Snowy Mountains

Last weekend we were suppose to be heading up to the Snowy Mountain’s for a weekend away and doing a hike. Well normal everyday life got in the way ( as it often does) and we could not leave until Saturday lunch time. We decided to go even though it would mean driving down Saturday afternoon hiking Sunday and driving back Sunday.  It was important for us (well me) that I did a hike in some cold temperatures. I have been working on my cardio and stamina and wanted to see how I had improved in a hike environment.

Mt Kosciusko Summit walk is the walk we took on. The Snowy’s are a 5 hour drive from Sydney. Mt Kosciusko is in the national park in the Snowy Mountains. We decided to stay in Jindabyne as it is only a 40 min drive to the start of the hike. I had a look online at hotels and because it was not Ski season yet we got a great deal at the Jindy Inn. Once we arrived in Jindabyne we got a quick bite to eat at the Mt Kosciusko brewery before heading to the hotel.

Jindy Inn had great reviews and a great price which made it a pretty easy decision. When you pull up to the Inn it looks very plain from the outside and a little dated. Once inside you feel like you are in a boutique local hotel. The reception is full of local art, candles and flowers. It really is a welcoming reception area, the community feel with locals business products is a great touch to the Inn. We had a triple room with a garden view. Didn’t make much use of the balcony with it being 4 degrees when we arrived but it looked lovely. I can imagine in warmer weather its a nice spot to catch some sun. The room was very clean, modern and full of local touches which again gave you a boutique feel. The pillows of the local animals on the bed to the great quality lotion and soap in the bathroom gave the room a swanky yet homely feel. There is a bar and dinning area downstairs with a fire place. We only used the dining room for breakfast the next day. Breakfast we included in the price and it was toast and cereal. It filled us up for the big day ahead. It was cosy and had again the modern mix with a community feel. There was beautiful art work on the walls and the staff were friendly offering tips and advice about the local area.  After a short but pleasant stay we left to head into the national park. It cost $17 for a day pass which can be purchased on the way in.

The drive was beautiful twisting around the mountain landscapes and past the empty Ski resorts. Snow was on top of the mountains and as we got higher the temperature got lower. Once we had arrived at Charlottes Pass and rugged up we were off. I decided I wanted to carry the bag for practice. The first 6KM of the walk is flat and the back drop of the mountain’s is incredible. There is lots of mountain springs lining footpath and small patches of snow. When the track started to wind up around the mountain the snow got a bit worse on the ground. There is a hut up the mountain for day use and emergency night use. Inside the hut was a fire place, chopped up wood and benches around the edge of the room. Following the path up and round the snow had stretched and covered the path we were forced to walk on the grassy edge. I am not good with heights if I feel I can fall ( my dad and myself both have the same fear). I was okay walking on the grassy edge as it was wide and it wasn’t a steep drop. Then we reached a part where the snow had covered the whole path and built up creating a mound of snow which trailed off the edge. MK climbed over it and did try his best to persuade me to climb over. I had already freaked and did not like the fact I if I slipped on the snow I was rolling down the hill…even with MK offering to jump off and slide down with me if I fell. I decided to not go on. I was extremely gutted as I only had 1KM to do and felt good fitness wise. Passing the bag to MK I walked back down to the hut and waited for MK there. The clouds rolled in fast around the top and unfortunately when MK got to the top there was not much view just grey sky. After MK returned from the summit we headed back down the mountain. In total I walked 16KM and MK did 18km it took us 4 1/2 hours to get back to the car. I think the drive home could have been the toughest bit. Both of us where tired but we split the driving and powered through returning back to Sydney for 8PM.

Despite our weekend being cut short we made the most of it. It was a great feeling to be walking in the cold battling the elements. We both felt like we were back home surrounded by mountains and snow. If skiing is not your thing there is still lot to see up in this area. This week we pushed through ache legs on Monday and kept up with the exercise because that will be our reality in Nepal. I also want to do more hikes and work on my balance and strength so I feel more in control of my fear when it comes to heights.

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