Hiking

Australia: Summiting Mt Kosciuszko, The Hard Way – Hannels Spur

Published April 2021 by Trevor. Updated May 2021.

Introduction

Having hiked up Mt Kosciuszko the easy way, we decided we were up for a new challenge. Climbing it the hard way via Hannels Spur, carrying a full 16kg pack.

Start point of the Hannels Spur track (photo: Zac Zaharias)

We had first heard of Hannels Spur when we tackled Australia’s Ten Highest Peaks late last year. Hannels Spur track is historically significant. It follows the route taken by Polish explorer Paul Strzelecki, James McArthur and two Aboriginal guides when Strzelecki became the first European to ascend (and to name) Mt Kosciuszko in 1840.

At Geehi Flat with Hannels Spur in background (photo: Zac Zaharias)

Tackling the single biggest vertical ascent in Australia, climbing 1,800 metres to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko (2,228m) from Geehi Flats, is not for the faint hearted.

Going with guide, great friend and Australian mountaineer Zac Zaharias from Peak Learning, up we went, learning more about the history of Hannels Spur along the way.

The three hardy hikers! (photo: K7 Adventures)

It’s possible to do this this trip over two days. We decided to take three days with an additional camp in the beautiful Wilkinson Valley. This also included a side trip to the summit of Mt Townsend (2,209m), Australia’s second highest peak. We could have easily spent more days camping out in this magical place.

Day 1 Geehi to Moira’s Flat – 6.5km

After the short crossing off Swampy Plain river to Forbes Hut, we regrouped to put our boots and gaiters on and hit the trail. The trail head is clearly marked with a National Parks sign after a few hundred metres located across a grassy field. Then the uphill hiking begins – no respite for some 1,100m!

River crossing at Geehi Flat (photo: Zac Zaharias)

The trail is well maintained, with a few fallen trees to get over, but most with steps cut in to assist.

Along the way, there are huge old trees, with adequate tree cover providing shade on the majority of the ascent.

View back to Moiras Flat — View back to Moira’s Flat

I’m always a firm believer that some of the best views are always behind you – and this day didn’t disappoint.

After some 5 hours including a much earned lunch stop, we arrived into the small camp site. All in time to light a fire, pitch a tent and look for water before sun set.

Campsite at Moira's Flat — Campsite at Moira’s Flat

Day 2 Moira’s Flat to Wilkinson’s Valley – 7km

Waking up to a cloudy day, we hiked up for another 2kms. The bush was thick in some places, with some narrow and steep sections on the track. After around an hour we reached Byatt’s camp and above the tree line. If you found Moira’s Flat camping site too busy, this camp site is another option.

Hannels Spur - the relentless uphill — Hiking Hannels Spur – the relentless uphill

The day became somewhat easier, picking our way through the rocky moraine. Having a guide with us certainly helped along with hearing more mountaineering stories and learning more about Hannels Spur.

Summit of Mt Townsend (photo: Zac Zaharias)

After setting up camp again and replenishing our water supply, we set off to climb Mt Townsend. This was a 4km round trip to Australia’s second highest peak. There is a short rock scramble to the top. From the summit we had 360 degree views from Mt Jagungal in the North, to Mt Kosciuszko and Rams Head in the South East.

Back in camp, we witnessed an amazing sunset and the full moon rising – appearing almost at the same time.

There were a few other campers out and about but we did manage to find a secluded spot.

Campsite at Wilkinsons Valley (photo: Zac Zaharias)

Day 3 Wilkinson’s Valley to Mt Kosciuszko (2,228m), down to Thredbo – 12.6km

The start to the day was cold. We waited for the sun to hit our tent and add some warmth. After a hearty breakfast (well, freeze dried) we set off to tackle Mt Kosciusko, Australia’s highest mountain at 2,228m.

Walking out of Wilkinson’s valley via Mueller’s Pass, traversing through heath and alpine grasses made for an easy last day.

Mt Kosciuszko Summit (photo: Zac Zaharias)

Upon tagging the summit, it was an easy descent back down to Eagle’s Nest in time to catch the chairlift down to Thredbo Village.

The Hannels Spur traverse up and down to Thredbo, via a few mountains, is easily one of the most spectacular hikes in Australia. It takes in a huge variety of terrain and breathtaking views on a challenging trail. Zac reminded us that Australian mountaineers training for the Himalayas will do this in a day. Hmmmm, maybe next time!

Onwards and upwards!

Trevor

Insights – Hannels Spur

Strzelecki Monument in Jindabyne, pointing towards Mt Kosciuszko

Strzelecki named Mt Kosciuszko in honour of Tadeusz Kosciuszko, one of the national heroes of Poland.
Check the weather forecast before venturing into Alpine or mountainous areas.
Suggested gear list for hiking in summer

Dr Forbes Hut — Doctor Forbes Hut, at Geehi Flat

Water is available from streams along the way. Note, there is no water available after Doctor Forbes Hut until you reach Moira’s Flat.
You will need to organise transport from Thredbo or Jindabyne to Geehi Flats.
Also check out K7 Adventures for additional adventures in the Kosciuszko National Park.
Read more of our posts about adventures in the Kosciuszko region here.

Australia’s Ten Highest Peaks

Published December 2020 by Trevor. Updated September 2021.

Background

Before we had signed up to the AHF Ten Peak Challenge – to trek to Australia’s ten highest peaks – we didn’t even know if it was going ahead. With COVID restrictions and the never ending threat of more cases, we were hoping that everything was going to be all good. As it turns out, we should have been praying to the weather gods – more on that later.

A few months before, training had begun in earnest. This involved many hours out on the trails around Sydney, early mornings and lots of steps – up and down.

Being a keen weather observer, the impending forecast looked interesting! Sunny for the first day turning later into a thunderstorm, with high winds for the next two days. Coupled with further rain and snow and a high wind chill thrown in for good measure, it was certainly going to be a challenge – the Ten Peaks Challenge! Welcome to the Australian Alpine environment located in Kosciuszko National Park, NSW.

So, with gear sorted, a packed lunch, lots of snacks and a great bunch of people along with Zac Zaharias as our guide and his team from Peak Learning, it was time to head out. The plan was to tackle all of Australia’s ten highest peaks over 4 days. Ten peaks covering some 65km over varied terrain – all in support of the Australian Himalayan Foundation (AHF).

Day 1- The Calm before the Storm

The group of 18 hardy souls, plus guides, began in a very jovial manner. Being amongst mountaineers piqued our interest further. The excitement was building.

The plan. Day 1 – tackle some 18km and hike out to two of the Ten Peaks from Charlotte Pass. Mt Twynam (2,195m) and Carruthers Peak (2,145m).

As we discovered later, this was just a mere warm up for what was yet to come. Starting in sunshine, we could see the change in the weather approaching from the North West. And, with dark clouds descending towards the end of a long day, the heavens opened up and it got progressively worse. With the wind picking up and looking like drowned rats, it was starting to get cold. Then, we saw some runners clawing their way to finishing the ‘Coast to Kosci’ – an ultramarathon covering 240km. We looked at their dishevelled figures. Realising we had a nice place to stay for the night with a comfortable bed, great food and a hot shower, suddenly lulled us out of our senses and the good banter started up again.

Walking in cold conditions — Getting colder!

Day 2 – Getting Cold

After a good night’s sleep and feeling full from the several helpings of food (bank those calories), we took one look out the window and the weather forecast. Suffice to say, it was an ‘oh hum’ moment with a few people exclaiming “we’re not going out in that”. Oh yes, we are! After all, we signed up for this. And hey, what’s a bit of wind chill to deter you from going outside. Hmmm. How about a wind temperature of -15deg celsius with wind gusts forecast to get up to 80km/h up at the top. So, adopting the one step forward, two steps back approach, off we all plodded slipping and sliding as we went. Now, at this point I did stop and ponder. If there were any Antarctic penguins out here, they wouldn’t have looked out of place. And this is Australia in summer!!

Rocky outcrop — Interesting rock formations around Rams Head

After some hours heading cross country, we managed to scramble up another two peaks. Rams Head (2,190m) and Rams Head North (2,177m). We had previously ascended Rams Head North back in August during a winter skills course, though with lots more snow around but little wind.

After day 2, four out of the ten peaks were ticked off. “We’re on a roll”, I thought. “We’ll easily knock off the other six peaks over the next 2 days”. As we headed back down to Thredbo on the chairlift, the conditions to come weren’t looking great. As you might suspect by now, the topic over dinner was the weather forecast. Will or won’t we head out and up tomorrow?

Day 3 – Colder and Snowy

Waking up to day 3, the group was feeling strong but somewhat apprehensive. Concern centred around the weather forecast – again!. Mainly, exposure to conditions bordering on hypothermia if we were to head out to Kosciuszko.

So with that, a decision was taken. Everyone nodded in unison. Scrapping our original plan, we decided to stay down low. Taking a leisurely 10km hike up and around and then descending the Dead Horse Gap trail. Finishing at the bottom, it suddenly dawned on us what that meant. On the last day, we would have to undertake the other 6 peaks. This would mean covering around 27km if we wanted to complete the Ten Peaks challenge. One step at a time I thought. Let’s worry about that tomorrow. Just relax and focus on today. Being met with a glass or two of schnapps at the end of the trail (thanks Grace) obviously helped clarify my thoughts! Now, why don’t we do that on a mountain – worth exploring further I think.

Snowgum — A beautiful snowgum tree – the colours change depending on the season

Later that night, we had a special dinner organised at a local restaurant. Zac regaled great stories of the challenges he and his team faced in their many Himalayan expeditions; Mike Edmondson showed off his lovely photography of Kosciuszko National Park and yours truly, presented the story on the AHF and the great work it does across the Himalayas.

Day 4 – The Big Day

Looking out the window and seeing snow falling in the village, my immediate thoughts turned to the day at hand. “It’s going to be tough going up top”, I said to myself. The wind had dropped though it was still going to be pretty cold out on the trail. Gearing up, we started our ascent up to Etheridge Ridge Peak (2,180m) and then onto Mt Kosciuszko (2,228m), the highest mountain in Australia.

Yes, I know Australia is relatively flat compared to, say, the Himalaya’s. One thing Australia can claim though, is that Kosciuszko is 440 million years old. Compare that to Mt Everest, which is only 60 million years old.

Judging by the amount of snow on the ground, we must have received something in the vicinity of a metre of the white stuff over night. Once we had all ascended Mt Kosciuszko, some of the group decided that they had reached their final summit for the day and turned around to head back down. The rest of us made a decision to carry on and head out back country and complete the other four peaks. At one stage, I must admit I had contemplated turning back myself. I’m so glad though, like the others, I found that inner strength inside of me and pushed on.

Descending Mt Kosciuszko on the Main Range Track

Cross Country

So peeling off from the main range trail, we again headed cross country through deep snow and native vegetation. We glimpsed wildflowers that were starting to bloom. But like us though, they had their heads neatly covered up from icy cold winds. Lucky for us, our guides led the way across ridges, rivers and streams picking out a trail wherever we could. When the clouds descended, it was somewhat trickier. On any long day, it’s important to stay focused, hydrate and eat. At that point, someone then yelled “chocolate”. Like seagulls on a beach, we all descended on the one thing keeping us going.

The final four peaks

One by one, we knocked off the other 4 peaks. First, Mt Townsend (2,209m) and the second highest. Next came Alice Rawson (2,160m). The last two were what is termed, the Abbott’s – Abbott Peak (2,159m) and Abbott Peak East (2,145m).

After high fives, it was time to turn around and head for home – some 14km away. Jumping over rivers, gullies, snow melt and with the sun setting, the alpine wilderness had thrown everything at us. At that stage, a random tree branch caught my boot and lulled me out of my false sense of security.

As Eagles Nest came into view, we summonsed up all the energy we had left. As the chairlift had closed for the day, we had no option but to walk another 4km in a zigzag route with a descent of some 600m. Winding our way back down the nature trail to Thredbo village, it was a welcome relief to finally reach the bottom.

After 13 hours and finishing up at 10:15pm, someone reminded me to rehydrate. With a beer in one hand, a red wine in the other and of course a glass of water, it was a hearty cheers. What a great way to celebrate a long day with like minded friends.

View west across Kosciuszko National Park

Thankyou’s and Goodbye’s

Firstly, special thanks must go out to Zac Zaharias and his team from Peak Learning for great logistics, daily motivation and belief in his ‘charges’. When presented with a challenge, you learn how to push on, persevere and achieve your ‘peak’, overcoming adversity.

Secondly, to the Australian Himalayan Foundation, of whom this Ten Peaks challenge was in aid of. Donations were greatly accepted – however big or small.

Lastly but not least, a special thank you to all of the great group of like minded adventurers and ‘peak baggers’ who signed up for the challenge. Without all of you, it wouldn’t have been as much fun.

In pondering our success, I leave you with one final thought. As Tenzing Norgay exclaimed to Sir Edmund Hillary when climbing Everest, “friends are as important as achievement, … teamwork is the one key to success and that selfishness only makes you small”.

Au revoir, until next time we meet up.

Onwards and upwards!

Trevor

P.S. Read more of our posts about adventures in the Kosciuszko region here.

Australia: Alpine Skills Course

Published October 2020 by Trevor. Updated June 2021.

Introduction

What do you get when you sign up with an accomplished mountaineer? And the first Australian and Commonwealth citizen to have climbed all 14 x 8000ers – without oxygen? Well, with Andrew Lock, you get the full gambit. There is nothing that this guy doesn’t know. We would trust him with our lives if it depended on it. So with that, we signed up with Andrew to undertake an essential alpine skills course.

Alpine Skills

The three day course is designed to teach you the necessary skills to enjoy Australia’s alpine regions, responsibly and safely. Coupled with an option of an ascent of Australia’s tallest peak, Mt Kosciuszko (2,228m).

A fascinating fact of Mt Kosciuszko. While it’s about one quarter of the size of Mt Everest at 8848m, Everest is only a baby. Everest at 60 million years old is younger than Kosciuszko, at 440 million years old!

Setting off from Thredbo in great conditions carrying a 18kg pack, we snow shoed up towards the main range located in the Snowy Mountains. We took turns to tow a pulk behind us which was loaded up with more of our camping gear.

The first thing you learn when you are exposed to alpine conditions, is to select your tent site carefully, having checked the prevailing wind direction. Followed then by protecting your site by building a snow wall to protect your tent from the elements. This proved very beneficial as we encountered some 70kmh winds which made for some interesting navigation skills in white out conditions.

Snow wall around tent — Carefully constructed snow walls!

Having hiked up Australia’s tallest peak, Mt Kosciuszko in summer, the alpine winter conditions encountered were naturally, very different. We managed to summit not only ‘Kosci’ (as we locals call it) but also two of Australia’s other tallest peaks in Rams Head North and Etheridge Ridge.

View of tents coming down from Rams Head North

A recent film made in conjunction with the North Face, titled ‘Western Faces‘ mentions that Australia’s alpine conditions are of a similar and challenging terrain as found in Chamonix, France, with lots of powder snow and steep terrain. Which just goes to prove, you don’t need to travel all the way overseas to encounter great snow conditions and to have fun.

Onwards and upwards!

Trevor

Insights

you can find this Essential Alpine Skills Course, along with others that Andrew provides, on his website.
Skills learnt on the course ranged from clothing and equipment selection, emergency shelters, snow craft, route selection, navigation, weather assessment, group management, hypothermia prevention and leave no trace skills and ethics.

Other useful skills learnt covered avalanche awareness. Despite Australia being relatively flat when compared to other countries, the alpine regions do encounter avalanches.

melting snow for water — Melting snow for water

Make sure you check various weather forecast sites before you set off – Bureau of Meteorology and Mountain Forecast.
Check out Andrew’s book ‘Summit 8000’ for more inspirational stories of Andrew’s 14 x 8,000er summits https://www.andrewlockadventures.com/.
Read more of our posts about adventures in the Kosciuszko region here.

Kosciuszko summit with Andrew Lock — On the summit of Kosciuszko with Andrew Lock – the inspiration for Project Base8000!

A well-earned Kosciuszko beer at the end!

Trekking Gear List

Published July 2020 by Emma. Updated February 2025.

Take the guesswork out of packing by using any of the trekking gear list options below.

Check out our Amazon store HERE. You can see trekking and travel items that we use or recommend, including gift ideas. As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

In this post:

Trekking Gear List

This comprehensive trekking gear list is designed for multi-day guided or supported treks where meals and accommodation are provided. For example the typical Everest Base Camp Trek. You can adjust as needed for single-day hikes or for >1 person.

It’s different from most other gear lists out there. Why? Because it calculates how much to take based on how long you’ll be trekking, and how long at high altitude.

Download the Trekking Gear List (Google Sheets)

Trekking Supplies Calculator

For a quick option to calculate basic trekking supplies like snacks, hygiene, pain relief, and hydration, meet Barry the TrekBot who’ll do it for you …

Summer Hiking Gear List

Download the Summer Hiking Gear List

Winter Hiking Gear List

Download the Winter Hiking Gear List

Tips for Packing

get your critical items first e.g.
- items that need to be worn in or tested out such as your backpack, boots, hiking socks, raincoat, trekking poles
- things that need to be done well in advance e.g. passport, visa, vaccinations, tickets, travel insurance
when flying, consider taking your hiking boots as carry-on luggage. That way if your luggage is lost or delayed at least you’ve got your worn-in boots with you. You can replace everything else.
spare batteries usually need to be packed in your carry-on as most airlines will not allow them in check-in luggage
weight limits – if you’re borrowing gear such as sleeping bags and down jackets from your trekking company, then don’t forget these will add a few extra kilos to your overall kit bag weight

How To Prepare For Your Trek

You can also read our page on how to prepare for your trek which covers gear, fitness and mental toughness. Also see our handy tools and calculators.

Happy trekking!

Disclaimer: These gear lists and calculators should be referenced as a general information source only and should be used solely at your own discretion, risk and liability. Please see our website terms of use for more detail.

New Zealand: Climbing Mt Taranaki

Published March 2020 by Trevor. Updated August 2021.

In this post:

Climbing up Mt Taranaki, a dormant volcano, is no walk in the park. So don’t let anyone tell you that getting up to the summit of Mt Taranaki (2,518m) is easy. From the Egmont National Park Visitors Centre, it’s a challenging climb of around 1,600m to the top.

Climbing Mt Taranaki — Above the clouds on the steep slope of Mt Taranaki

In perfect weather, we climbed up Mt Taranaki in mid February. To provide enough daylight hours to summit and get back down safely, we started around 6am in darkness. Then, descending back down, we reached the Visitors Centre around dusk. This day, there were quite a few people heading up so it was nice to have company, including my partner’s family and exchange students from Germany.

The Route

Starting from the Egmont Visitors Centre, the route is around 12.6km return. We allowed for at least 10-12 hours, though it took us around 14 hours in the end. My partner’s nephew, some 2m tall, bounded up and back much faster! We were equally impressed with my partner’s nearly-12 year old niece who summited, exclaiming at one point “I didn’t come all this way to give up now!”.

The Puffer track — Heading up “The Puffer”

North Egmont Visitors Centre (946m) to Tahurangi Lodge (1,492m)

This is approximately 4km, around 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

We took the Summit Track which starts on a boardwalk. Reaching a locked gate, we were able to enter through the turnstile. We continued up the steep and corrugated service road, known by locals as “The Puffer”. This took us to the privately owned Tahurangi Lodge, part of the Taranaki Alpine Club.

A public toilet is located 100m below the lodge. Note, this is the only available toilet on the way up to the summit.

Tahurangi Lodge to the summit (2,518m)

This section is 2.3km, around 3-4 hours. It is also the hardest part.

Passing the Tahurangi Lodge, the track continued upwards through a rocky valley. Orange poles showed where the route led all the way to the top. There were also helpful signposts at key points to help you decide whether it was safe to continue on.

Signpost leading up to the stairs, helpful for climbing Mt Taranaki — One of the useful yellow safety signposts at the bottom of the stairs

From the valley, a wooden staircase led us up to the next section – a steep scree slope! This where you practice the old ‘one step forward, two steps back routine’. Using trekking poles on this section definitely assisted us.

Coming up the scree slope — Coming up the long scree slope

Having congratulated ourselves on climbing the scree slope (2,134m), we were presented with the next challenge – the “Lizard”. This is 300m of steep rock which you scramble up to the crater’s entrance. We had to take special care at the top. The rock face narrows as you come around the corner and down into the crater.

Scrambling up the Lizard while climbing Mt Taranaki — Scrambling up the ‘Lizard’

The route then took you across the crater and the final short climb up to the summit. We had soft snow in the crater to navigate so in the end, it was comfortable to cross though I can imagine that would turn to ice very easily in bad weather.

Now, to come back down (you’re only half way)

Believe it or not, you’ve done the relative easy part. This is now where you have to refocus as many accidents or falls happen on the descent. We saw a few on the way down. Take your time and come down the Lizard on your backside if you have to. I did and managed to get down safely, though at the end, I did have a few holes in my trousers where I slid down.

Once you have descended the Lizard, you now need to navigate the scoria/scree. It’s much easier if you can find some deep stuff to dig your heels in and slide down. Some people prefer to just run down to keep momentum, but in any event do whatever you feel comfortable with. If you have hiking/trekking poles, use them.

View from a distance — View of Mt Taranaki from a distance

And just when you think it’s all over – guess what? You have to navigate the stairs and then the Puffer. At this stage, your legs are tired but your mind is willing. The end is in sight, but it seems to take a long time to get there.

In completing the climb, we are now deemed by the locals as ‘Taranaki hard core’! A big thanks to Richard and family for taking us up.

Onwards and upwards!

Trevor

Elevation Profile to the crater – one tough climb!

Insights – Climbing Mt Taranaki

Climbing Mt Taranaki is very challenging. Allow plenty of time and leave early.
Sturdy hiking boots are best, especially for descending the scree slope.
There is no water available on the track. We took around 3 litres each in a bladder and used it all up.

Looking across the crater — Looking back across the crater

If the weather deteriorates, turn back. Cloud can descend at any time making it difficult to see the route.
Above Tahurangi Lodge, numbered orange marker poles lead to the summit and give you an indication of how far you have to go as well as keep you on course. Count them on the way down – it’s fun.

Orange poles on the track to help while climbing Mt Taranaki — Orange poles on the track

Check the Egmont National Park weather forecast before you go.
You might also like to read our previous post on hiking one of the trails around Mt Taranaki and also Discover Your Perseverance.

The best time to climb Mt Taranaki is from February to mid-April when the slopes are bare of snow, though ice remains year round in the crater. And, don’t forget to sign the trip intentions book at the Egmont Visitors Centre.