The high plains and mountains of the Kosciuszko and Bogong National Parks offer, at least in good snow years, an incomparable experience to cross country skiers who are happy to get away from groomed trails and ski villages. Sadly, in recent years, it has become all too apparent that snowfalls are in decline, and that the snow rarely lasts through the winter without rain episodes which detract from the cover and the snow quality these days.

You won’t see the famous but mythical ‘Norwegian Blue’ while skiing in Norway, but here in the Australian Alps, you can definitely see beautifully coloured Rosella parrots while skiing.

It is possible to do day trips from the ski villages in the Australian Alps, like Falls Creek and Jindabyne, in other words from the same centres mentioned in the context of day walking, but the best experiences are only available to hardy, independent folk prepared to go snow camping.

The higher parts of the Central Plateau of Tasmania resemble a milder Norway, and just occasionally, good snowfall enables skiers to experience real wilderness skiing here.

A classic XC skiing expedition is the Kiandra to Kosciuszko traverse, which typically takes 6 or 7 days, though it has, of course been done in a single day! This trip is only suitable for fit, strong parties, who might expect to confront big cornices and frozen sastrugi on the ridges, and choked wet scrubby forest on the hillsides. Mountaineering skis and ice axes are overkill, but skins may be useful.

In the extremely exposed Main Range area near Kosciuszko itself, erecting a tent will often be impossible, and snow caves may be preferable. Although the mountains are low by European standards, the weather can be extreme, and people regularly die of exposure on the Main Range.

Klaus Hueneke has written the classic books about ski touring in the Australian Alps, and links are provided on my Kosciuszko walking page.

Link to Alan Levy’s XC skiing pages...