2010 - Kosciuszko Main Range Debacle 1

In 2010 we decided to go to the Main Range in NSW. We were planning on doing some serious peak bagging, however things did not go as planned and be had to  abort.

 The Kossie Main Range trip was one that had been on the agenda for a number of years and was to be a peak bagging exercise. Basically criss-crossing the main range starting from Blue Cow and making our way back to Perisher via Tate, Anton, Twynam, Blue Lake, Caruthers, Lake Albina,  Mt Kosciusko, Raswon's Pass, Lake Cootapatamba, Raswon's Pass, Charlotte's Pass and back to Perisher. A fine plan and vision - however one that was to remain elusive on this trip.

We all met a Greg Bain's place Friday evening with the plan to drive to Benalla via Seymore. Seymore was for a quick bite to eat at La Porcetta. An easy night and putting us well on our way to Cooma which was to be our second night's stop. There were four of us on this trip - JayBee, Mr Bean, Pierre and Chis. Nice sized party. A couple of beers at the Leisure Park in Benalla before an early night for a longer drive tomorrow.

Up early next morning with a quick breakfast and we were on our way to Cooma to find accommodation at the luxurious Snowtels was not quite what we expected. We drove via Wodonga, Corryong, Jindabyne to Cooma. Along the was we stopped to take in some of the scenery, the old train line around lake Hume, the massive pipes that formed part of the Snowy Hydro system and up into the snow before descending down to Jindabyne. A pretty pleasant drive, but we got a bit of a sense of what it might be like on the high plain as we looked over some cloud cloaked mountains.

The accommodation at the Snowtels was pretty ordinary - something out of the 30s that looked like an old workers camp with bunk rooms, outside toilet block. It was a single night and we were tired so it was bearable.

Up again early in the morning to make the drive to the Ski Tube up from Jindabyne on onto the train. Last minute preparations, packing, checking equipment, filling shellite bottles etc etc. We arrived to an okay sort of day and eventually boarded the train to Blue Cow. A neat way to transport people up and down the mountain.