Which Trip Is Best for You?
Overview
The Adventure Gene provides camping-based guided hiking trips, designed to take you away from crowded tourist trails and into remote wilderness areas. With 8 trips on offer, it can be hard to decide which hike is the best choice for you. This page is designed to help you figure out which trip is most aligned with your personal goals. Whilst each trip is different, some things are always the same:
- All of our trips are suitable for people with no prior hiking experience.
- We provide everything you need—gear, food, and transport—so you can focus on enjoying the adventure.
- Our trips are built on a team-first culture where no one is left behind and we all help each other. While everyone is free to walk at their own pace, we regroup frequently, ensuring a supportive and social hiking experience.
- With small, intimate groups and two full-time walking guides, we make sure that you always have the guidance and assistance you need.
Keeping this in mind, finding the best trip for you comes down to three key factors:
- How much time you have
- Which region you’d like to explore
- What you hope to get out of the experience
Choosing Based on Duration: 2 to 14 Days
Our trips range from short weekend getaways to immersive two-week adventures. If you’ve never been hiking before, we’d encourage you not to rule out an 8-day or even a 14-day trip. We regularly have first-time campers join these trips and they have a fantastic time. Shorter trips are great for when time is limited. However, if you have the time, and are thinking you might be interested in a longer trip, we’d encourage you not to feel intimidated by lack of hiking experience. Fitness level is a much more important indicator as to whether these trips are right for you.
Most of our trips involve camping near huts nearly every night. For some people, this is an ideal way to experience overnight hiking for the first time as huts provide a level of comfort in knowing that there is shelter if the weather turns. To see which trips spend the most time camping near huts, see Trip Comparisons.
It is important to note that for trips of 4 days and longer, we have a mandatory gear check at 2PM the afternoon before departure. This is compulsory and allows us to distribute gear, ensure your clothing is adequate, and you get to pick your hiking snacks!
Choosing Based on Region
Broadly, our trips take you through four distinct locations:
Namadgi National Park
Covering nearly half of the ACT, Namadgi National Park offers a diverse sub-alpine environment, featuring open plains, snow gum woodlands, and rugged bushland. It is home to the ACT’s highest peak, Mount Bimberi.
Trips through Namadgi National Park:
- 4 day Mt Bimberi & Blue Waterholes
- 14 day Australian Alps Walking Track
Blue Waterholes
A striking karst landscape shaped by limestone erosion, the Blue Waterholes region contains caves, gorges, waterfalls, and the vast iconic Snowy High Plains. It is also home to the oldest historic hut in Kosciuszko National Park—Old Currango Homestead.
Trips through Blue Waterholes:
- 2 day Snowies Alpine Huts & Blue Waterholes
- 4 day Paint & Hike
- 4 day Mt Bimberi & Blue Waterholes
- 14 day Australian Alps Walking Track
Jagungal Wilderness
Known for its extensive rolling hills and uninterrupted views, this area features Mount Jagungal, a prominent peak offering 360-degree vistas of the high country. In the heart of Australian Snowy Mountains, Jagungal Wilderness is home to a plethora of historic alpine huts and is a popular place for backcountry skiing during winter.
Trips through Jagungal Wilderness:
- 8 day Snowies Alpine Traverse
- 14 day Australian Alps Walking Track
Main Range
The Main Range is Australia’s tallest mountain range. Home to Australia’s highest peaks, including Mt Twynam, Mt Townsend, and Mt Kosciuszko, this area provides a fantastic opportunity for side trips to bag peaks. Additionally, the area is home to alpine lakes and offers panoramic views for over 100km in all directions.
Trips through Main Range:
- 4 day Snowies Alpine Walk
- 4 day Snowies Main Range Traverse
- 8 day Snowies Alpine Walk
- 14 day Australian Alps Walking Track
Choosing Based on Your Hiking Goals
Education
For those who are interested, all of our trips have a strong educational component. This includes backcountry navigation, gear and nutrition. However, if you are interested in developing your outdoor skills and knowledge, the longer 8 and 14 day trips provide a better classroom for refining your skills.
Relaxation
On all of our trips you will have time to relax and unwind in nature. However, there are some trips which cater more towards this than others. Trips with lower daily distance and elevation gain likely allow more time for hanging around camp. For exact details, see Trip Comparison.
Adventure
Every trip contain some level of adventure, whether it be off track walking, summiting peaks, or exploring caves. However, the majority of these more involved sections are offered as side trips. Therefore, most trips can be tailored (to some extent) to suit how adventurous you want it to be. For those looking for a more remote adventure, the best choices would be the 4 day Mt Bimberi & Blue Waterholes, 4 day Snowies Main Range Traverse, 8 day Snowies Alpine Traverse or the 14 day AAWT trip.
The Snowies Alpine Walk and both 2 day trips are the least remote, with generally more hikers on the trails.
Trip Comparison
In the following table we compare all of our trips to help you decide which one is right for you.
We list the following:
- Trip duration
- Average hiking distance – Higher numbers generally mean more time walking
- Average elevation gain – Lower numbers mean the walk is flatter, and is generally easier
- Percentage of nights spent camping next to a hut
- Longest resupply – Longer resupplies will mean heavier packs as we carry more food (until we eat our way to freedom!)
| Trip | Duration (days) | Average hiking distance (km/day) | Average elevation gain (m/day) | % of nights camping next to a hut | Longest resupply (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowies Alpine Huts & Blue Waterholes | 2 | 15.2 | 350 | 100 | 2 |
| Highest Peaks in Australia | 2 | 13.6 | 413 | 0 | 2 |
| Paint & Hike Blue Waterholes | 4 | 7.8 | 223 | 75 | 4 |
| Snowies Alpine Walk | 4 | 14.2 | 372 | 0 | 4 |
| Snowies Main Range Traverse | 4 | 11.0 | 430 | 25 | 4 |
| Mt Bimberi & Blue Waterholes | 4 | 13.0 | 465 | 75 | 4 |
| Snowies Alpine Traverse | 8 | 14.2 | 435 | 86 | 5.5 |
| Australian Alps Walking Track: Tharwa to Thredbo | 14 | 16.0 | 500 | 69 | 5.5 |
Comparing the 4 day trips
We offer several 4 day trips, each with its own unique appeal:
Mt Bimberi & Blue Waterholes
Ideal for those seeking a remote wilderness experience. This trip includes summiting Mt Bimberi and a visit to Old Currango Homestead. Expect mostly well-formed tracks with some off-track walking.
Main Range Traverse
A great choice for immersing yourself in the alpine environment. This trip includes a mix of off-track walking and established routes, plus the chance to summit Australia’s four tallest mountains. In terms of difficulty, this trip is on par with the Mt Bimberi & Blue Waterholes trip.
Snowies Alpine Walk
A well-known hiking route on the Main Range. This is a less remote and more structured trip, perfect for those who prefer established trails.
Paint & Hike Blue Waterholes
A creative retreat that combines short hikes with outdoor painting sessions. This trip has the shortest walking distances of any trip, making it ideal for those looking to focus on painting in the mountains.
Comparing the 4 day trips
We offer several 4 day trips, each with its own unique appeal:
- Mt Bimberi & Blue Waterholes – Ideal for those seeking a remote wilderness experience. This trip includes summiting Mt Bimberi and a visit to Old Currango Homestead. Expect mostly well-formed tracks with some off-track walking.
- Main Range Traverse – A great choice for immersing yourself in the alpine environment. This trip includes a mix of off-track walking and established routes, plus the chance to summit Australia’s four tallest mountains. In terms of difficulty, this trip is on par with the Mt Bimberi & Blue Waterholes trip.
- Snowies Alpine Walk – A well-known hiking route on the Main Range. This is a less remote and more structured trip, perfect for those who prefer established trails.
- Paint & Hike Blue Waterholes – A creative retreat that combines short hikes with outdoor painting sessions. This trip has the shortest walking distances of any trip, making it ideal for those looking to focus on painting in the mountains.
Common Concerns
Injury
It is not abnormal to be concerned about getting injured on a multi day hike. We mitigate the risk of injury by helping everyone prepare for the trip through training suggestions, picking the right shoes, and choosing the right clothing. Additionally, by keeping your pack weight low throughout the trip, taking frequent breaks, and ensuring proper nutrition, we significantly reduce the risk of injury.
If you do start to feel an injury coming on in the middle of a trip, there are lots of options for us to help manage this. Most tours have optional side trips or alternates which can be skipped. All trips have emergency exit points.
Fitness
If you follow our pre trip guidelines it is unlikely that you will not be fit enough for the trip you choose. We generally find that people who engage in physical activity a few times a week (jogging, cycling, swimming, team sports etc.), have a good level of fitness for these trips.
We have an inclusive and supportive culture, meaning that slow walkers will not be left behind.
Age
We see a variety of ages on our trips and everyone is welcome. People under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian, and those over 70 must get medical clearance from their doctor. This is simply due to the remote nature of our trips and delayed access to care.
We do not believe that age is a good indicator of fitness. We fully support all ages coming on our trips as we have guided plenty of strong and determined hikers in their 70s and even 80s!
Hygiene
A common concern for people is how to manage their hygiene needs. We provide everyone with a small portable bidet which is a great way to wash at the end of the day. Additionally, most trips have the option for a swim in a river at some point each day. For females on their period, we recommend using a menstrual cup and washing with the bidet daily.
If you are concerned about hygiene, we recommend carrying 1-2 wet wipes per day to use to and carry out with you. This can provide a huge level of comfort and feeling of cleanliness.
Being Cold
We are confident that the gear we provide will keep you warm. If you are naturally a cold person, we suggest carrying gear on the heavier end of our recommended gear list that we provide after booking.
Additionally, on a lot of our trips we camp next to huts and have the opportunity to have a campfire at night. The huts also provide fantastic shelter in poor weather.
Conculsion
Choosing the right trip for you mostly depends on your available time, which region you want to explore, and what your goals are coming into the hike. All our trips are beginner friendly, although some are more physically demanding than others. If you’re unsure, reach out to us as we’re always more than happy to have a chat and help figure out which trip is best for you!
Maddie and Tom
