Mount Kosciuszko is the highest point in Australia and I’ve wanted to cycle to the summit for the longest time. I had planned to join the inaugural Hunt Sydney to Summit event, but circumstances conspired against me to put pay to that scheme. While I still plan to tackle a longer ride to the summit, probably from Canberra, I decided to take the somewhat easier option and drive all the way up to Charlotte Pass in Kosciuszko National Park and cycle along the summit trail.
The Kosciuszko Summit Trail
Starting at Charlotte Pass, the summit trail is a walking and cycling trail that is around 18.6km long. Luckily you can cycle the majority of the trail, up to Rawson Pass, before completing the final section on foot. You can get a good sense of how busy the trail is by looking at how far down the road the cars are lined up! It should come as no surprise that the trail up to the summit is mostly trending up hill, but it’s only steep in a few short sections. During the second half of the trail you’ll pass the Historic Seamans Hut – an emergency shelter that is regularly called into action when the weather turns – which you should be prepared for at any time of year.
I cycled the trail in October and was blessed with a mostly sunny day, although there was a very cold wind at the summit and I was glad to have packed a puffer jacket in my hip-pack. After Seamans Hut, which is well worth a little sticky beak around, you continue climbing to Rawsons Pass. Here there are toilets and the trail from Charlotte Pass connects to the trail from Thredbo.
No Bikes at the Actual Summit
There are a few racks of bike parking at Rawsons Pass as there are no bikes allowed beyond this point, either to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko or down the trail to Thredbo. I didn’t bring a lock – assuming that no one hiking in the great outdoors is out there to steal a bike, but if you’re more safety conscious perhaps bring a lock with you.
From Rawson Pass, it’s just over a kilometre of hiking up to the summit.The trail is mostly gravel, with some very smooth sections. At the time I hiked the Kosciuszko Summit trail there was still some snow on the ground for a large section of the hike (and a small section on the bike near Seamans Hut) so you might want to think about wearing appropriate footwear. As I was on the bike I wasn’t so worried about getting wet feet in the snow as it takes less than an hour to roll back down the hill to the car park.
Mt Kosciuszko Summit
Once you’ve bagged the peak of Mount Kosciuszko and enjoyed the 360 degree views from the top, you’re left with a stroll back to Rawsons Pass before the easy matter of rolling back down the hill to the car park. Having done this ride (and hike) once, I’ll definitely be back with the family as it turns a long day of hiking into a relatively easy ride and hike that’ll take much less time.
Trail Notes – Mt Kosciuszko Summit Hike and Bike
- Distance: 18.6km return
- Duration: 2.5hours return
- Location: The Summit Trail starts and finishes at Charlotte Pass, in Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
