Mt Kosciuszko Summit Women’s Trek

Trip at a glance

Why Mt Kosciuszko? 

At 2,228 metres, Mt Kosciuszko is the highest point in Australia and as the peak is centered in the middle  Kosciuszko National Park, the summit is genuinely and emphatically wild. Nestled within Australia’s alpine frontier: snow gum forests with their twisted silver trunks, rushing rivers, glacial lakes of extraordinary blue, granite bluffs and high plains that stretch to the horizon in every direction. Wildflowers dot the trails through summer. Brumbies still roam the high country; shy and flighty, often startled by the robust conversations of a GirlsTrek group coming up the hill. 

This trip does not take the easy route to the summit. Unlike most day-trippers who ride the chairlift from Thredbo and walk the final few kilometres on a metal boardwalk, GirlsTrek starts from Thredbo Village and hikes the full 24 km. Passing via Dead Horse Gap and Eagles Nest and through snow gum forest, past wildflowers, into the granite alpine landscape to the summit, and back. It is a serious mountain day that produces a serious sense of achievement. 

The four days leading to the summit are not just preparation, and have their own beautiful rewards. The Mt Twynam circuit from Charlottes Pass, the Thredbo River Track, the views of Blue Lake and the Main Range are unforgettable. This is some of Australia’s finest alpine walking, encountered by relatively few Australians who venture beyond the car parks and chairlifts. GirlsTrek exists to take women into these places properly, and this trip is one of the best examples of exactly that. 

The Walking 

This is a Trek Strong trip and is one of GirlsTrek’s most challenging Australian domestic trek. Walking days average 8 hours and can reach 10 on the big days. Terrain is mostly rough tracks through alpine and mountain environments with steep ascents, steep descents, river crossings and some rock scrambling. Weather in the Snowy Mountains is famously variable as summer days can be warm and clear or may bring cloud, wind and cold in rapid succession. Good preparation and appropriate gear are not optional. 

Day 2: Mt Twynam Circuit via Charlottes Pass & Blue Lake (20–22 km) 

A true GirlsTrek favourite. The day begins at Charlottes Pass on the Main Range Track, descending to the Snowy River and crossing via the swing bridge before the long gradual climb to Mt Twynam. Australia’s third highest mountain rewards with views across to Mt Kosciuszko and Mt Townsend. The return route passes the remarkable alpine Blue Lake, one of the few glacial lakes in Australia with its colour improbably vivid against the granite surrounds. A short river crossing near the end completes a day full of big, majestic alpine views. 

Day 3: Thredbo River Track (8–9 km) 

The trip’s gentler day, designed deliberately as an easier stage before the summit. The well-formed track follows the gushing Thredbo River through twisted snow gums and snow daisies, one of the most beautiful and accessible valley walks in the national park. A dip in the river at the end of the walk is a standing temptation, and the afternoon in Thredbo Village is free for exploration or rest before dinner at a local restaurant. 

Day 4: Mt Kosciuszko Summit (24 km, 8–9 hours) 

The day the whole trip has been building toward. Setting out from Thredbo Village along the river, the trail climbs gradually to Dead Horse Gap before entering the granite alpine landscape with its endless western views. Snow gum forest gives way to open mountain above the treeline. From Eagles Nest, it is a steady 6.5 km climb to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko. 

The views from the top across the Main Range, over the high plains, into the distance in every direction is the reward for every meter of the climb. The return follows the same path to Eagles Nest, where the group can choose to walk the 3 km down to Thredbo or take the chairlift. The celebration dinner that evening at the Denman Hotel is the trip’s great moment; two courses, a warm dining room, and the particular deep satisfaction of legs that have climbed Australia’s highest peak today. 

“A more challenging hike but fully supported by the GirlsTrek guides and a lovely bunch of like-minded ladies. Pushed me out of my comfort zone and left me with a feeling of achievement and the opportunity to soak up nature’s wildness.” — Tripadvisor, October 2023 

The Landscape: Australia’s Alpine Frontier 

Kosciuszko National Park is unlike anywhere else in Australia. The high alpine zone, at above 1,800 metres, is a world of low, resilient vegetation, granite outcrops, glacial lakes and sub-alpine grasslands that exist nowhere else on the continent. In summer, wildflowers cover the mountain meadows in waves of colour. Snow gums, one of Australia’s most distinctive trees, have adapted to survive snow load and frost by twisting into extraordinary shapes along the lower trail sections. 

The wildlife is equally distinctive. Mountain pygmy possums, corroboree frogs, broad-toothed rats and the alpine she-oak skink are among the species found only in these high places. And brumbies. Wild horses descended from those brought to the mountains in the nineteenth century, now so woven into the cultural and ecological identity of the Snowy Mountains that their presence on the high plains feels less like an intrusion and more like a belonging. 

Merritt’s Meadows and Dead Horse Gap are not merely place names to navigate past. They are landmarks in the Snowy Mountains’ long human and natural history, carrying the stories of cattlemen, stockmen and adventurers who worked these mountains long before they became a national park. 

Wild Brumby Distillery & the Farewell Day 

Day 5 is the trip’s well-earned wind-down. After the option of a short early morning walk, the group departs by 10am for the Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery. This Snowy Mountains institution is set in the alpine village of Jindabyne with its own sculpture park and a product range that reflects the landscape. Lunch at Beltana Farm follows before the transfer to Canberra Airport for afternoon flights. It is a gentle, beautiful conclusion to a week that has demanded a great deal and given back considerably more. 

A Note on Accommodation 

Accommodation on this trip is twin share for nights 1 and 2 (Jindabyne motel), then single-room lodge accommodation for nights 3 and 4 (Thredbo mountain lodge). If you prefer single supplement accommodation for all four nights, this can be added at checkout — spaces are limited. 

What to Expect Day by Day 

Day 1 — Canberra / Cooma / Jindabyne: Arrival 

GirlsTrek meets you at Canberra Airport dressed and ready for the mountains. Lunch stop in Cooma for a stretch, a café meal and any last supplies. Arrive in Jindabyne for check-in, an afternoon walk along Lake Jindabyne (if time allows) and then a relaxed dinner at the Banjo Paterson Inn. This is a warm and welcoming start to the week. 

Day 2 — Charlottes Pass / Blue Lake: Mt Twynam Circuit (20–22 km) 

Drive to Charlottes Pass and begin the Main Range Track. Swing bridge crossing, gradual climb to Mt Twynam, views to Kosciuszko and Townsend, return via Blue Lake and a river crossing. Trekker lunch on the trail. Italian dinner at Bacco in Jindabyne that evening. 

Day 3 — Thredbo / Crackenback: River Track (8–9 km) 

Leisurely walk along the Thredbo River Track through snow gums and snow daisies, with an optional river dip at the end. Café lunch in the village. Transfer to Thredbo for check-in to the mountain lodge, afternoon free to explore. Dinner at a local village restaurant. 

Day 4 — Mt Kosciuszko Summit (24 km, 8–9 hours) 

The summit day. Thredbo Village start, climb via the Thredbo River to Dead Horse Gap, through snow gum forest and into the alpine granite landscape. Eagles Nest and the final 6.5 km to the summit of Australia. Lunch on the trail. Return to Eagles Nest; choice of walking or chairlift back to Thredbo. Celebration drink and two-course dinner at the Denman Hotel. 

Day 5 — Wild Brumby Distillery / Canberra: Farewell 

Optional early morning walk before breakfast. Depart by 10am for the Wild Brumby Distillery and its sculpture park, then lunch at Beltana Farm. Transfer to Canberra Airport for mid-afternoon flights home. 

Is This Trip Right for You? 

The Mt Kosciuszko Summit trek is GirlsTrek’s most challenging Australian domestic trip. It suits women who are: 

• Genuinely fit and ready for 8–10 hour days on rough alpine terrain. This is not a gentle introduction to hiking 

• Drawn to wild Australian landscapes rather than comfortable day walks with easy access 

• Ready for variable mountain weather and the physical demands of multi-day alpine walking 

• Motivated by a genuine summit goal. The achievement being to stand on the highest point in Australia 

• Interested in the natural and cultural history of the Snowy Mountains, from brumbies to glacial lakes to high country folklore 

• Travelling solo and wanting a strong, supportive group to push through the big days with 

If the Blue Mountains Indulgence is GirlsTrek’s most dramatic Australian hiking trip, Kosciuszko is its most alpine. The terrain is rougher, the environment more exposed, the weather less predictable and the summit more remote. Women who arrive having followed the at-home training program consistently find the days challenging and deeply rewarding. Women who arrive undertrained find Day 2 very long indeed. 

This is a trip for women who want to know what Australia’s high country actually feels like underfoot. It is emphatically worth it. 

Practical Information 

Getting there 

Fly into Canberra Airport (CBR). GirlsTrek meets you at the airport and provides all transfers throughout the trip to Jindabyne, to Charlottes Pass, between Thredbo and trail heads, and back to Canberra Airport on Day 5. 

What to bring 

Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support are essential. This is not trail-runner terrain on the big days. Waterproof jacket and overtrousers, warm insulation layers (summit temperatures can be well below zero even in summer), sunscreen and sunglasses (alpine UV is intense), trekking poles (strongly recommended), a daypack and a head torch. Bring swimmers for the Thredbo River dip. A full trip-specific packing list is sent with booking confirmation, with expert advice and discounts at Paddy Palin Outdoors and LNDR activewear. 

Weather 

The Snowy Mountains summer runs from late November to April, and GirlsTrek operates in this window. Summer days can be warm and clear with the alpine wildflowers at their peak, the rivers running high, the views extending for hundreds of kilometres. They can also bring rapid weather changes: cloud, wind, rain and cold at any time. The high alpine zone above 1,800 metres is exposed to weather systems that move fast. Come prepared for everything and you’ll find the unpredictability part of the character rather than an inconvenience. 

Ready to summit Australia’s highest peak? 

Our Mt Kosciuszko Summit departures sell out quickly — spaces are strictly limited to keep the group intimate. View upcoming departures and book your place at girlstrek.com.au/upcomingtrips 

Questions? Our travel advisor is available at hello@girlstrek.com.au or 1300 360 184