Mt Twynam. At 2,196m it's the 3rd highest mountain in Australia. From my base at Guthega, it's about an 8 or 9km hike, although it looks a lot further away than that. Twynam is my nemesis mountain. Prior to this year, I'd attempted to make it to the top 3 times (always on skis) and each time I was turned back because of horrible weather or exhaustion after contending with sheet ice for most of the way up. After over a week of perfect summer weather, I was determined that this time would be different - I would make it to Twynam and see Blue Lake (the largest glacial lake on the Australian mainland) which was starting to develop something of a mythical quality in my mind as I was yet to see it. My Dad, my brother, Harry, and my friend, Mira, made the trip up from Canberra to come out to Twynam with me. We'd decided that the quickest way to get there would be to go from Charlotte Pass, so we met there at 9am to be met with...cloud. Damp, cold, cloud and no sign of any grasshoppers. Nevertheless, we were optimistic that the cloud would clear and it would turn into a beautiful day so we set off. We made it to the Blue Lake lookout but could barely see 5m in front of us so, once again, I was left without a glimpse of the Lake. I was now convinced that it was all a conspiracy and the lake didn't really exist. The cloud showed no sign of lifting so we begrudgingly turned back and, after a short detour to check out what appeared to be a pizza oven in the middle of the Snowy River valley, we returned to the cars and drove around to Guthega. That evening, another friend, Martina, came up from Canberra.
The following day dawned sunny, with clear skies and just a breath of wind to keep it from getting too hot. I couldn't imagine a more perfect day in the mountains or a better day to tackle Mt Twynam - for the 5th time. So the 5 of us set out. The first 2.5km of the walk is along a well-trodden track to Illawong lodge - a tiny ski lodge nestled in the shadow of Twynam, on the banks of the Snowy River. The first excitement of the day was when I nearly stepped on a large snake and for the next hour, every stick and piece of bark looked remarkably snake-like. The track takes you down to the Snowy River where you cross an awesome little suspension bridge and then it's up, up, up until you reach the summit. The track here is far less well-worn and we lost it a few times, but when you're walking through gorgeous alpine herbfield and grassland and you can see your destination, it doesn't matter so much if you can't find the track. Making a beeline for the top, we arrived just in time for lunch. The day remained perfectly clear and I got my first look at Blue Lake (ok, I admit, it does exist) and the spectacular views to the North/West of the main range. Amazing. We met a group who had walked up from Charlotte Pass but I felt a small sense of triumph that we'd walked the whole way up without seeing another soul, whereas they had walked with the crowds for most of the route. Despite being a little longer and a little rougher, I can highly recommend the route up from Guthega - the peacefulness on that side of the mountain is quite special.
On the way down it was back to business - checking for grasshoppers every 100m we went down and catching a few of the ones we saw. There weren't many though! The afternoon was pretty hot, as the breeze had disappeared so when we got back down to the Snowy, Mira and I couldn't resist the temptation of a quick dip. The water was beautiful and delightfully refreshing. Dripping wet, we made our way back the last 2.5km to Guthega, just as the sun was starting to sink. What a day!
**Track notes: From Guthega, follow the signs towards Illawong Lodge. The track is well-marked and well-worn and has recently had some fancy new stairs installed to get up the first (steep) hill. From Illawong, cross the Snowy River on the suspension bridge and follow the faint track the whole way to the top of Twynam. Don't worry, it's not as far away as it looks (although it's a good 650m-ish climb). If you lose the track, just aim for the top of Twynam and you can't go wrong. On the way down, it's not long before you can see the roof of Illawong Lodge, giving you a good point to aim for if you lose the track.
The following day dawned sunny, with clear skies and just a breath of wind to keep it from getting too hot. I couldn't imagine a more perfect day in the mountains or a better day to tackle Mt Twynam - for the 5th time. So the 5 of us set out. The first 2.5km of the walk is along a well-trodden track to Illawong lodge - a tiny ski lodge nestled in the shadow of Twynam, on the banks of the Snowy River. The first excitement of the day was when I nearly stepped on a large snake and for the next hour, every stick and piece of bark looked remarkably snake-like. The track takes you down to the Snowy River where you cross an awesome little suspension bridge and then it's up, up, up until you reach the summit. The track here is far less well-worn and we lost it a few times, but when you're walking through gorgeous alpine herbfield and grassland and you can see your destination, it doesn't matter so much if you can't find the track. Making a beeline for the top, we arrived just in time for lunch. The day remained perfectly clear and I got my first look at Blue Lake (ok, I admit, it does exist) and the spectacular views to the North/West of the main range. Amazing. We met a group who had walked up from Charlotte Pass but I felt a small sense of triumph that we'd walked the whole way up without seeing another soul, whereas they had walked with the crowds for most of the route. Despite being a little longer and a little rougher, I can highly recommend the route up from Guthega - the peacefulness on that side of the mountain is quite special.
On the way down it was back to business - checking for grasshoppers every 100m we went down and catching a few of the ones we saw. There weren't many though! The afternoon was pretty hot, as the breeze had disappeared so when we got back down to the Snowy, Mira and I couldn't resist the temptation of a quick dip. The water was beautiful and delightfully refreshing. Dripping wet, we made our way back the last 2.5km to Guthega, just as the sun was starting to sink. What a day!
**Track notes: From Guthega, follow the signs towards Illawong Lodge. The track is well-marked and well-worn and has recently had some fancy new stairs installed to get up the first (steep) hill. From Illawong, cross the Snowy River on the suspension bridge and follow the faint track the whole way to the top of Twynam. Don't worry, it's not as far away as it looks (although it's a good 650m-ish climb). If you lose the track, just aim for the top of Twynam and you can't go wrong. On the way down, it's not long before you can see the roof of Illawong Lodge, giving you a good point to aim for if you lose the track.