Hike overview
Commencing near Geehi Flat on the Alpine Way, the sign at the start of the Hannels Spur Track indicates the length is 15.5km. Hiking this distance will see you standing on the summit of Mount Kosciuszko. The views from Australia's highest peak are breathtaking but this is certainly not the end point of your journey. It is for this reason that the hike detailed below continue to an actual end point at Thredbo alpine village.
The Hannels Spur Track is unique in offering the greatest elevation gain (1800m) of any single hike in Australia. It takes in the entire western fall of the Snowy Mountains, climbing through the full range of vegetation from heavily forested slopes above the Geehi and Swampy Plain Rivers to sub-alpine and alpine tracts on the top of the Main Range.
The trail is also historic in following the spur ascended by Polish explorer Paul Strzelecki, James McArthur and two Aboriginal guides when Strzelecki became the first European to ascend, and to name, Mount Kosciuszko in 1840.
Before the 2003 fires, it served as a favourite training ground for Australian mountaineers, including members of expeditions to the Himalayas due to the hikes’s extremely challenging climb through remote wilderness, where navigational skills and bushwalking experience are essential. The renowned Hannels Spur walking track on the western side of the Snowy Mountains is once again accessible for experienced bushwalkers following maintenance work by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) staff and a group of dedicated volunteer walkers in 2018.
Image courtesy of the Office of Environment and Heritage NSW.
Although the trail is now clear all the way to the top of the spur itself, it is recommended for experienced hikers/trail runners and navigation skills are still required. After the 1350m ascent (approx.) from the base to Byatts Camp, hikers need to follow 3-4km of uncleared footpad through alpine heath above the tree line. This part of the trail – south from Byatts Camp and then east around Abbott Ridge to Wilkinson Creek valley before intersecting with a well-made path between Mueller Peak and Mount Kosciuszko – is marked by occasional stone cairns, but needs to be followed carefully and hikers need to be well-prepared for rapidly-changing and severe weather on the main range. A map and compass and/or GPS, an emergency locator beacon (mobile reception is not always possible), good clothing and emergency bivvy gear are required.
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Gear to consider
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Acknowledgement of Country
Trail Hiking Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we hike and pay respects to their Elders, past and present, and we acknowledge the First Nations people of other communities who may be here today.
