The Snowy Mountains in Summer

We had a 3 night hiking holiday in the Snowy Mountains.  The first time I and the kids had been in the Summer and true to its name there was snow on the mountains still.  I've always wanted to hike in the Alpine so its 'ticked off' now and we also wanted the kids to appreciate how dangerous the terrain is under all that snow when skiing like maniacs down the hills.

Hollander and Oren did very well hiking 2 hrs to Mt Stilwell on the first day and then 7 hrs the next to Mt Kosciuszko, in hind sight we should have done the 4 hr Blue Lake walk before the  long one because the experience left the kids not wanting to walk another step - so we have saved the Blue Lake for next time.  Unfortunately the long hike was accompanied by lots of whinging, flopping on the ground refusing to budge, piggy back rides, bribery and appealing to the kids great sense of achievement - "Just think you are climbing the highest peak in Australia isn't that great!!".  Thank goodness for 'Gummy Bears' and the kids cunning negotiating money skills (yes we will complete the walk if you give us $ to spend at Toy World!).

Just some hints if you are walking with kids - take hat fly nets because they swarm on mass and annoy everyone and wear long shirts/pants because there are stinging March Flies too.  

Passing Spencer's Creek driving to Charlottes Pass

Walking across the ski runs at Charlotte's Pass

Guthrie's rocky high speed POMA 

'The Equaliser' at the top of the Charlottes Pass chair

Looking down at the Charlottes Pass ski resort and Chalet

Hiking to top of Mt Stilwell

The snow daisies and other alpine flowers

The rocky ascent to Mt Stilwell - a 2hr slow round trip

The Main Range Track passing Blue Lake

Drinking the mountain spring water

Walking the 18km round trip on the Summit Walk to Mt Kosciuszko - took us 7 hrs with lots of stops.

The famous Snowy River

We stopped at Seaman's Hut for lunch - a place to offer shelter for the weary adventurer.  The hut was built in 1928 commissioned by the parents of an American cross country skier (Laurie Seaman) who perished in the snow with his companion.  The Thredbo Museum has the box camera that he had with him and the last images taken.   

Alex doing his 'wally' pose.

The weather changes quickly in the mountains - we had rain jackets

The blown over asterisk points to the Mt Kosci summit

The paved! final track to the summit - this is where you collide with all the short trekkers  from Thredbo that catch the chair.

Playing on the remaining snow

We did it!

Oh yeah!

Seeking the Geocache that couldn't be found on the summit of Mt Kosci

Tallest girl in Australia - at 2228 mt above sea level

Amongst the snow gums on the Charlotte's Pass board walk.

Blue Lake track - maybe next time the 4hr round trip didn't appeal to the kids after we spent 7 hrs hiking the day before.