Again it was a bit dreary at Jindabyne this morning but the Kosciuszko webcam looked clear. We drove up to Charlotte Pass where the walk starts past all the ski infrastructure that just went on and on. This is also the only place you can legally ride your bike up almost the top of Kosciuszko. For some reason they stop you about 1.4km from the summit even though there is a perfectly good road all the way up to the top. Maybe this last bit gets very congested with people as three tracks meet at this point.

Ready to ride

Start of the Snowy

After quite a lot of stuffing around we had the bikes and backpacks ready and we were off. The road is a nice grade at around 4% I think it was to start with but a bit more higher up. A bit of water and as we found out quite a few snow drifts on the way up that required us to push our bikes. I was determined to get the bike all the way to the top track junction. The riding seemed energy sapping maybe due to the altitude or my ride yesterday arvo. Sharon was feeling it so it may have been the altitude.

Bikes at Seamans Hut

Pushing the bikes through the snow drifts was hard work. The last drift we came to on the bikes was just a bit too much and we had to lock them to a pole and continue on foot. It was disappointing not to get them all the way as we were only 600M short. We packed walking shoes and after a quick change we headed up the last part on foot. The snow drifts became longer to walk through and they were a bit soft making going tiresome.

#lovetheride

Highest point you can ride a bike in Australia

We got to the summit and there was a group of three and a couple. The couple had ridden cyclocross bikes up but abandoned them way before we did. I forgot to mention how warm it was. My Garmin was showing 22.8 degrees on the way up, glad we put some sunscreen on before we left. We were in short sleeves and shorts all day even on the summit.

What the top of Australia really looks like

Click for a larger image – looking NE from the summit

After a short while we were on top of Australia all by ourselves and we did not see another person till we decended. The views were just great today in all directions. Still quite a bit of snow on the northern views but not much out the other side.We found a Geocache and set off the Spot so we had something to remember the day other than all the photo’s we took.

Part of the last drift that stopped our ride

The trip down was fast and fun except for the impossible to ride in snow. The wheels would just bog down into it and you would stop dead. I had a brilliant idea that if went really really fast through one I could make it to the other side. That idea was brilliant powering through until I hit a hidden depression / drain and went straight over the handlebars, at least it was a soft face plant into the snow. Sharon had the GoPro on but I have not checked the footage to see if she captured it yet.

Unusual problem – bogged up with snow

We still got pretty sunburnt today it was just one of those days. Back at the car and we helped some foreign tourists get their Britz camper going again after they left the lights on all day and it had a flat battery. We are still in the Kosciuszko park camped tonight at the Diggings Campground. Leaving Kosciuszko national park tomorrow before we need to pay another $16 per day entry fee.

Diggings Campground

Eggs and Bacon – YUM