r/OutdoorAus • u/Far_Mess4532 • 10d ago
Kosciuszko night walk
Me and a couple mates are considering a night walk to the summit, most likely from Thredbo if we do.
Looking for advice on if its doable, where to go from thredbo village, or if its easier to go from charlotte pass or somewhere else.
Not looking to do a multi day hike or anything
Any advice is much appreciated, otherwise we are just going to use the chairlift from thredbo.
Cheers
7
u/SoggyCommand1074 10d ago
Doable, yes. Recommended, no.
Thredbo side without the chair lifts is a huge climb up just to get to Eagles Nest.
Charlotte's Pass route is more mellow but much longer.
Have off-line maps downloaded, water, clothing for warmth & protection from rain and wind, and definitely epirb.
If you're not experienced in alpine environments, abort if the forecast is anything but clear - white outs and navigating in them is no joke, especially at night.
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u/Necessary_Bass3942 10d ago
Ummm why?
With the chairlift shut- it would be several hours just to get to the top of Thredbo. Or even if you hit the chair up late arvo, it would still be a bitch to walk all the way to the bottom in the dark AFTER hitting the top of kosci.
My recommendation would be an early start and drive to the porcupine rocks walk (Perisher side of the hill) and walk out to sit at the rocks and watch the sunrise- spectacular.
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u/the-diver-dan 10d ago
Threadbo side, harder, possibility of miss adventure getting to Eagles Nest. Charlottes, long flat and boring, won’t have to think about navigation. Choose your own adventure:)
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u/IdleHans_ 10d ago
Man the stars would look amazing if it's a clear night.
I think as long as you plan conservatively and take proper precautions you should go for it. Take 2 fuckin EPIRBS at least
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u/enthrallingmelodies 10d ago edited 10d ago
I’d probably go from Charlottes Pass via the Mount Kosciuszko summit walk. It’s fairly flat and wide so it’s much easier to navigate in the dark. Just make sure you take the correct track. If you start steeply descending you’re on the wrong one, that’s the track for the Main Range Walk.
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u/IdRatherBeInTheBush 10d ago
Wow - I thought I was unfit but apparently I'm superman! It took me 95mins to walk up Merrets Nature Trail (bottom of Thredbo to top) and that's with an average heart rate of 83 thanks to my pacemaker seeing it as a slow stroll. It's 4.2kms with 570m of elevation gain. It shouldn't be too hard to follow in the dark especially if you have a phone with maps on it - you have coverage.
You can get the chairlift back down for free - historically they haven't checked tickets in that direction. I wouldn't recommend walking down, it would be horrible. Lots of going down big steps onto uneven loose ground. At night it would be tough. You could go down the roads but they are loose and steep to so not much fun.
I'd watcht the weather before heading out. You'd want nice weather or it would be a miserable slog with nothing to see. A full moon would be cool - you could probably do it without torches.
If you're doing the whole thing at night I'd say Charlottes Pass would be a better option. If you're coming back when the Thredbo Chairlift is open then either would be ok depending on how fit you are (walking up the Thredbo hill in the dark is doable, down not so much)
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u/Turbulent-Break-4947 10d ago
Do it!
Assuming you have experience and gear. Don’t just take off after a big night on The Beers.
Night walking is very under-appreciated. So many things to see and hear that are not visible during the way.
Day walk gear PLUS extra cold weather gear PLUS spare batteries to the wazoo.
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u/conny1974 10d ago
You don't have to take the Merrits trail,which is a bit more technical. Can't you just take the fire trail up? It's probably a lot steeper though.
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u/Personal-Process3321 10d ago
If you have the experience and equipment (including emergency gear) then it shouldnt be much of a problem, especially from Charlottes Pass.
However maybe not the best choice for a first night adventure.
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u/deliverance73 9d ago
Take a torch. It will be dark.
Oh. And you’ll miss all the amazing views that make it worthwhile.
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u/The_Mule_Aus 5d ago
I had to walk down Thredbo last week as we got back after the last chair.
We came down Supertrail rather than the road as it was the best/safest option. It was incredibly hard on my knees/quads after a big day walking to Mt Townsend and back.
Took a bit over an hour. Zero stars, Would not do again.
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u/creekriverocean 10d ago
I've done this, from the Charlotte Pass side. Would not attempt from the Thredbo side for reasons already listed. CP option is very straightforward, albeit a fairly long uneventful walk, unless weather becomes challenging, in which case it can be a brutal experience.