Sunday 28/1/2024 Perisher Valley – Porcupine Walking Track – Porcupine Rocks – “Ngarigo” Creek– Trapyard Creek – Wrights Creek – Spencers Creek – Charlotte Pass Village
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Beth Davies, Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Pablo Urena Vega
Now on our way to Tasmania, a side trip to visit our Jindabyne family gave us the opportunity to go on a local walk today. Beth suggested Charlotte Pass to Perisher Valley but settled for the reverse when I suggested we keep the sun at our back. So, after dropping one car off at Charlotte Pass Village we drove back to Perisher Valley, leaving the second car in front of the Ski Tube Terminal, as there were work-related closures at the track head.
Saturday 16/09/2023 Perisher Valley – Porcupine Road – Porcupine Walking Track – Rock Creek – Porcupine Rocks – Wheatley Link – Betts Creek – Perisher Gap – Kosciuszko Road
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
This morning we only completed three very short runs on Sturt T Bar before calling an end to our resort skiing season. With all bar the Village Eight chair lift on wind hold there were limited options and lift lines way longer than our liking so we swapped out our ski boots for hiking boots and were on our way.
Thursday 21/09/2023 Charlotte Pass Village – Kosciuszko Road – Charlotte Pass – Mount Kosciuszko Summit Walk – Merrits Creek – Snowy River – Seamans Hut – Rawson Pass – Mount Kosciuszko – Snowy River – Mount Clarke – Foremans Crossing
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Marg Baz, Stephen Davies (Leader, Photos, Report), John Oakley (Photos)
This was day four of the 2023 edition of New South Wales Nordic Ski Club’s annual Charlotte Pass gathering, a week where the club takes over the Southern Alps Ski Lodge and tries to get out for as much backcountry skiing as possible. With the winter of 2023 being particularly poor for snow cover this would prove much more challenging than usual, as there were far fewer options than past years for touring. With the very high winds of the last five days now starting to ease off I was keen to get out for a longer trip so offered a return trip to Mount Kosciuszko.
Sunday 24/09/2023 Guthega Power Station – Munyang River – Disappointment Spur Trail – Disappointment Spur Hut – Schlink Pass Road – Whites River Hut – Horse Camp Aquaduct Trail – Horse Camp Hut – Horse Camp Hut Access – Schlink Pass Road
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Beth Davies, Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Pablo Ureña Vega
Quickly deciding it was too much effort to get to too little snow today we opted to stretch our legs with a walk from Guthega Power Station. As Beth and Pablo had not been to Disappointment Spur Hut before we rock-hopped across Munyang River just behind the power station before the gradual ascent up Disappointment Spur Trail to start the walk. We had great walking weather today with cool and calm conditions.
Friday 22/09/2023 Charlotte Pass Village – Wrights Creek – Trapyard Creek – 1903m – (Porcupine Rocks)
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
This was our last day for the 2023 edition of New South Wales Nordic Ski Club’s annual Charlotte Pass gathering, a week where the club takes over the Southern Alps Ski Lodge and tries to get out for as much backcountry skiing as possible. Due to the rapidly decreasing snow cover and the fact our daughter and son-in-law had arrived home to Jindabyne from a European holiday yesterday, we thought we would catch up with them for the weekend before heading home. With that in mind, a morning walk towards Porcupine Rocks was in order before our 2:00pm departure.
Sunday 19/02/2023 Charlotte Pass – Snowy River – Carruthers Creek – Mount Sentinel – “The Sentinel” – Strzelecki Creek
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Beth Davies, Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Pablo Ureña Vega
With heatwave conditions currently across Australia, we were pleased to note the local forecast for today was for a 24-degree maximum. Just in case, we got away from Jindabyne early enough to arrive at Charlotte Pass and be underway by 8:50am. There, we were greeted by clear blue skies, 12 degrees with a light breeze making for perfect walking conditions.
26/08/2022 – 4/09/2022 Munyang Power Station – Schlink Pass Road – Schlink Pass – Schlink Hut – The Kerries – Mawsons Hut – Valentine River – Geehi River – Strumbo Range – Strumbo Hill – Straight Creek – Grey Mare Trail – Bogong Swamp – Tooma River – Derschkos Hut – Pugilistic Creek – Toolong Range – Hell Hole Creek – Mount Toolong – “West” Bogong Creek – Round Mountain Trail – Tooma River – Tumut River – Australian Alps Walking Track – Meteorological Station – Hut Creek – O’Keefes Hut – Jagungal – Bogong Creek – Jagungal Saddle – Jackys Lookout – Doubtful Creek – McAlister Saddle – Geehi River – Tarn Bluff – Mailbox Hill – Cup and Saucer – Valentine Creek – West of Tin Hut above Valentine Creek – Kerries Ridge – Gungartan Pass – Dicky Cooper Creek – Schlink Pass – Schlink Pass Road – Guthega Power Station
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Distance: 146km Total Ascent: 5,550m Total Descent: 5,550m Time: 52 hours
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Tim Hager (Leader), Paul Jennings
We arrived at Guthega Power Station to find the small visitor carpark full, so parked on the side of the road a little further back up the road. Here we faced our first dilemma.I had placed all of my last-minute items into a plastic bag in order to transfer them to Tim’s car at Jindabyne. To my dismay, I found my new gas bottle was not in the bag. My planned ten-day trip, without gas, wouldn’t work. [I would leave Tim and Paul’s five-day New South Wales Nordic Ski Club trip early on day four to complete my longer trip alone]
Wednesday 21/09/2022 Charlotte Pass – Summit Walk – Snowy River – Club Lake Creek – Club Lake – Mount Clarke – Clarke East Ridge
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Jean Cane, Stephen Davies (Leader, Report, Photos), Sue Davies, Terry Gralton, John Michan, Junko Toro, Susan Watson
Apparently, we had already used up our quota of great weather as today was overcast and windy and the outlook for the rest of the week was wet. Our New South Wales Nordic Ski Club trip target today was Club Lake, via the snow bridge we had crossed yesterday, avoiding any chance of getting wet feet in the Snowy River at Foremans Crossing. From here we planned to follow the Snowy River and then Club Lake Creek until we reached Club Lake.
Thursday 22/09/2022 Charlotte Pass – Wrights Creek – Trapyard Creek – Johnnies Plain
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Jean Cane, Stephen Davies (Leader, Report, Photos), Sue Davies, Bob Shaw
With some light showers and clouds in the day’s forecast, I offered a trip to Porcupine Rocks near Perisher Valley with the aim of looking for the nicest snow gums along the way, as wet snow gums have their colours beautifully accentuated. The number of New South Wales Nordic Ski Club participants on this short trip was to quickly change.
Tuesday 20/09/2022 Charlotte Pass – Summit Walk – Snowy River – Muellers Pass – Mount Townsend – Muellers Peak
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Margaret Baz, Jean Cane, Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, John Oakley
Today was our big chance to complete a longer trip further away from Charlotte Pass Village as the weather was looking perfect, with a clear blue sky and zero to a very light breeze. Our small party of New South Wales Nordic Ski Club members departed the lodge shortly after 9:00am and started making our way up and across the downhill slopes towards Charlotte Pass. After an overnight freeze, this is always amongst the more difficult parts of any trip from the village. The churned-up, frozen snow off-piste sections between groomed runs can be particularly challenging. Most of us found ourselves slipping backwards at times as our patterned bases failed to take purchase, occasionally resulting in a fall for some.
Monday 19/09/2022 Charlotte Pass – Mount Guthrie – Guthrie Ridge – Sam 0321 – Spencers Creek
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
After our successful morning outing, Sue reported feeling much better than she had expected. She decided that she might just be up to trying another short, afternoon trip somewhere close by. As we hadn’t been up Mount Guthrie for many years, off we went.
Monday 19/09/2022 Charlotte Pass – Wrights Creek – Rams Head Range
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
As Sue had been feeling unwell the last couple of days we had planned to head out together to see how she went. Having found herself puffing to climb the single flight of stairs at the Skitube in Perisher yesterday we weren’t all that hopeful. (She had returned a negative RAT test just before we left home, so it likely wasn’t CoVid).
