Mt Kosciuszko begining of July.

[Mrek]

Hi Guys,

Coming winter i am going back to Poland and before that want to go to Mt Kosciuszko. I plan to go on beginning of July for 3-4 days.

I have not been there and place is unknown for me. Will have a car to get there. I am wondering if you could suggest any camp-place which could be the hub of my day walks near Mt Kosciuszko? I prefer to stay in the bush and not to close to the road.

And also I'm just wondering how visible the track will be, and how well sign posted it is? What is the snow fall like? Are there any forms of emergency accommodation in that area(like shelters)?

Cheers,
Kamil

[ryantmalone]

Hi Guys,

Coming winter i am going back to Poland and before that want to go to Mt Kosciuszko. I plan to go on beginning of July for 3-4 days.

I have not been there and place is unknown for me. Will have a car to get there. I am wondering if you could suggest any camp-place which could be the hub of my day walks near Mt Kosciuszko? I prefer to stay in the bush and not to close to the road.

And also I'm just wondering how visible the track will be, and how well sign posted it is? What is the snow fall like? Are there any forms of emergency accommodation in that area(like shelters)?

Cheers,
Kamil

I've never been there in Winter, however I can tell you that snow cover is extensive, and "day walks" as such, not a real good way of putting it. Probably looking more at cross country skiing, overnighters, and so on.

Its not really the type of place in Winter where you can go on the odd leisurely day walk.

As for the track being visible, no track will be visible, as it will be under at least a meter or more of snow, and it's common that there is very low visibility as well.

People die in this area in Winter if they are unprepared. There is a shelter near Rawsons Pass, Seamans Hut, and there is Cootapatamba Hut as well, however being the only two in the area, you're going to want to make sure that if you're heading into this area in Winter, that you have no need to rely on these emergency shelters, and that can only be done by being 100% best equipped as possible.

I'm sure there are more people here who venture into the Snowies in Winter who can help, but that's probably the best I can give at this point.

[Solohike74]

There are 2 businesses in Jindabyne that hire four season tents, backpacker, stoves, sleeping bags, sleeping pads & snowshoes. Snowshoes & poles will be essential or your feet will sink all the time.

You must go out with a topographic map, compass & know how to use them. A plb is needed to.save your life if it gets pear-shaped.

You could get into danger if you go out not prepared. I mean, life-threatening danger.

Waterproof pants & jacket are essential to be carried if not put on, no matter the weather. Not ski ones as the padding will make you too hot when on the move.

If you buy a topographic map either the 1:50,000 Kosciuszko by rooftop or the equivalent 1:25000 ones you'll fund the track locations & good offtrack approaches for competent navigators. Another option is taking lift to top at Thredbo with backpack & snowshoes & heading out from there.

[Peaksnik]

Mrek, as others have said, this is not to be taken lightly. Reinforcing that message, a Canadian tourist attempting Mt Kosciuszko is currently missing and the subject of searches:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-20/canadian-bushwalker-missing-in-snowy-mountains/4700990

[Bluegum Mic]

Kosciuszko at that time of year will often be under a reasonable amount of snow as others have said. July and August in the main range are also the most unstable for winter storms so tent bound for days on end and significant snowfalls are not uncommon. Another issue Ive seen quite a few times is people have lost site of the orange snow pole markers from thredbo to kosi when the weather sets in (as a few are missing). In poor visibility its very easy to become disoriented without sound map n compass skills/gps (assuming you can get a reading under the thick cloud). A fair few who like to ski tour tend to prefer the spring conditions of sept/oct when the weather "behaves" itself a little better.
Wilderness sports in jindy do offer tours for skiing and snowshoeing including trips up to kosi so perhaps it might be best to go with one of them if your inexperienced (apologies if we've assumed incorrectly).
Heres a link to show the current conditions (including a pic of kosi) from the other day. This was only 30-50 odd cm at best (and there was no snow on the ground prior)
http://www.ciau.com.au/snow/rrr.asp

[Solohike74]

Huts are also called emergency shelters. Routers are expected to carry a tent, proper clothing & bedding if its likely that there'll be an overnight stop. Wood supplies in huts aren't to be burnt for fun, they're only to be used in case of emergency warmth being needed.

You can do short snowshoe walks on trails near Perisher-make sure to follow the signs and don't step on the ski part of the trail.

[Mrek]

Thanks so far for all your suggestions. Im slowly creating an image in my head. With this amount of snow i may do skiing will let you know after my trip how did it go and some details/tips from trip.

Cheers
Kamil