Hannels Spur Track - NSW

Alternative hiking track to summit of Mt Kosciusko.Mt Kosciuszko is Australia’s Highest Peak at 2,228m (7,310ft). It is small by international standards and more of a plateau when you get there, but it enjoys a full panoramic 360° view across the stunning Australian alps. If you want a challenge, try accessing it via Hannels Spur ascending 1800mtrs in 8kms from the Western Fall region of the Great Dividing Range.Grade 5: Suitable for fit hikers with good navigational skills. 1800m ascent of Hannels Spur over 8kms is not to be underestimated.From Geehi Campground you start with a wade through Geehi River to resume Hannels Spur Track on the other side. The river can be thigh high and fast flowing in wet seasons, so please take care crossing. Afterwards follow a 4WD trail to the first Hannels Spur wooden signpost where the track narrows winding its way steeply through dry sclerophyll forest. Stringybark, broad-leaf and narrow-leaf Peppermint trees are plentiful below 1100mtrs, Mountain Gum and Alpine Ash prevail in the 1100-1400mtr zone and stunted Snow Gum, mostly petrified from past bushfires, appear at the 1400-1800mtr mark. Reflective orange markers have been placed above head height on tree trunks to mark the way. The track is marked on EOTopo offline maps which slso feature 10m contours so use the ExplorOz Traveller app in your phone for backup.After leaving the tree line around the 1800mtr mark, you enter the Alpine Tract, a typical feldmark terrain of wide expanses of dwarf shrubs, herbs, lichens, and bogs. The track is hidden beneath these low-lying shrubs and requires great concentration to avoid rolling your ankle as you navigate your way across bogs and rivulet water courses. Once you reach the Main Range Track, it becomes easier with well-established landscaped dirt and granite stoned tracks. From the Kosciuszko Summit Walk junction with Main Range Track, you follow a metal walkway to Thredbo Top Station to catch the Kosciuszko Express Chairlift from Eagle’s Nest to Thredbo Village.