How to define the 2000 metre peaks

[Mark F]

I am planning a 6 or 7 day trip to "do" all the 2,000 metre peaks weather permitting - a list of about 16-20 peaks. This will be a loop from Guthega PS, Gungartan, Jagungal, Rolling Grounds, Main Range, Ramshead Range, Perisher and Guthega. As I peruse other peoples lists I realised that deciding on which peaks to include is not a straight forward as one imagines. Reading the 1:25k sheets there is a possible 10 metre vertical error and if you work on WGS84 2,000m is 1,983m in AHD so should I try to pick up any peaks above 1,980m? Most of the peaks that fall within this slightly lower cut off are already walked past/over. The main additional peak would be Dicky Cooper Bogong (variously attributed a height of 1972, 1980, 1985 and 2,004m). I have set a prominence limit of 50-60 metres to avoid too many minor bumps.

WWhat would you do?

[Wollemi]

How did the other lister's define the 'rules'?
May I suggest not to be so pedantic?
What would the guru Andrew Lock have done?

I may have thought it easy to simply go off the 1:50 000 Mount Kosciusko (sic) (Field Revised in year 1980) and Khancoban 1:50 000, and then walk to those peaks, inclusive of that attractively depicted un-named thing 2km ESE of Lake Cootapatamba.
You have set yourself a challenge indeed; there are at least 14 knolls depicted above 2000m on Kangaroo Ridge alone, but these could be done with a day-pack.

For me, it would not matter if I missed few - surely to view an untouched hill from a distance is better for the soul than to stand on Mt Perisher (~2040m) + Back Perisher (~2010m) in Autumn, and view down to many barren ski runs.

This is a great post - you have me thinking of doing this, but on XC skis, and over a couple of years.

[Mark F]

Virtually all the route is really straight forward as far as the peaks go apart from the decision whether to include Dicky Cooper Bogong. I most probably will as I have never been out to it but I have been to every other peak except South Rams Head. With so many little bumps you really need to set a rule about a minimum height you need to ascend to count a bump as a summit. This measure is used in most classification systems around the world (eg Scottish Corbetts but not Munros) - about 50-60 metres seems to be about right - this eliminates about 9 named peaks from my list of 30. If you applied the 152.4m prominence measure used for the Scottish Corbetts you would only have 6 peaks left in the list.

Including Perisher and Back Perisher, while scenically challenged, does fit nicely into the route heading back to Guthega PS and I don't believe I could really claim to have done all the 2K peaks if I left them out. From Mt Stilwell at the end of Kangaroo Ridge drop into Charlotte Pass and 5 km along the road head up Perisher. Then Back Perisher pick up ski lift service tracks and then 3 km back to the car. This saves walking down the tarmac throught that summer wasteland of Perisher Valley. Not a bad loop with only 8km of road and the only major double back is to Gungartin from Jagungal but that is easily turned into a loop.

[Mark F]

After a lot of map gazing I have a list of 32 points I want to cover on the trip. A few are not quite at 2k (all over 1,970m) but so close in elevation and nearness to the route that missing them would be pointless.
My plan is Day 1 - Guthega Power Station up the Disappointment Spur track to 1620m and then onto the crest of Disappointment Spur up to Gungartan (Has anybody done this recently?) and through to Mawsons.
Day 2 is a day walk to Jagungal via Big Brassy (1970m)
Day 3 Kerries - Schlink Pass - Dicky Cooper Bogong - Granite Peaks - Consett Stephen Pass and camp around there or Mount Tate.
Day 4 Main Range to Wilkinson Creek with side trips to Little Twynam, Mt Clarke, Townsend, Abbott Peak and Alice Rawson.
Day 5 Kosciuszko - Etheridge - Rams Head North - Rams Head - side trip to Rams Head South (may do the Rams Heads without a pack) - and along the Rams Head range to Mt Stilwell, camping at Betts Creek.
Day 6 The Paralyser (1980m, saves 2km of road) - Perisher - Back Perisher and down to Guthega.

I will need to be lucky with the weather but will have a couple of extra days up my sleeve if needed. Any thoughts on the length/difficulty of the each day?

[north-north-west]

Do Dicky Coopers. The view towards the Geehi Valley from the rocks just below the summit is stunning. And it's a lovely walk, up the ridge from the creek valley - never mind Schlink Gap, go from the Hilton, or even further down. Much more pleasant.

From Disappointment Hut to Gungartan is easy enough, open leads all the way to the crest of the spur.

[Mark F]

I just picked up a new version of the Geehi Dam sheet. It is called an Auto-Generated Series - October 2011. On it Dicky Cooper Bong is elevated to 2003 metres from it's previous sub 2000 status. Other heights I checked are the same as previous.