As a newsletter editor, I am always looking for stories about Ramblers adventures! So, I am leading by example with tales of Guthega!
It is a 5 – 6 hour trip to the Lodge and so when we arrived everyone was feeling a little tired. That is, everyone except for the Puzzlers and the Card Players! While some sat back with a good book, the Puzzlers chose a 1000 piece jigsaw that they wanted done by the time we had to leave! The card players sat concentrating at the long table! Me? I went to bed!
Day 1: A relatively easy walk from Charlottes Pass to Guthega. As our fearless leader Robyn explained, “We are in the Snowy Mountains, there have to be some ups! The trail followed the Snowy River, sometimes closely and at other times from the place we hiked up to! The scenery was a vast vista of Cerulean blue skies, amazing rock formations and the steady sound of water flowing. (Poetry in motion!) The trees and flowers were varied and had wonderful patterns in the bark and in the flowers. We crossed 2 swinging bridges, which was fun, and then found we had one final uphill which was very UP!
Day 2: Jim Cowling led the walk from Charlottes Pass to Perisher. “Mostly flat,” he said. Never trust a leader who says “mostly flat” or “not too far now”! To say it was undulating is mild. However, all the best things come from hard work. We all agree it was the most spectacular of the 3 walks. Winding through valleys, and then up to the roof of Australia, wide vistas and hills of rocks looking like they had just tumbled down slopes. The dead trees were forest of white skeletons and the landscapes were a startling mixture of so many green colours! Towards the end we took a side trip to Porcupine Rocks where there was an amazing split rock and breath-taking views of the Thredbo valley. As Jim promised, there was no uphill at the end!
Day 3: We were all a bit tired. Robyn was looking for a short walk with not too many “ups”. See previous warning about Leaders! We started from Guthega Hydro Station and walked UP a fire trail beside the pipeline. We continued to walk UP for about a kilometre and the descended into a beautiful valley. After a few more ups and downs we arrived at Horse Camp Hut. It was so peaceful and there was a small creek nearby. We stayed for a while, just enjoying the quiet. Then it was another short but sharp climb before following the fire trail back to the start. It was nearly all downhill. When we returned to the Lodge, everyone was ready for a rest. However, Robyn and I had spotted what looked like a walk across the dam wall. So, along with Krishna, we went exploring and found another great walk to a waterfall that fell all the way down to the river. We were pleased to have our curiosity satisfied.
Thanks to Robyn and Jim for a great time and thanks to the group for all the fun, laughter and co-operation!
Pam