Thursday 18/09/2025 Charlotte Pass Village – Charlotte Pass – Kosciuszko Road – Snowy River – Merrits Creek – Kosciuszko Road
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Jean Cane, George Copeland, Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Keith Tarlo, John Terrell, David Whittle, Peter Whittle
Based on a drenching of 150mm of rain over recent days and subzero temperatures overnight, I decided to try to minimise probable exposure to icy conditions for my trip today. With a sunny day forecast, our best bet seemed to be to keep out in the open, away from the shade of trees – a scenic tour along the Snowy River would be a nice way to start.
Max elevation: 1967 m
Total climbing: 488 m
Total descent: -469 m
Average speed: 6.09 km/h
Total time: 05:47:32
Our climb out of Charlotte Pass Village was indeed icy, so luckily for us, we were able to gain good edge control by following our tracks across the resort slopes that had been set yesterday. From Charlotte Pass, we briefly followed Kosciuszko Road towards Mount Kosciuszko. As there are often a bunch of small snow drift hillocks along here, we quickly diverged to the right of the road through the first clearing, with good snow cover, we made a gradual decline through the trees, following the best leads down to the Snowy River upstream of Foremans Crossing. Although we couldn’t see the crossing this morning, yesterday afternoon, we had not been able to see any of the stepping stones as we were returning from our Mount Guthrie circumnavigation. Today’s descent was one of great caution due to the iciness of the snow cover, and no one was trying anything too fancy on the descent.
From here, we had a very casual cruise upstream along the riverbank, stopping wherever we fancied to admire the interactions between the fast-flowing water and the snow mass and the collapsing snow banks, snowbridges and icicles that had formed as a result. Continuing upstream, we reached one significant waterfall, where we all posed for photos. Just above this waterfall, we passed what is often the last remaining snowbridge that provides a dry foot crossing of the Snowy River. A little further on, we crossed another Snowy River tributary that comes in from the east, and then, about 400m upstream before the next tributary (which flows from the direction of Muellers Peak), we decided to start climbing away from the Snowy River. Ahead, the river passes through a steep gully with lots of exposed shrubs and rocks, but the snow leads did not offer enough promise to tempt us today.
Our party exploring the Snowy River
Several sections, here and previously, required diversions to get around areas that had no remaining snow cover, this often requiring some guesswork as to the extent of the next snow-free area and where we should aim. Noteably, George’s skis became tangled in a scrubby section amongst calf-to-knee-high shrubs, taking him down. This then resulted in a tiring battle for him to get back to his feet.
Soon, we were above that gully through which the Snowy River drops about 50m. Whilst the others continued towards Kosciuszko Road, I deviated back towards the Snowy River, now near its intersection with Merrits Creek. Above the 50m drop and the gully through which it passes, the terrain has a gentle gradient. From there, the large catchment funnels into the gully for the 50m drop. Today, the impact of the recent heavy rainfall was clearly evident; there was an icy riverbed sitting on the snow surface where a 20m wide surface river had been flowing during the recent heavy rain. It was literally a river on top of a river! It would have been amazing to have seen it in action.
We huddled behind a small rocky outcrop for lunch # 2, but as a firm, cold, unrelenting breeze chilled us, we didn’t hang around for long. The afternoon plan had originally been to return to Charlotte Pass Village along Kangaroo Ridge, however, it was unanimously decided that we would avoid that windswept option and return via the snow pole line, which marks Kosciuszko Road. With clear blue skies all day, we continued to have excellent views of the Main Range on our return.
Nearing Charlotte Pass, it was decided to leave the road and aim for the top of the chairlift, which gave us a great run back down to our Lodge to finish the day.
Clickable icons on this world map will open the related trip report
A detailed, searchable trip list with links to reports, photo galleries
The local landscape features, geology, scenic highlights, flora, fauna, Indigenous history, white history and other nearby walks in the area (Perplexity AI Model)
Landscape Features
The near vicinity around Charlotte Pass, including Kosciuszko Road, the upper reaches of the Snowy River, and Merritts Creek, exhibits classic subalpine and alpine topography. Elevations commonly exceed 1,700 metres, rising to approximately 1,837 metres at Charlotte Pass itself. The terrain is marked by undulating plateaux, deep glacial valleys, rounded peaks, and exposed granite tors. Broad snowgrass meadows—interspersed with sphagnum bogs and cold, clear streams—dominate the interfluves, while wooded slopes retreat to isolated pockets below the treeline.
Geology
The geology of Charlotte Pass is archetypal of the Kosciuszko high country. The bedrock is predominantly Ordovician and Silurian granodiorite and granite, products of the Lachlan Fold Belt’s ancient tectonics. Pleistocene glaciation sculpted much of the present landscape, forming U-shaped valleys, moraines, and residual cirques, most notably observed along the route of the Snowy River and its tributaries. The region’s soils are typically shallow, acidic, and stony, reflecting both the granitic parent material and the erosive effects of repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Scenic Highlights
Key scenic highlights in the region include panoramic vistas from Charlotte Pass over the Main Range, with Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 metres) visible to the west. The Kosciuszko Road descent towards the Snowy River reveals broad alpine valleys, while Merritts Creek carves a series of steep, rocky gorges fringed by snow gums. The area is renowned for its vibrant summer wildflower displays and winter snowfields. The historic Snowy River crossing at the old Summit Road gate provides access to renowned walking tracks, such as the Summit Walk and Main Range Track.
Local Flora
The flora surrounding Charlotte Pass is characteristic of the alpine and subalpine zones of south-east Australia. Above 1,800 metres, alpine herbfields and heaths predominate, featuring species such as snow daisies (Celmisia spp.), alpine mint-bush (Prostanthera cuneata), and mountain gentians (Gentianella diemensis). In more sheltered aspects, dense snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora) woodlands persist up to their treeline limit. Wet hollows and streams support sphagnum moss (Sphagnum cristatum) bogs, vital for local hydrology.
Local Fauna
The faunal assemblage includes several cold-adapted and endemic species. Notable mammals are the mountain pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus), broad-toothed rat (Mastacomys fuscus), common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), and red-necked wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus). Avifauna includes the flame robin (Petroica phoenicea), Australian kestrel (Falco cenchroides), and the endangered eastern bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus). Reptiles are sparse but include alpine skinks (Liopholis guthega). Frogs, such as the threatened alpine tree frog (Litoria verreauxii alpina), also occur in wet areas.
Indigenous History (Ngarigo Country)
Charlotte Pass and the greater Kosciuszko plateau lie within the ancestral lands of the Ngarigo people, whose country spans the Monaro and Snowy Mountains region. The Ngarigo, along with neighbouring groups such as the Walgalu and Ngunnawal, traditionally used the high country in summer for ceremonial gatherings and feasts centred on the abundant bogong moth (Agrotis infusa) migration. Features such as glacial erratics and river confluences retain cultural significance. The region embodies stories of creation and stewardship, and is an acknowledged part of the Ngarigo Nation’s sovereign territory. The area remains integral to ongoing cultural renewal, traditional knowledge, and land management practices.
White History
European presence in the Charlotte Pass area commenced in the early 19th century. Polish geologist and explorer Pawel Strzelecki became the first recorded European to reach the summit of Mount Kosciuszko in 1840, naming it in honour of Tadeusz Kościuszko. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw track construction for stock, tourists, and scientific expeditions. Charlotte Pass Village, established in the 1930s, functioned as a ski field and access point for alpine surveys and outdoor recreation. Construction of Kosciuszko Road facilitated further tourism, and the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme (from 1949) led to increased settlement and scientific interest. Much of the area is now protected in recognition of its ecological, cultural, and historical values.
Clickable icons on this world map will open the related trip report
A detailed, searchable trip list with links to reports, photo galleries
