Mount Kosciuszko Itinerary

Destination: Kosciuszko National Park
Group size: Max 3 members ( First come first serve basis )
Date: 13 - 17 November 2007
Route: Thredbo Village - Rams Head North - Mt Kosciuszko - Mt Townsend - Mt Twynam -
Etheridge Ridge (via Charlotte Pass) - Thredbo Village
Distance: 38+ km (3 days)
Cost: 1. Melbourne to Yass Junc. (Countrylink train - $ 103 return)
2. Yass Junc. to Canberra (Transborders - $24 return)
3. Canberra to Thredbo ( Transborders - $103)
4. Thredbo YHA - $26 per night ( Thredbo YHA link)
5. Canberra YHA - $25 per night (Canberra YHA link)
6. Car rental 5 days - $339.56 ++ (Thrifty)

Note: I will continue to find cheaper alternatives until the 20th of October

Itinerary

A little bit of information on the trip, Mount Kosciuuszko is the tallest mountain there is in mainland Australia at 2228 m. Located in the Alpine region, the weather can be unpredictable and snow is known to fall even in summer. We will also be climbing the 2nd, 3rd and 6th tallest mountains in Australia. Below is the statistic:

NAME	HEIGHT (m)
Mount Kosciuszko	2228
Mount Townsend	2209
Mount Twynam	2195
Rams Head North	2177

What's that? That's right!! The plan is to tackle Australia's tallest mountains back-to-back. But here's the catch, Thredbo Village is situated at an elevation of about 1700m, which means there's about 500m in vertical distance to cover. However, I have to point out that the trip involves other mountains as well and a general standard of fitness is required in terms of weight carrying capabilities as well as being able to tolerate harsh environments (e.g. freezing nights).

One of the good things about camping in the Alpine park is that fires are allowed and we get to camp for free. In some areas (I'm not sure if this applies for where we are headed), campsites can be anywhere as long as the tent is out of sight from the main road.

Physical Capacity

1. Able to walk 12-15km a day
2. Able to carry 10-15kg across distances mentioned above

Climate

1. On average, max temperature in summer is 15 Celcius at above 2000m(Expect cold nights). In November its slightly cooler with a possibility of reaching zero point at night.
   
2. Frosts are common during spring

Schedule 1 ( public transport - Total trip cost at 280pp )

13 November 2007
7.45 am - Meet at Southern Cross Station
8.30 am - Depart for Yass Junction(Melbourne XPT)
4.01 pm - Arrive at Yass
4.20 pm - Transborder Bus (Route 980) pick up towards Canberra
5.22 pm - Arrive at Canberra and walk to YHA Canberra

14 November 2007
9.04 am - Depart YHA Canberra (Transborders)
12.20 pm - Arrive Thredbo Village
1.00 pm - Set of to Mt Kosciuszko

16 November 2007
1.00 pm - Depart Thredbo Village
4.15 pm - Arrive YHA Canberra (upon request)

17 November 2007
10.05 am - Depart for Yaas Junction
11.05 am - Arrive At Yaas Junction
11.29 am - Depart for Melbourne (Melbourne XPT)
6.55 pm - Arrive at Melbourne (Southern Cross Station)

Schedule 2 (Rent a car - 2 member at $222/3 member at $166 pp)
Note: This cost is not inclusive of petrol but i doubt it will be as expensive as using public transport. Also, if the group is 3 man/women team (must be politically correct), a bigger tent needs to be rented out. Also, using a car gives us much more flexibility but
the downside is that the driver will probably be exhausted from the 7-8 hour drive. So resting in Thredbo YHA is highly recommended.

13 November 2007
7.30 am - collect car from Thrifty
7.50 am - Depart to Thredbo Village
5.00 pm - Arrive at Thredbo YHA (and maybe some exploring later)

14 Novermber 2007
Leave for Mt Kosciuszko anytime

16 November 2007
Arrive at Thredbo and recuperate in Thredbo YHA

17 November 2007
Depart for Melbourne and return the car by 5.30 pm


For those interested, you know how to contact me.