Andrew wanted to do Mount Perrisher for his next SOTA summit. It looked to be a short but steep walk up the mountain from the main road. We decided to think about it a bit and went on to Charlotte Pass for our annual photograph with the Charlotte Pass sign and a wander along the boardwalk to the lookout.

We stopped at a picnic area just off the road on the way back from Charlotte Pass for lunch and then went for a second look at Mount Perrisher. We parked the car and decided to give it a go, so loaded up with water and a bit of food we set off. It was steep, really steep! The track followed the ski lift up, and it was a rough track at best. I was worried about getting down again on the loose gravelly ground, but it wasn’t too bad really, particularly if we walked on the grass beside the track. Toby would have slid down the track a few times if I hadn’t been holding his hand to help steady his feet. The walk was 1.7 km each way with a rise in altitude of around 300 metres. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I couldn’t walk the next day, but I’m happy to report that I had no stiffness but I did feel a bit tired physically.

View from Charlotte Pass lookout

Snowy River

View from Mount Perrisher

Climbing up the hard way

On Boxing Day we went for a walk so that Andrew could work another SOTA summit. We started at Dead Horse Gap and followed the walking track towards the Cascades Hut. The distance was unknown and Andrew thought it was going to be a relatively easy and relatively short walk, but it proved quite steep, particularly for the last ~1 km, and again I had to wear Toby on my back. The walk ended up being 5.3 km each way with an elevation of ~250 metres from our starting point.

At the top we found a spot on the ridge where Andrew could set up his antenna, and the kids had fun climbing on the rocks around. The whole time we were there we could hear thunder rumbling and I kept an eye on some very dark clouds in the distance. Both kids managed to rip their shorts in exactly the same spot by sliding on their bums down the rocks.

We walked back to the car (Toby got another ride on my back most of the way downhill) with the storm clouds getting ever closer and the rumble of thunder our constant companion. It really was a lovely walk, but we were happy to see the car before the rain started. Toby was very excited to be back and ran full pelt at the gate across the track. He and Nathan had been running under the bottom beam before we started the walk, so Toby thought he could run under it again. Unfortunately for him, though, the bar was closer to the ground at the other end of the gate. He hit his forehead really hard which produced a big egg on his head…not a good end to an otherwise lovely day.

Walking beside the Thredbo River

It’s fun to play in water

Having lunch at the top

Andrew playing radios

Playing on the rocks where they ripped their pants

Approaching storm