Wednesday 17/09/2025   Charlotte Pass Village – Sugarloaf – Guthrie Ridge – Spencers Creek – Spencers Creek  Footbridge – Snowy River – The Snowies Alpine Walk – Charlotte Pass

                                                 Mount Guthrie Circuit

                                                 Kosciuszko National Park, NSW

                                                 Ngarigo Country                                  

Participants: Jean Cane, Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies (Report), Simon G, John Michan, Anita Ullman, Naomi Ullman

After 150mm of rain over the last 36 hours, we woke to a solid cloud cover, which was forecast to clear around midday. It was now a -6°C apparent temperature with a light top-up of snow, but still very windy. A lower elevation trip amongst the trees seemed appropriate.

Download file: 20250917.gpx                         Track Info

 

Our party of seven departed around 9:30am, heading through the eerily empty village along the road to get past the overflowing creeks, dodging bare earth and bitumen as we went. Some elected to ski and others to walk where there was no snow. Once off the road, the snow was very firm after an overnight freeze, so it was in much better condition than one would expect after so much rain. We proceeded roughly following the snowpole line down to just before Spencers Creek at Kosciuszko Road. Here we crossed over and started our way west on the southern side of Spencers Creek.

I chose a route averaging about 100m south of Spencers Creek. There were too many breaks in the snow close to it, and it tends to get too steep and tree-covered further up the hillside, not to mention rocky knolls, etc. Following obvious snow-covered leads ended up working really well today, with no steep climbs required to get around obstacles, as had been required along here on higher routes taken in the past.

With the wind still blowing strongly, it really did feel like a -6°C day, so for our first lunch break, we stopped behind a small ridge and some trees, hoping for some reprieve. We got none, so after a quick refuel, everyone was happy to get going again. 

Just as we were getting underway, Jean lost a ski. It took off at speed and appeared a certainty to land in Spencers Creek. Simon took up the chase, but could not make ground on it. By some miracle, the ski tipped on its side and slowed down, coming to rest about 2m from Spencers Creek. (If the ski could not have been recovered, it would have been a nightmare trying to walk out, as some in the group had already fallen thigh deep into the snow when trying to walk a couple of steps, when not on their skis.)

We then proceeded to the Spencers Creek suspension bridge for a look before heading upstream along the Snowy River. After a short section of exposed rock and scrub at the top of the small slope above the bridge was negotiated, finding good snow to follow became easy again.

With the rivers at high levels, we took a couple of deviations from our route to get a closer look, admiring the riverside snowbanks and views up and downstream as we went.

With the wind still blowing strongly from the west, we were much better sheltered here than along Spencers Creek, and when we found a tree-backed knoll we stopped for lunch # 2. Here we even felt the warmth of the sun for a short time. As the breeze dropped by again, we got underway again. 

As we approached the trig point and its cornice across the Snowy River, we stopped riverside for a good 15minutes watching an awesome display. The airflow over the cornice had become clearly visible. The remaining fine snow from the overnight snowfall was dancing across and above the ground in all sorts of dramatic ways. In that short time, we saw it wafting above the edge of the cornice and multiple simultaneous small eddies. Below the cornice, there were willy willies, swirls and curtains of snow sliding across the ground and at other moments hovering above it. We also saw waterfall-like curtains of snow falling down the slope over small wind-blown ridges and similar curtains heading up the slope. It was a truly epic display of nature and a clear visual display of the turbulence within the airflow. 

The one deep gully crossed on the return trip was negotiated via the set of steps on the walking track; these were perfectly placed to get past the steep snow-free slope they sit on. From here, there is more space between the trees, and it is a steady, gradual climb up to Charlotte Pass. Views over the Main Range open up as you climb, a fitting reward for the day’s effort.

With the cover now beginning to refreeze most of us were not very adventurous skiing back down the resort slopes to the Lodge. It turned out to be a great day out.

Photos

 

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 area is dominated by elevated terrain, with undulating alpine plateaux interspersed with rugged ridgelines and deeply incised river valleys. Charlotte Pass itself, with an elevation of approximately 1,760 metres, provides expansive vistas across the Main Range, while Sugarloaf and Guthrie Ridge showcase prominent granitic outcrops and windswept slopes. Spencers Creek meanders through the valleys, fed by snowmelt, ultimately joining the Snowy River near the footbridge crossing. The Snowies Alpine Walk and Mount Guthrie Circuit trace these features, offering access to diverse microenvironments shaped by altitude and exposure.

Geology

This alpine landscape is underlain predominantly by Lower Palaeozoic granite, emplaced during the Lachlan Fold Belt orogeny. Glacial and periglacial processes from the late Pleistocene have imposed further geomorphic complexity, leaving behind moraines, cirques, and sorted stone polygons. Abiotic features such as tors and granite boulders punctuate the grassy slopes, while the existence of alpine bogs is testament to the impermeability of subsoil layers and seasonal waterlogging.

Scenic Highlights

Notable scenic highlights include panoramic views from Guthrie Ridge towards Mount Kosciuszko and the Main Range peaks, the crystalline waters and steep-sided valleys of Spencers Creek, and the pristine montane wetlands near the Snowy River. The ascent via the Mount Guthrie Circuit enables encounters with snow patches lingering into late spring, wildflower meadows during summer, and the stark beauty of frost-hardened landscapes in early winter.

Local Flora

The biodiversity across these uplands is shaped by severe winter conditions and poor soils. Dominant vegetation includes Snow Grass (Poa spp.), Alpine Mint Bush (Prostanthera cuneata), and Mountain Celery (Aciphylla glacialis), interspersed with low-growing shrubs such as Alpine Grevillea (Grevillea australis). Moist depressions support Sphagnum bogs, while rocky areas foster cushion plants like Silver Cushion (Leucophyta australis). During the flowering season, the slopes erupt in colour with Snow Daisies (Celmisia spp.), and Small-leaved Wilberforce (Olearia frostii) marks treeline transitions.

Local Fauna

Faunal diversity is highly specialised, including endemic species like the Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus), Broad-toothed Rat (Mastacomys fuscus), and the threatened Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne corroboree). Birdlife includes the Flame Robin (Petroica phoenicea) and the Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae), while mammals such as the Alpine Dingo (Canis dingo) and Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) traverse lower slopes. Invertebrates such as alpine grasshoppers and bog-dwelling beetles play integral ecological roles.

Indigenous History

The landscape forms part of Ngarigo Country, the ancestral domain of the Ngarigo People. Seasonal movement patterns centred on gathering, hunting, and Ceremony, with summer visitation focused on bogong moth harvesting and cultural exchange. Ngarigo knowledge maintains an enduring spiritual connection to high places, watercourses, and distinctive rock formations. The area is woven into the Dreaming—stories which have been sustained despite dispossession following European incursion.

White History

European exploration began in the 1830s, with pastoral settlement intensifying during the mid-nineteenth century. Grazing leases, mining for gold and tin, and the Snowy Mountains Scheme radically reshaped the biophysical and cultural landscape. Charlotte Pass Village emerged as a ski and tourist hub in the twentieth century, with infrastructure such as roads and footbridges facilitating greater access but also influencing environmental degradation. The declaration of Kosciuszko National Park in 1944 marked a turning point in recognising both ecological values and the need for preservation.

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