Climbing Mount Kosciuszko
Elevation: 2,228 metres Nearest towns: Thredbo / Charlotte Pass
Difficulty: Easy Date[s] climbed: Many Location: N.S.W. Author: Brian
Mount Kosciuszko is mainland Australia's tallest mountain and it's located on the Main Range of the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park, part of the Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves in New South Wales. Very few Australians can spell Kosciuszko, the 1997 name change compounding that challenge further. There is continuing controversy regarding the indigenous name for Kosciuszko, if any, and unfortunately there is no formally accepted alternative at this time.
However, most Aussies know that it is our highest mainland peak. Without doubt it is the most climbed mountain of the State 16. It is readily accessible from a number of easy access points and is a must climb mountain. Due to the large volume of foot traffic, much of the track is boardwalk, however that can be largely avoided using alternate routes, such as from Charlottes Pass.
Warnings
Climbing Mt. Kosciuszko is very straight forward but be aware conditions can rapidly change in these high alpine areas, including snow at any time during summer, along with possible whiteouts. Check the weather or be prepared for it. It is likely to be very cold on the summit!
History
Graeme neatly described the origin and naming confusion issues between Mt. Townsend and Mt. Kosciuszko in his writeup of Mount Townsend in the next section. They are repeated verbatim as follows:
When Pawel Strzelecki and James Macarthur elected to explore the area in 1840, they approached the mountain from the “Hannel’s Spur” direction, which was the route that their native guides took them. Strzelecki set up his instruments on the top of “Tar Gan Gil” and found that a nearby peak was higher! In the presence of Macarthur, he named it Kosciuszko, (in honour of Polish-Lithuanian freedom fighter General Tadeusz Kosciuszko) and then proceeded to climb it while Macarthur returned to camp.
The area was later surveyed by Thomas Scott Townsend, who surveyed most of the main range. However, he didn’t name any of the peaks. A mapping error on the Victorian maps then swapped the positions of Mt. Kosciuszko and the unnamed peak that is now Mt. Townsend and when the Austrian explorer Robert von Lendenfeld surveyed the area in 1885, he claimed to have identified a higher peak than Kosciuszko and named it Mt. Townsend after the surveyor.
Mt. Kosciuszko now had two names, and Mt. Townsend none. The confusion was rectified in 1940, when a cartographer with the NSW Lands Department (B.T. Dowd) confirmed that the mountain named by Strzelecki was the highest, and allocated the name Mt. Townsend to the unnamed nearer peak.
The Climbs
Graeme and I climbed the Top Ten highest peaks in Australia, which includes Kosciuszko of course, in one day on March 18, 2011.
Check out the “Top Ten” page.
Graeme has climbed Kosciuszko with his daughter Juliet. (Make it a special treat for your family or one or all of your daughters and sons)
Tanya and I undertook the sunrise walk on Saint Valentines Day which was quite novel as much of the walk was done in the dark. Watching the sun slowly rise from the east is gorgeous and can be quite emotional.
Notwithstanding its easy accessibility, it's still a thrill to stand on the summit of Mount Kosciusko , take in the immediate and surrounding beautiful views and reflect that you are standing on the top of Australia.
Mount Kosciuszko - Click on an image for full resolution
Climbing Mount Townsend ( Tar Gan Gil )
Elevation: 2,209 metres Nearest towns: Thredbo / Charlotte Pass
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate Date[s] climbed: 18/03/2011 Location: N.S.W. Author: Graeme
Mount Townsend is the second highest peak in Australia, at 2,209m, but due to its height proximity to Mt. Kosciuszko, it is not formally classified as the second highest mountain. Simply a peak.
Brian and I climbed Mt. Townsend on March 18, 2011 via the Main Range track. We did this as part of our successful attempt to climb the Top Ten, which is described separately. This is a beautiful alpine walk, and allows a fit walker to attempt the “Top Ten or Top 10” peaks in Australia, in one or more days.
Warnings
Climbing Mt. Townsend is fairly straight forward, but be aware conditions can rapidly change in these high alpine areas, including snow at any time during summer, along with possible whiteouts. Check the weather, or be prepared for it. Also be aware you will likely become an overbearing zealot when describing the beauty of this incredible area, particularly when you get off the tracks.
History
Mt. Townsend has an interesting history, and the original route taken to the area helps explain some of the confusion around the names of both Mt. Townsend and also Mt. Kosciuszko. (The indigenous people called Townsend “Tar Gan Gil” (Bogong moth) and journeyed there every summer for a couple of weeks to feast on the moths that aestivate in the caves and rock crevices near the summit)
When Pawel Strzelecki and James Macarthur elected to explore the area in 1840, they approached the mountain from the “Hannel’s Spur” direction, which was the route that their native guides took them. Strzelecki set up his instruments on the top of “Tar Gan Gil” and found that a nearby peak was higher! In the presence of Macarthur, he named it Kosciuszko, (in honour of Polish-Lithuanian freedom fighter General Tadeusz Kosciuszko) and then proceeded to climb it while Macarthur returned to camp.
The area was later surveyed by Thomas Scott Townsend in 1946, who surveyed most of the main range. However, he didn’t name any of the peaks. A mapping error on the Victorian maps then swapped the positions of Mt. Kosciuszko and the unnamed peak that is now Mt. Townsend and when the Austrian explorer Robert von Lendenfeld surveyed the area in 1885, he claimed to have identified a higher peak than Kosciuszko and named it Mt. Townsend after the surveyor.
Mt. Kosciuszko now had two names, and Mt. Townsend none. The confusion was rectified in 1940, when a cartographer with the NSW Lands Department (B.T. Dowd) confirmed that the mountain named by Strzelecki was the highest, and allocated the name Mt. Townsend to the unnamed nearer peak. Townsend was finally named in honour of Thomas Scott Townsend for his remarkable efforts in surveying the area. Ironically, he never actually climbed Mt. Townsend.
The Climb
We start at the turning circle at the end of the Kosciuszko Road near Charlottes Pass, and descend to cross the Snowy River, before continuing on the Main Range track. This is a well-marked route and easy to follow. A small diversion off the track also allows you to climb Mt. Twynam, the third highest peak in Australia. The Main Range track then continues over Mt. Carruthers, and on via alpine meadows to Muellers Pass where a small path leads off towards Mt. Townsend.
A small rock cairn leads the way. The path to Mt. Townsend is a narrow track with stone cairns at critical points, and is easy to follow on a clear day. In a whiteout, impossible, and so respect is needed for a walk in this area as the weather can be unpredictable. The final climb to the summit is an enjoyable rock scramble, as Mt. Townsend is a Nunatak, or rocky point left over after glaciation. Townsend feels much more of a mountain than Kosciuszko, although it is 19 metres less in height.
We arrive at the summit at 11.27 AM, before continuing on to climb the rest of the “Top Ten”, and return to the car via Rawsons Pass.
Other ways of reaching Mt. Townsend would be to walk (or cycle) along Kosciuszko Road from Charlottes pass, come via Thredbo on the Kosciuszko trail, or for the really masochistic, walk the Hannel’s Spur track from Geehi, which is the original way that Strzelecki discovered Mt. Kosciuszko.
Whatever the name, this is a superb day walk, with a little adventure thrown in, either with the rock scramble to the summit, or the chance of inclement alpine weather.
Mount Townsend - Click on an image for full resolution
