Kosciuszko National Park. Charlotte’s Pass. The Main Range Track. One of the most iconic hikes in Australia. Our mate Aedan O’Donnell spent a couple of days there recently and captured the alpine dream.

Kosciuszko National Park’s Main Range Track is a classic Australian alpine walk. The 22km loop can be completed in a day but we planned to spend two nights out there to make the most of the spectacular views and various sidetracks.

 

Almost Alone In The Aussie Alps, Aedan O'Donnell, Charlotte's Pass, man, mountains, sunset

 

The weather for our trip was going to be varied. The day we set out was clear and still but there was a potential storm in the forecast. We decided to stick to the plan and hope for the best while being prepared to get a little bit wet.

We began the walk from Charlotte Pass to the Sentinel in the early afternoon. We arrived at the saddle with time to set up camp and watch the sunset over the western faces.

 

Almost Alone In The Aussie Alps, Aedan O'Donnell, Charlotte's Pass, ridges, mountain, grass, rocks

The next morning I woke to a moody sky. I walked from camp to a vantage point above Blue Lake and was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the sun before it rose above the clouds.

 

Almost Alone In The Aussie Alps, Aedan O'Donnell, Charlotte's Pass, sunrise, Blue Lake, mountains, sky

 

Our campsite on the saddle between Caruthers and the Sentinel. The weather was coming in but there was a chance of it clearing momentarily in the afternoon. With this in mind, we prepared to walk to our next campsite on Mt Townsend.

The walk from Caruthers to Mt Townsend was covered in cloud. Luckily the Main Range Track is very well defined. We could easily follow it towards Lake Albina and were treated to a glimpse of the stunning lake upon arrival.

 

Almost Alone In The Aussie Alps, Aedan O'Donnell, Charlotte's Pass, Blue Lake, mountains , fog, mist, grass

As the clouds rolled in and out, we diverted from the track to follow the ridge towards the top of Mt Townsend. We camped just below the peak and waited to see what would happen as the afternoon progressed. In anticipation of a break in the weather, we followed the GPS towards what we thought would be a good vantage point. 

 

Almost Alone In The Aussie Alps, Aedan O'Donnell, Charlotte's Pass, fog, mist, tent, mountains, man

It turned out that the break in the weather never came, the sun went down without so much as a glimmer. The night brought more rain than the forecast indicated. Our trusty little tent kept us warm and out of the wind as the rain battered on through the night. The next morning we woke to this dense fog.

We left Townsend and joined back up to the main track which led us over Kosciusko, we decided to take Rawson’s road to Seaman’s Hut and enjoy a little break from the weather.

 

Almost Alone In The Aussie Alps, Aedan O'Donnell, Charlotte's Pass, Seamna's Hut, mountain, grass, cloud, fog

 

The beautiful hut was built in 1929 to commemorate two skiers who died nearby the previous winter, from exposure.

The clouds that inundated us on the walk from Townsend to Seaman’s cleared on the other side of Etheridge allowing us to see some of the sights on the walk across the high alpine plateau back to Charlotte Pass.

Hiking in fair-weather is great, but it’s just as much fun getting out there when the weather is less than ideal. From a photography perspective, I feel that it’s almost more valuable to be in these environments during these conditions. I love placing myself in a position where the outcome is unpredictable and the results are more often than not, pleasantly surprising.