Australian Alps Walking Track UPDATE 2018

Aim

The purpose of this material is to assist others preparing to walk the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT) by:

• • augmenting the fine work of Chapman and Siseman with additional navigation info – GPS tracks, waypoints and scanned 1:25k maps.

  • identifying spots for track maintenance / improvement, and

  • clarifying a few misconceptions about the level of difficulty of the AAWT, available facilities, and safety.

In Nov/Dec 2018 I walked the AAWT for the third time, walking from Walhalla Victoria to Tharwa ACT in 36.5 days. My aim was to mark the achievement of my 60th year with a series of momentous walks, and the AAWT seemed like a good one to add to my walks that year, which included the Tour de Mont Blanc, the Pyrenees Haute Route, cross country skiing the backcountry of Kosciuszko National Park, the Bibbulmun Track and later on the Tasmanian Overland Track and Tarkine.

I walked the AAWT solo from Walhalla to Thredbo, where I was joined by Bob Salijevic for the last leg. As usual, the AAWT dished up a wide range of inclement weather, including sleet, calf deep snow, rain and floods. In addition, I decided to do some off trail walking to see what the Great Dividing Range looked like without snow. As a result, we walked off track from Thredbo to Cesjacks Hut. While there is a foot track/pad along the Main Range, the section along the Rolling Ground and from Schlink Hut to Cesjack Hut has no pad and requires navigational skills. The updated files I am making available reflect the results of both my 2010 trip an 2018 trip. I have provided a suggested GPS track and 40 day itinerary (attached below) which seek to provide maximum water availability, and ease of walking and putting in food drops. The itinerary and GPS track follows Chapman's suggested path along the Main Range of NSW and then along a series of firetrails into Tharwa. The GPX file below entitled “AAWT Best of 2010 and 2018 and WP” uses the data from 2010 and 2018 to create a “cleaned” and suggested track. The other GPX file contain the archive of the actual GPX tracks I created when I walked in 2010 and 2018.

Best of 2010 and 2018 GPX Track and WP

AAWT Archive of 2010 and 2018 GPX Tracks

The attachments listed below also provide track notes and explanations for any divergences from the main routes identified by Chapman.

WARNING/ WARNING:

The AAWT retains an aura about it, being said to require true navigation skills, long distance endurance, general bushcraft and just plain good luck. It is a well deserved reputation....when things go wrong with the weather, your party and the trail, the impact is compounded when you are on unfamiliar terrain. The material provided is to the best of my knowledge correct, but ultimately it’s up to you to exercise caution and good judgement.

The elevation changes you will encounter mean you have to be prepared for extremes of temperature and rainfall/snow. To top it off, there are few facilities along the AAWT, few handy grocery stores, and very few fellow travellers. It is not unusual to experience an absence of fellow travellers for a week at a time on some sections of the track.

The level of difficulty encountered on the AAWT also varies between states. In general Victoria is far harder than NSW. Indeed many walkers find the extensive fire trails in NSW tedious to walk on and wonder why the track doesn’t go up more ridge lines or scenic mountains such as Jagungal or Mt Bimberi. So, don't be lulled into complacency on the basis of your experiences in one area.