Winter Australian Alps Walk Track (AAWT) Guide
The summary
A full winter traverse of the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT) is a significant undertaking, linking together some of the best alpine touring in Australia on a remote 680km journey between Walhalla (VIC) and Tharwa (ACT). It traverses the vast, snow-covered high country of the Great Dividing Range, including Australia’s highest point, Mount Kosciuszko. Passing through terrain that is inaccessible by vehicle, the profound solitude of the AAWT is magnified in winter, where it’s possible to spend weeks at a time without seeing other people.
The track’s primary challenge in winter lies in the huge variety of conditions encountered; from snow-covered alpine regions to extended sub-alpine sections where snow is marginal or completely absent. Unfortunately it can rain anywhere along the track.
These challenges form the character of a winter traverse, and those prepared are rewarded with some of Australia’s finest snow-covered alpine scenery. We would recommend completing the trail in summer before attempting a winter traverse.
Contents
When to walk
The “winter” season in Australia typically starts in mid-June and ends in mid-to-late September, though this is entirely dependent on annual snow levels. Deciding on the best time to go is a balance between seasonal snowfall levels, short term weather forecasts, and your own availability. An early start in June might mean there is less snow overall, which could allow for faster progress in the sub-alpine sections. However, the trade-off is that you may not get the best experience in the high country, as the larger snow dumps for the season might be yet to fall. The downside of doing the traverse in late winter is that the melting snow will likely be wet, which typically makes for slower progress in the alpine terrain. If you are flexible with starting dates, we would recommend waiting for a good weather window to start your trip.
Track difficulty (pros and cons)
Things that could make the track easier or more enjoyable
- The trail passes through mainland Australia’s most spectacular alpine country.
- The track is remote, and outside of the Bogong High Plains, the Main Range, and Jagungal Wilderness, you typically see very few people (note that this may be considered a con for some people).
- Numerous optional side trips or alternate routes allow you to easily personalise your journey.
- Alpine huts add history, character, and emergency shelter in blizzard conditions.
- A detailed guidebook is available for the trail.
- Hiking the AAWT in winter is a fundamentally different challenge from a summer traverse. Even for those who know the summer route intimately, the snow-covered terrain and unique demands of alpine winter travel make it a completely distinct undertaking.
Things that could make the track more difficult or less enjoyable
- There are many overgrown sections along the track. This can become an issue in sub-alpine terrain where you are carrying all of your snow gear.
- There are a wide range of conditions, which complicates gear choices and logistics.
- The inconsistent marking of the route makes navigation challenging, especially in poor visibility or when the track is covered in snow.
- The Bogong High Plains, the Main Range and Jagungal Wilderness can get busy in winter on sunny days or over the weekend.
- There are many steep climbs and descents.
- A significant portion of the route follows fire trails.
- You don’t pass directly through any towns. Nearby towns, such as Mt Hotham, Falls Creek, or Thredbo, may require advanced booking for accommodation.
- Most hikers will need to arrange food drops.
Cost
Compared to other winter escapes, such as spending an accommodated week at the resort, a winter AAWT can be relatively inexpensive as there are few opportunities to spend money on the trail itself. With only a couple of towns easily accessible from the track, it’s difficult to splurge on accommodation and restaurant meals.
Your main expenses, aside from initial gear purchases, will be food for your resupply boxes and the transport costs associated with placing and retrieving them.
Food: Approximately $15 – $20 per person, per day. This is highly variable and depends on your pace, daily food consumption, and personal food choices. This estimate should also account for placing extra buffer meals in your food drops and include miscellaneous items like sunscreen and fuel.
Transport & Food Drop Logistics: $300 – $1000+. This is a significant variable cost. The total will depend on the number of food drops you decide to place, current fuel prices, and your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. This estimate covers the cost of driving to place the drops before your hike and to collect the containers afterwards. You can also pay to have your food drops placed and collected for you. This might be more expensive (~$400-$500 per drop), but is far less less time and resource intensive.Â
Accommodation: $0 to $200+ per night.This cost is entirely optional. It depends on whether you choose to stay in off-trail lodging at resort towns accessible from the track (such as Mt Hotham, Omeo, Thredbo, Cooma). Booking well in advance is recommended to secure more affordable options, but is also complicated by not knowing exactly when you will be there.
Additional winter expenses
Hikers should budget for a winter traverse to be more expensive than a summer one. The increase in cost is driven by three main factors:
- Specialised winter equipment:Â The gear required for a safe winter crossing represents a significant investment. Four-season tents, warmer sleeping bags and mats, and specialised equipment like skis or snowshoes are all considerably more expensive than their three-season counterparts.
- Off-trail respite and accommodation:Â The intensity of winter conditions may necessitate more frequent or longer stops in nearby towns (like Mt Hotham or Thredbo). These stays are crucial for drying gear, waiting out severe weather, and taking mental breaks, but they add to accommodation and food costs.
- Increased trip duration: Slower progress is almost inevitable in winter due to challenging snow conditions and difficult navigation. A longer trip duration directly translates to needing more food and cooking fuel for the entire journey.
Gear
A winter gear list down to approximately -15C would be appropriate for most people. Our recommendation is to be well acquainted with every piece of kit before undertaking a winter AAWT. In general, every gram less that you carry will make your trip easier, provided that you are able to stay safe and (relatively) warm. We had a 7.2kg baseweight, which still felt heavy at times when carrying boots and skis as well. You can find our gear list here.
Skis or snowshoes?
The choice between skis and snowshoes for a winter traverse is a critical decision that ultimately depends on your personal skiing proficiency and ability to sort out the logistics. The Bogong High Plains, Main Range, and Jagungal Wilderness offer superb alpine touring, and we recommend using skis if you’re interested in skiing sections of the trail. However, carrying skis for the entire track may not be the most practical approach.
For the southern third of the trail from Walhalla to Mt Hotham, snowshoes can be a better option due to the technical, overgrown terrain and variable snow. Navigating these sections is far easier with lighter, less cumbersome snowshoes strapped to your pack compared to skis. The same goes for the middle third of the trail from the Omeo Highway to Dead Horse Gap, where sub-alpine terrain will likely have insufficient snow for skiing, making skis and boots a significant weight penalty. For the northern most section of trail, from Kiandra to Tharwa, the need for any snow gear highly depends on the snow level. Unless there has been a major recent dump, or it is a particularly high snow fall year, it would be unlikely that you would be able to ski more than 30km in this section.
Having said all that, for many people the goal is to experience as much backcountry skiing in Australia as possible, and any amount of skiing reward the extended periods of carrying them! On our trip we had a limited window to complete the trail and therefore opted to carry snowshoes from Walhalla to Mt Hotham. We had skis from Mt Hotham to Kiandra, where we ditched all winter specific kit for the last section to Tharwa.Â
Section distance and elevation stats
In winter, the hardest sections of trail highly depend on your winter competency and the weather conditions. For example, a fresh dump of snow can make progress much harder and slower (on snowshoes), while whiteout conditions can make navigation mentally exhausting. In contrast, given good conditions, an experienced ski tourer could expect to cover more than 40km a day over the Bogong High Plains or the Main Range.
Below, we compare the distance and elevation change for different sections:
| Section | Distance (km) | Elevation Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Walhalla – Mt Victor | 79.1 | 8.5 |
| Mt Victor – Rumpff Saddle | 35.2 | 9.6 |
| Rumpff Saddle – Mt Hotham | 127.1 | 11.5 |
| Mt Hotham – Omeo Highway | 73.6 | 8.2 |
| Omeo Highway – Benambra-Corryong Road | 28.5 | 9.7 |
| Benambra-Corryong Road – Dead Horse Gap | 120.4 | 7.1 |
| Dead Horse Gap – Kiandra | 114.6 | 6 |
| Kiandra – Tharwa | 107.1 | 6 |
Resupply​
Planning your resupply can be a challenge due to the remote nature of the AAWT as it does not pass directly through any towns. It’s possible to take short detours into the ski villages of Mt Hotham, Falls Creek, and Thredbo, or longer hitchhikes into towns like Omeo, Cooma or Adaminaby. It is not uncommon to rely on pre-placed food drops or support from friends and family. This requires careful advance planning, especially since winter road closures necessitate placing drops months beforehand.
Important considerations in winter
- Hitchhiking with skis can be more challenging than without, as drivers are more likely to be put off, or simply not have space in their vehicle.
- It may be beneficial to opt for longer hitchhikes into larger towns, such as Omeo, Adaminaby or Cooma, as it will be easier to find accommodation compared to at ski resorts.
- The Omeo highway is typically open during winter, however after a storm or large snowfall, it is possible that it will be closed for a few days. If you arrange a lift into Omeo, you could consider getting picked up at Taylors Crossing instead, which is much less likely to be closed after a storm.
- At some resupply locations, it is important to place food drops before the road closes in June.
You can find a full breakdown of recommended resupply locations and schedules on our 3-season AAWT guide.
Accommodation options
Due to the remote nature of the AAWT, accommodation options are limited. For those seeking a proper bed for a night, you need to detour into nearby towns. Short detours of approximately 5km are possible into the alpine resorts of Mt Hotham, Falls Creek, and Thredbo; however, be aware that lodging in these areas can be expensive and may not be available during the ski season. Alternatively, taking a longer detour to larger towns like Omeo, Adaminaby, or Cooma will likely offer a wider range of more affordable and readily available accommodation.
Shelters and facilities
One of the great joys of the AAWT is the network of historic huts that serve as landmarks and social hubs along the journey. These huts, found in higher density on the northern half of the track, make for an excellent goal at the end of the day, with evenings often spent by a fireplace drying gear and reading through old logbook entries. While they provide a welcome place to shelter from the elements, it’s crucial to remember that these huts are intended for emergency use only and should not be relied upon for sleeping in.
Hut locations on the AAWT are:
| Hut | Distance from Walhalla (km) | Distance off track (km) |
|---|---|---|
| Vallejo Gantner Hut | 170.3 | 1.2 |
| Blowhard Hut | 237.2 | 0 |
| Diamantina Hut (no camping) | 239.7 | 0 |
| Derrick Hut | 245.9 | 0 |
| Dibbins Hut | 249.6 | 0 |
| Cope Saddle Hut | 260 | 0.3 |
| Wallaces Hut | 265.3 | 0 |
| Langford Gap Shelter | 269.1 | 0 |
| Fitzgerald Hut | 273.9 | 3.4 |
| Kelly Hut | 273.9 | 3.5 |
| Edmondson Hut | 275 | 0.8 |
| Ropers Hut | 280.8 | 0.3 |
| Mt Wills Hut | 307.2 | 0 |
| Kennedys Hut | 334 | 0.9 |
| Tin Mine Hut | 438.1 | 0.15 |
| Cascade Hut | 454.3 | 0.1 |
| Seamans Hut | 472.8 | 1.8 |
| Whites River Hut | 497.8 | 0 |
| Horse Camp Hut | 497.8 | 4.3 |
| Disappointment Spur Hut | 497.8 | 4.0 |
| Schlink Hut | 501.1 | 0 |
| Mawsons Hut | 507.8 | 2.9 |
| Valentine Hut | 507.8 | 0 |
| Grey Mare Hut | 515.2 | 0.45 |
| Derschkos Hut | 523.2 | 1.6 |
| O'Keefes Hut | 528.8 | 0 |
| Mackays Hut | 538.1 | 0.15 |
| Brooks Hut | 548.9 | 2.2 |
| Happys Hut | 555.7 | 2.1 |
| Broken Dam Hut | 563.5 | 2.2 |
| Four Mile Hut | 569.3 | 0.7 |
| Witzes Hut | 590.1 | 0 |
| Millers Hut | 602.7 | 1.0 |
| Hainsworth Hut | 612.5 | 0.3 |
| Old Currango Homestead | 619.7 | 1.8 |
| Bill Jones Hut | 623.2 | 0.9 |
| Pockets Hut | 629 | 0.6 |
| Oldfields Hut | 633.9 | 0 |
Water availability​
Water is generally easier to obtain in winter compared to summer, with higher rivers and more reliable creeks. However, there are still long stretches that can catch you unaware if you’re not careful.
In high alpine regions, do not assume water will be easy to access; deep snow can make reaching streams difficult or even dangerous due to collapsing snow banks. Relying on melting snow is a viable alternative in these areas, but be prepared to carry a significant amount of extra fuel, which will add to your pack weight.Â
We needed to melt snow on less than a handful of occasions as it is generally possible to camp near an accessible stream. At worst you might need to dig down to the stream if there has been a recent snowfall.Â
It is almost always a good idea to place water in your food drops.
Some of the long water carries include:
| Location | Distance from Walhalla (km) | Water carry distance (km) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mt Erica carpark to Thomson River (Baw Baw plateau) | 21.3 | 39 | Water can generally be found at St Gwinear Camp (10.5km from Mt Erica carpark), but otherwise might need to detour off track to find water. |
| Black River to Low Saddle | 98.7 | 32.5 | To obtain water at Low Saddle, a detour of ~900m down Low Saddle Road is required. Note that if water is not found where the Chapman guide book indicates, you may need to walk further down the road. |
| Low Saddle to Chester’s Yard | 131.2 | 26.1 | Possibly the longest water carry in terms of time. |
| Chester’s Yard to ~500m past Mt Speculation | 157.3 | 19.3 | To obtain water after Mt Speculation, a detour of ~500m down Speculation Road to Camp Creek is required. Alternatively, detour down to Vallejo Gantner Hut after Mt Howitt. |
| Mt Speculation to Barry Saddle Water Tank | 176.6 | 16.5 | Water may be found before Barry Saddle Water Tank at Viking Saddle, however is not guaranteed and can be time consuming. |
| South Selwyn Water Tank to the Twins Water Tank | 210.1 | 17.2 | Whilst not an especially long distance, the terrain is steep and makes for slower walking. It is also exposed. |
| Taylors Crossing to Johnnies Top Water Tank | 334.4 | 24 | Water can be obtained at Morass Creek, however water quality is poor and might want to be avoided (or at least treated very well). |
| Dead Horse Gap to Whites River Hut | 463.8 | 33.9 | There is likely some water on the rolling grounds, however it will depend on recent rainfall. |
| Nine Mile Creek to Barneys Creek (Tabletop Mountain) | 548.1 | 17.8 | Although this isn’t a long or hard water carry, we thought it was worth mentioning as the surrounding area tends to have a lot of water, making this an abnormality in the region. |
Solo or with a group?
From a safety perspective, we would recommend against attempting a solo traverse of the AAWT in winter. Whilst a solo traverse is definitely possible (and has been done several times), we don’t think it’s worth the risk.Â
The mental load of a winter expedition is significantly higher than a summer one. Having a partner not only makes it easier to share the challenge and maintain morale, but also provides a crucial check-in to prevent poor decisions when you are cold and fatigued. Additionally, higher water levels make river crossings more dangerous, which encourages safer, paired crossings. From a practical standpoint, sharing gear is also more weight-efficient, which is a major benefit considering the extra weight carried on winter expeditions.
Ultimately, no matter how competent you are, there is always a chance something will go wrong, and a partner provides a highly recommended margin of safety.
Navigation
Navigation in winter is a critical safety component that demands a high level of skill and preparation. Snow can completely obscure the trail for long distances, disorienting whiteout conditions are common, and hikers must be vigilant to avoid specific alpine hazards such as cornices.
Digital navigation strategy
Our preferred method for winter is a combination of a smartphone for primary mapping and a GPS watch. A watch is particularly valuable in blizzard or whiteout conditions, as it allows for quick navigation checks without removing gloves and is more reliable than a phone screen, which may not function correctly when wet.
However, any digital method is only as reliable as the GPX file you are using. It is crucial to understand that the safest winter route often differs from the standard summer track. This is especially true in alpine regions where you must actively navigate to avoid cornices and may need to cross swollen rivers at safer, higher points. Therefore, do not follow a GPX file blindly.
While the FarOut app can be a useful resource, its AAWT route is less developed and has far fewer user comments compared to more popular trails. It should be used as a supplementary tool, not your primary navigation source.
Redundancy and backups
Given the remote nature of the track, having multiple navigation systems is essential.
- For a pair:Â A good level of redundancy is two smartphones in waterproof cases, an inReach Mini loaded with the GPX file as an emergency backup, and at least two independent charging sources (e.g. two power banks).
- For a solo hiker:Â A robust solo setup would include a smartphone, a dedicated backup GPS device or a second phone, and an inReach Mini.
For extra safety and convenience a GPS watch could be added to both setups above.Â
Alternative and traditional backups include a dedicated handheld GPS device and, of course, paper maps + compass. The Chapman & Siseman guidebook provides information on where to obtain the necessary paper maps for the entire route. Whilst paper maps have their place, our experience is that digital navigation is far more useful in whiteout conditions.Â
You can read more about our digital navigation tips here.
Click here to download our summer GPX file for the trail (non-commercial use only).
A whole traverse or just sections?
While a full winter traverse of the AAWT is a monumental achievement, it may not be the right objective for everyone, especially those looking purely for a ski touring experience.
Consider a section hike if…
Your primary goal is to ski tour and maximise your time on the snow. In this case, you would be better served by focusing on specific sections of the AAWT that offer the best and most consistent snow conditions. Trips on the Bogong High Plains or a traverse of the Main Range and Jagungal Wilderness (often called K2K, you can read our track guide here) will deliver a more continuous, high-quality alpine touring experience, without the challenging logistics of the full trail.
Consider a winter AAWT if…
You are willing to approach it as a long-form expedition, not just a ski trip. It is the right objective if you are prepared to handle the full spectrum of winter conditions, including deep snow, icy terrain, rain, and long, slow sections where skis are simply a burden.
Leave no trace
In line with Leave No Trace principles, all solid human waste must be packed out when you are in environments where it cannot be properly buried. This is a critical practice in snow-covered alpine regions where digging a 15-20cm cathole is impossible and waste will not decompose correctly.
For a detailed guide on how to do this, check out our comprehensive guide to carrying out your waste when hiking.
Mobile phone reception
For mobile reception along the AAWT, Telstra offers the most extensive and reliable coverage. While service is never guaranteed, it can often be found intermittently on a near-daily basis, particularly on high points and mountain passes. In some isolated areas, Optus may provide coverage where Telstra does not. Therefore, for the best possible connectivity, consider carrying SIM cards from both providers, utilising your phone’s dual-SIM or eSIM capability if available.
For guaranteed connection, consider a satellite communicator such as the Garmin inReach Mini. New phones paired with a Telstra plan also have no-reception texting capability via Starlink.
Useful resources
Other than the resources listed in our summer AAWT guide, other useful resources include:
- Our 7.2kg Winter AAWT Gear List
- Our Winter AAWT Trip Report
- Mark Oates’ Winter AAWT blogÂ
- The Oates brothers YouTube videosÂ
- Mountain Safety Collective (for daily backcountry snow conditions and reports)Â