The highest point of continental Australia is Mt Kosciuszko, 2228m above sea level. Not a particularly impressive altitude, but still it makes the peak part of the Crown of the Earth. I had an opportunity to climb the mountain back in March 2020, just before the COVID-19 outbreak and resulting lockdown.
First things first, the name sounds a bit outlandish (and it is not pronounced the way an English reader would read it - hear pronunciation of 'Kosciuszko'). The mountain's name is by no means Aboriginal - it has been named by Sir Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, a Polish explorer who in the XIX century was the first person to accurately measure the peak's altitude. The Royal Geographic Society (back then Australia was part of the British crown) rewarded him with a right to name the mountain. Sir Strzelecki chose "Kościuszko", as the mountain top resembled a low artificial hillock built in Kraków, Poland in commemoration of general Tadeusz Kościuszko, a hero of both the American War of Independence and Poland's last struggle to remain independent in the XVIII century.
To get to Mt Kosciuszko by public means of transport outside of skiing season, is virtually impossible. From Canberra there's only one bus, which arrives to Jindabyne mid-afternoon and is not connected with any bus going to Thredbo, a ski resort at the foothills of the mountain. I reached Thredbo by hiring a private ride.
Constrained by time (my driver waiting for me), I chose the chairlift to get up to 1930m. Interestingly, I was the only person... without a bike. Mt Kosciuszko is famous for its mountain bike routes, with Cannonball being the toughest.
From the end station of the chairlift I walked 6,5km to the summit and then back. I said "walked", as "hiked" would be an overstatement. There's a metal footpath almost all the way up, except the last 500m or so, where it is replaced by trail made of neatly placed stones. The path is accessible and anyone (except folks on high heels...) can easily make it all the way to the top.
It was March, end of Australian summer, so the air was pretty crisp even though the day was sunny. Perfect viewing conditions with skies unobstructed by even a single cloud.
The trail goes gently up (300m over 6,5km) and so the hike is not tiring at all. A pleasant stroll, I'd say. The trail goes by picturesque lake Cootapatamba and Rawson pass. Even though we are now at over 2000m, the landscape resembles more the rolling hills of Scotland rather than rocky Alps. Everything is welcoming and smoothed. Vegetation in the form of grass and low shrubs continues almost all the way to the top.
The summit is marked by stones and a plaque. Hikers on the top are treated to superb views of surrounding mountains. There's not a single sign of human intervention - we do not see any villages, roads, electricity lines etc. Nothing human made - just pure nature.
Photos taken, I tried to teach a couple of people how to pronounce the name of the mountain. Without much success, I have to admit :-)
I went down to meet my driver and we drove back to Canberra. We stopped in Jindabyne, to pay honor to sir Strzelecki, a great explorer, who mapped huge parts of Australia's interior and designed rail passage from Sydney west, cutting thru Blue Mountains. The rail line eventually ends in Perth.
PS. Originally posted on my personal blog in Polish, then reposted on Publish0x in English - all content and photos are mine.
