Standing at approximately 2,228 metres above sea level, Mt Kosciuszko presents a stunning perspective from its majestic peak. This iconic alpine walk takes you past the rocky granite outcrops of Rams Head Range and through heathlands and a lookout, before reaching the summit of Mount Kosciuszko and extending down the main range hitting the entire 10 highest peaks Australia has to offer.
Weather can change rapidly in the Snowy Mountains and rain, sleet and snow can fall at any time of the year challenging us to shoulder cold climate equipment and gear in this tough Australian challenge.
Just past Cooma and further onwards towards the Victorian boarder to Jindabyne. Just 30 minutes away is the alpine town of Thredbo, which, is located at the foot of the Snowy Mountains and only 6.5klm to Mt Kosciusko’s summit.
At 6,900 sq kms, Kosciuszko National Park is the largest in New South Wales.
In 1997 Kosciuszko National Park was given international significance by being declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
Cabramurra is the highest town in Australia.
The population of the Snowy Mountains region is approximately 34,500.
The northernmost extremity of the Snowy Mountains lays only 30kms west of the ACT.
The southern end of the region is marked by a 1,951 metre high peak called South Rams Head, and is only 10kms from the Victorian border.
More than half of the 250 square kilometres of alpine habitat in Australia falls inside the Snowy region’s boundaries.
Around 3 million people visit Kosciuszko National Park each year and some 30,000 make the trek to the top of Mount Kosciuszko.
During the most recent ice age, the area around Mount Kosciuszko was the only part of mainland Australia to be covered by glaciers. The glaciers left their mark on the mountains, most notably by gouging 13 enormous cirques, four of which are deep enough to be permanently filled with water; these are known as glacial lakes.
Unlike mountain regions elsewhere, the Australian Alps are covered by a mantle of vegetation, thanks to the bogs and fens that fill high country valleys and hollows. These wetlands act like sponges, retaining water from rain and melting snow. As a result, they help prevent erosion and keep the slopes moist. Some alpine peat bogs are metres deep and contain plant matter 15,000 years old, giving scientists valuable information about climate change over the years.