefes Hut today via Mackays Hut. T didn’t think it was that far to Mackays Hut and mentioned that there was a gap in the maps of maybe 1km since she had two different sets of maps. After I had a look at the maps I realised there was at least a 3km gap and possibly a distance of up to 4km given the twists and turns of the track. The pace we were walking at this would add mean more than an hour more. We got to Mackays Hut for a late lunch and I think everyone was quite exhausted and low on energy. This was noticeable as we were spreading out and Angela who would usually be up towards the front was lagging behind. Lunch dragged out a bit unfortunately as T wanted to take some photos and get some footage. We still had a bit of ground to cover before getting to O’Keefes Hut.
Thankfully we picked the pace up a bit after lunch but not enough if we wanted to get to O’Keefes in daylight. However later in the afternoon it looked like there was some weather starting to roll in. Then not long before dark we come across another stream. However this stream was wider and deeper than the other ones we had crossed over the last few days. As soon as we got to it Tessa and I split to look for a spot to cross up and down stream like we usually would. Unfortunately neither of us could find a spot. Once I got back I was a bit shocked to find T had already crossed without waiting for us to get back. I was going to suggest we don’t cross now and camp on this side and cross in the morning as there was a high risk of hypothermia given it was almost dark, the water was deeper than previous streams and there was potentially some weather coming in. I did bring up my concern about hypothermia and reluctantly crossed. The water was a bit deeper than I thought and I got the bottom of my pulled up thermals and rain pants wet as did Tessa and Angela. Not sure if T’s clothes got wet or not. Once across I got going quickly so I could to warm up and stay warm as did Tessa and Angela. Unfortunately we had to stop and wait for T who was struggling up the hill behind us. If we continued at T’s pace we would get very cold. Once T got up to us I decided to voice my concerns and the call to stop and set up camp for the night was made so we could get some warm food into us and get into our warm sleeping bags. Unfortunately T didn’t want dinner again. This was the second night in a row that they didn’t have dinner and the third for the expedition. This was a growing concern for me especially since they were struggling with the walking as they seemed to lack energy and were feeling cold. Nothing Tessa or I said changed their mind.
The following morning we woke to probably our coldest morning of the expedition. I also addressed my concerns from the previous day with everyone before leaving. One concern been the need to stop earlier for lunch and set up a time for lunch not a place so we don’t spread out and get low on energy. The other making sure decisions are made with everyone present and allowing everyone to have input. We had discussed this during the expectations session I ran before starting and for some reason this didn’t happen with the stream crossing. After putting on our frozen shoes we headed off and our feet eventually warmed up.
We got to O’Keefes Hut in time for lunch. I thought Angela and I could go grab the stash when we got there but wanted to confirm with T were it was. However when I asked them they said we had to wait for them. Not sure why we had to wait. The rest of us haven’t done much food prep or cooking the whole trip and it felt like we weren’t allowed to for some reason. We eventually got the stash and had lunch. We discussed about doing Jagungal that afternoon but then later as we were getting ready to leave T didn’t want to do Jagungal. They didn’t feel up to it and thought it would be best to have a rest. Tessa, Angela and I left for Jagungal early in the afternoon. The snow cover on the way up was very slushy and there wasn’t a good base to we kept sinking every couple of steps. It took longer than expected to get up because of the snow cover but we eventually made it a bit before sunset. We decided to take a different spur down hoping we could make it back down to the fire trail quicker and before dark. It started off with me sinking in the deepest hole I had so far in the snow and then thick bush lower down after it got dark. We eventually made it back to the fire trail but enjoyed a spectacular sunset on the way down. Once we were back on the fire trail it didn’t take us long to get back to the hut where T had a fire going and hot water ready for dinner.
Sinking in holes coming down Jagungal on Sunset. @Mowgli_tesla
The following day we had to wake up earlier for another radio interview. It was a very cold morning. We also needed to sort the food drop. While sorting the food drop we realised there may not be quite enough food for the next part. This would now be the second time we were running short on food. T mentioned that we were going slower than they expected and also mentioned during the day that this was the first time they’d seen this area in the snow. I found this surprising given all the experience they say they have, they’d lived near Jindabyne for many years and they were the slowest walker in the group. I’m not sure if they didn’t take into account snowshoeing is slower than walking and the days are shorter or something else. They also hadn’t taken on any of the suggestions Tessa or I had made for the food after trying the meals that Camper’s Pantry had given us to try before the expedition. Tessa had already noticed she had lost weight as she was having trouble getting her waist belt tight enough and was now using jumpers to try and help. We had a look at the maps and came up with a plan so we would just have enough food.
T had been struggling with asthma for most of the expedition but didn’t have a puffer as they didn’t believe they had it even though a Dr had mentioned it to them. However it was getting worse and more evident T had it with the colder weather. Tessa and I had suggested they get one while in Adaminaby but they didn’t.
I enjoyed the day walking around Jagungal to Grey Mares Hut and seeing the different views of Jagungal. I had been up Jagungal the previous year from the other side so it was nice to see it from the other sides. I also loved the view from the hut. There were a few clouds around but hoped there would be a bit of colour for sunset. I was doubtful as there was a lot of cloud cover in the late afternoon. However it did have a little bit of colour for a little bit so I raced outside with my camera.
We tried to leave a bit earlier the next morning. Tessa also found an old asthma puffer in one of the cupboards in the hut which she gave to T. We were all surprised when she found as we had looked in the cupboards the previous afternoon to see what was in there. Just before leaving there were a bunch of yellow tailed cockatoos flying around and making a lot of noise in the trees around the hut. The clouds had also started to come over more and Jagungal was in the clouds. We had received a weather update and there was some high winds and weather coming in later in the afternoon.
The morning was mostly uphill, a few creek crossings and could see the top of Valentine Falls up a valley. We passed Valentines Hut just after lunch where we met the first people we’d seen after leaving Denison. We were hoping to get to Schlink Hilton so asked if anyone was staying there. They said there were a group of 5. T struggled in the afternoon been exhausted and their ankle was quite painful from a previous injury. They did suggest we stop and set up camp early. With the weather predicted to come in and the condition T was in I didn’t think that would be a good idea even though I knew it would be a push to get to Schlink Hut. It was pretty slow going but we eventually made it to Schlink Hilton just before dark and before the weather come in. There were only the 5 people in the hut we were told about and a couple of them were camping outside so there was plenty of room inside. The wind had started to pick up by the time we had dinner and was also trying to snow/sleet outside.
By the morning it seemed like the worst of the weather had passed thankfully. T still wasn’t feeling well so we decided to change our plan again. We decided to stay at the hut again so T could rest for the day while Tessa, Angela and I did the second over 2000m summit which was Gungartan. The next day we would then head out to the Munyang Power Station where one of the guys from Wilderness Sports was going to pick us up. This meant we wouldn’t summit Mt Tate another over 2000m peak.
After a relaxed morning and early lunch Tessa, Angela and I headed out to Gungartan. Heading up Gungartan was a lot easier than Jagungal as the snow cover was better. The wind picked up towards the top. We stopped just before the summit in a sheltered spot behind some rocks to put our stuff and layer up before a short scramble to the summit. On the way back down to our stuff my cap blew off from underneath the hood of my jumper. Both Angela and I dove onto it before it blew away and also my camera lens cap which came off in the process. It was a windy walk back down until we got lower and back into the trees. Just before getting back to the hut we collected some wood to restock the hut with.
After another night at the hut we then headed out to the power station. On the way we stopped at Schlink Pass and met a guy who asked if we were the women doing the expedition. He told us some stories of how much snow there used to be back in the 70s and 80s. As we continued down Tessa detoured via Whites River Hut to collect a stash one of her friends had put there for us. In the stash was fresh fruit and veges along with a packet of chocolate biscuits which were gone in no time. We ate the fruit and veges with lunch. As we headed down towards the switchbacks there were heaps of trees down most likely from the storm that went through when we were in Adaminaby. Even young healthy looking snow gums were down. We got down to the power station about mid-afternoon where we then got picked up from and headed into Jindabyne for another rest day.
Section 3
Start: Perisher
Finish: Dead Horse Gap
Days: 4
Distance: 41.8km
Route Overview: We started at Perisher and headed over to Guthega before heading up to the Illawong Swing Bridge. After crossing the bridge we headed up onto the Main Range. We then summited as many peaks as we could before heading down to Dead Horse Gap.
The night before we started this section we divided up the food. While we were doing it Tessa brought up the food issue as T wanted to bring stuff that we had barely used on the previous sections. I had found some of the food a bit odd that T had in the drops as it wasn’t stuff that could be used well with hiking food or didn’t go with the other food we had. Tessa also brought up that she had lost more weight and was pretty sure we weren’t getting enough energy and protein from the food. I noticed later in this section I’d lost weight as a pair of my pants that were usually snug on me were now loose but felt ok energy wise, maybe cause I had been sneaking kangaroo jerky during the expedition. Tessa mentioned we needed to be smart about what food we took so we weren’t carry extra food weight and not eating it. This lead to a heated discussion and T thinking we were overtaking their expedition. T mentioned that they were the leader and had the most experience so made the decisions. At this point I tried to diffuse the situation by using an analogy I had learnt and used at work while leading expedition programs. The gist of it was everyone in the team contributes their skills and concerns when decisions need to be made and the leader facilitates this to come to a decision. T didn’t seem to understand this so then Tessa explained it in a medical setting. T still didn’t understand the team concept and said so I’m not the leader to which we responded that they were the leader however this was a team expedition so decisions needed to be made as a team as we had discussed at the start. T had heaps of experience solo hiking but it didn’t seem like they had done much group hiking or lead expeditions before. I know for myself at work it wasn’t easy starting out leading groups and it can take time to learn the skills. After reassuring T again we weren’t taking over the expedition and just needed our concerns to be taken on board things settled down and we finished sorting the food.
My Mum and sister came down on the rest day and picked up my car on the way down. I then drove us up to Perisher and Mum left with my car to meet up with my other sister. We headed up along the road towards Mt Perisher. After a morning tea stop at a café we headed up Mt Perisher. On the way up T had an asthma/anxiety attack and decided to wait for us in a saddle while we went up Mt Perisher our third summit over 2000m. T was going to get lunch ready for when we got back down. After lunch we then headed over towards Guthega. On the way T had another anxiety attack and told us some personal stuff they had going on and also suggested they might leave at Guthega and then we do the Main Range without them. I had the feeling they were also still emotional after what happened the previous night.
That night Tessa and I did some star photos. As I was taking photos I spotted a possum in a tree so got Angela up to have a look it. We also could hear the ice cracking in the Guthega Pondage near us. I was again surprised T didn’t know what the noise was and mentioned the following morning they’d never heard it before. It didn’t make sense as they’d also said they’d camped in this area many times before in winter. By now a few things they’d said didn’t add up and wasn’t sure what to believe.
The following morning T called a team meeting and decided to leave for the Main Range section. I organized with Mum to pick T up from Guthega and drop them around to Thredbo where we would meet them in a few days. Hopefully this would give T more time to sort their asthma out and time to rest before the next section.
Tessa, Angela and I then headed up towards Illawong Bridge and the Main Range. We summited Little Twynam and Mt Twynam our fourth and fifth summits over 2000m. We planned to camp in a saddle just before Carruthers however as we were heading down we had a spectacular view and found a nice spot before the saddle so decided to camp there. Tessa and I took heaps of photos of the spectacular sunset while Angela cooked dinner. Once it got dark I took some more photos of the milkyway and also did some star trails. This was our favourite camp spot of the trip so far.
The following morning we woke early to listen to T on another radio interview. I then got up to take sunrise photos. We then headed off to summit as many peaks as we could. Given the many changes and not a sufficient number of days given we wouldn’t be able to summit all 26 peaks over 2000m. Instead we would summit as many as we could safely. Over the day we managed to summit 6 which were Carruthers, Mt Lee, Mt Northcote, Mt Clarke, Muellers Peak and Mt Townsend. We did discuss maybe doing Alice Rawson as well but with the first proper snow falling on the expedition and some weather coming in we decided not to. After glissading down Mt Townsend we headed back to our packs which we had stashed near some rocks and then headed down to Muellers Pass to camp. After dinner the wind had started to pick up.
We woke the following morning to a whiteout. I was given the task of navigating as I had the most navigation experience. We headed up to Kosziouscko, the highest point in Australia and our last over 2000m summit and then down to Rawsons Pass. We passed a tour group snowshoeing up Koziouscko on the way down. Not sure why you would run a day tour group in these conditions, you couldn’t see a thing. We then devoured a block of chocolate at Rawsons Pass before heading out towards Dead Horse Gap. There were some tracks to Etheridge Gap but then weren’t any until we were near North Rams Head were we came across some more snowshoe tracks. We then came across the group the tracks belonged to, a local photographer who was out with a group and were setting up camp. We continued on down to Dead Horse Gap. As we got lower the sideways snow turned into sleet and then rain. We eventually got down to the carpark where Mum and our other sister picked us up. We headed down to the YHA in Thredbo where T was waiting for us and took off our soaking clothes and hung them in there drying room. I was surprised my thermals and jumper under my raingear weren’t really wet given the weather we’d snowshoed through all day. It had felt like they were wet but they must’ve just been cold. We then had nice warm showers and headed down to the Bistro for dinner.
Morning blizzard/whiteout. @Mowgli_tesla
Mt Kosziouscko Summit, @Mowgli_tesla
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