Here is my preparation and trip report on Google Docs. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cHxNRlRdglkK5wWbrzn1a_iZezB6J1IFk9LKmSWZkf0/edit?usp=sharing
Verification
- The original data file, GPX file attached = top-3.gpx
- A link to your activity on GaiaGPS
- A link to a trip report = https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cHxNRlRdglkK5wWbrzn1a_iZezB6J1IFk9LKmSWZkf0/edit?usp=sharing
- Link to Photos and videos of the trip. https://photos.app.goo.gl/yB83LJ1rLJx1tz7r8
Actual Map of route without my errors.
Route Name: Australia’s Top 3 Peaks
(including the Main Range Loop)
Location: Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia
Distance: 32.6 km
Vertical Gain: 1460m <--- Not sure about how to calculate this.
Start/Finish Location: Charlotte Pass Carpark, Main Range Loop Information Sign (1,832m)
Date of Attempt: 4th March 2025
Start Time: 07:06 AM
Finish Time: 15:04 PM
Elapsed Time: 7 hours 58 minutes
Athlete: Daniel Campbell
Route Description:
This route follows the Main Range Loop with three key summit deviations to climb Australia’s three highest mainland peaks:
- Mount Kosciuszko (2,228m / 7,310ft) – Highest peak in mainland Australia
- Mount Townsend (2,209m / 7,247ft) – Second highest peak
- Mount Twynam (2,196m / 7,205ft) – Third highest peak
The route is a mix of well-maintained tracks, single-track, and off-trail sections, with some scrambling required for Mt Townsend. It is runnable in many sections and is a logical extension of the popular Main Range Loop.
Trip Report
I, Daniel Campbell, started hiking the Main range loop including Australia’s three highest mountains on the mainland, “Australia’s Top 3 Peaks” at 07:06 (am) on Tuesday 4th March. I finished the hike 7 hours and 58 minutes later at 15:04 (pm). The top 3 mountains are:
- Mount Kosciuszko, at 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) (Highest mountain on the mainland)
- Mount Townsend, at 2,209 metres (7,247 ft) (Second highest mountain on the mainland)
- Mount Twynam, at 2,196 metres (7,205 ft) (Third highest)
Yesterday it was 99% humidity at 6:20am when I arrived at the trail head where I was going to start at 6:30, however I postponed the start time to see if the drizzling rain would stop. At that time, I checked the bureau of meterology forecast again, and finding the precipitation max would be 0.3mm, and would stop by around 9am, I decided to start around 7:00am. The trail head starts at the Charlotte Pass carpark, 1832m above sea level. You can park your car, and walk to the trail-head, or get someone to drop you off.
The first 900m of trail is a vehicle-width trail of concrete pavers, going down to a river crossing where you can walk on boulders to stay dry before the first ascent (if the river is low). From the river at 1718m, you ascend on a 4WD vehicle 20-40mm granite rock track over contour-banks that are paved, till a fork that leads to Blue Lake. Turn left, and stay on the path for another 900m or so until the next fork, turn right (North East) to begin the ascent to the Mount Twynam summit 2196m. This ascent is mostly grass with occasional vehicle-dirt-rock tracks, however the last 500m of track is largely a single “goat-track”, but is possible to run or hike at speed. Ensure you get a selfie-photo with the survey-point (man-made structure on the summit). Return to the Main Range Loop track via the same route you took to the summit. I also recorded a video. It was very windy, drizzling and I was nearly wet through, especially my socks and shoes were wet after the walking through the mountain grass. It is easy to run the return downhill.
Once you return to the previous fork at Main Range Loop walk, you have done 10.8km and are at 2041m. From there you head South-West to climb Carruthers Peak, at 2,145 metres (7,037 ft) (Equal ninth highest). This climb involves rock paths as in the photo, and some stairs. After Carruthers Peak, you start traversing around Mount Lee (which has “closed to walkers” signs) on an elevated metal-grid path. This is very easy to run, although the path is occasionally over 1m above the ground, and a slip could end your hike. The metal-grid path ends around the saddle between Mt Lee and Mt Northcote, and a 500mm rock and dirt path traverses around Mt Northcote. This is ok to run too, although there are some rocky sections, with a drop off to the west. Once you get to Muellers peak, the path widens and is 20mm aggregate rock with a plastic mesh. Go around Muellers peak, and at about 200m, there is a small cairn of rocks.
This cairn is the start of the Mt Townsend path, however the Mt Townsend path is NOT visible, it is a “goat-track” or brumby track that starts about 50m away from the path near this cairn and heads in a North West direction just above the 2000m contour. If you stay on this path, you will be able to run most of the way to Mt Townsend. It was a white-out for me with visibility less than 100m, and my first time on the path. When I got to the fork 800m in, the cloud coverage had started altering the GPS signal, I wasn’t sure about climbing up, so took the lower path. This ends about 100m further, and you end up crossing several streams and gullys that become difficult. Take the higher path at the fork, from there you can run nearly to the bottom of the rock crags at Mt Townsend.
On my downhill journey, and starting to lose confidence in my GPS which appeared to be pausing and jumping, I discovered I had walked past Townsend, and thought a different hill was Townsend. Mt Townsend is a crag of rocks that is un-mistakeable when you know it. By this time, the cloud coverage had started to disappear, and it was clear I was on the South-West ridge of Townsend. Mt Townsend is a hands-scramble to get to the cement survey-point - where you can take another selfie, and look for your return path (South-East). I reached the Mt Townsend summit at 11:32am, although others should find this part easy to beat. I rested at Mt Townsend for about 20 minutes. At the summit a murder of crows was nesting under the rocks, I spoke to one that I could see, and they all flew out from the cracks in the rocks! Once climbing down off the crag, you can run on the goat-track most of the way back to the Main Range Loop.
Once back on the Main Range Loop track, you are on the saddle between Mt Kosciusko and Muellers Peak, 21km in, and at 2006m. If you still have it in you, it is possible to run this section of well-maintained track. This section is mostly 20mm aggregate rock and plastic mesh, but also contains many stairs. You climb until a fork at 22.4km, 2162m high, where you join the main vehicular-width track from Thredbo. A little way from the summit of Mt Kosciusko the track becomes a metal-grid track. From this fork, for the remainder of the track, the track is small 2-5mm granite, is very easy to run, and is wide enough for a 4WD. I reached the summit of Mt Kosciusko at 13:22 (pm) and rested for about 20min. On the final leg of the journey, I was able to keep up a much faster pace. It is a very easy grade that a 2WD could manage in dry-weather. I noticed that I was getting close to the sub-8 hour mark, and ran hard to get back to the trail-head in under 8 hours.
I am 51 years of age, male, 176cm high, 96kg, having done some weights training, oxygen restricted training, and 32km long walks with 15kg in Brisbane at 30°C. It was between 6°C and 15°C on the day of the hike.