Excellent and remote feeling alpine scenery on this sometimes off-track circuit walk up to the summit of Mt Tate (2068m), in Kosciuszko National Park near Guthega.
I didn’t really know what to expect on this circuit walk up Mt Tate (2068m) in Kosciuszko National Park, but it turned out to be one of the better walks I’ve done on mainland Australia. The views from the summit of Mt Tate are particularly good, and include looking over the rocky plateau of the Main Range towards some of Australia’s other highest peaks. The route through colourful and varied alpine scenery is unmarked, and for much of the time there’s no track, but navigation is easy in good weather, and you might have the place to yourself, as I did even on Easter Saturday.
It all feels quite remote, even though the circuit is a comfortable day walk from Guthega Village. And it certainly offers better scenery than the probably crowded ascent up Mt Kosciuszko. Perhaps the only downside is no clear route down from the East Ridge through scrub, but I managed well enough despite being used to nice clear tracks. If you want to extend the walk you can trek all the way over to Mt Twynam, and return to Guthega from there, but that will definitely be an all day affair. Track notes at the end.
Mt Tate Circuit: The Scenery
Looking back towards Guthega Pondage. Vapour trails in early morning light. A colourful Mt Tate rises steeply above Guthega Creek. Most of the ascent completed here. Looking south back along the outward. It looks from the trees that the prevailing winds are westerly, as they all lean to the left (east). Consett Stephen Pass on the far right. I liked the twisted form of these dead branches. They were evident in a few places. Looking south, back along the route up. Mt Tate with a very small tarn in the foreground. Guthega Creek Valley and Mt Tate on the right. A big old snow gum kicking on (you can see new growth in a couple of areas). I liked how this boulder was being colonised by an alpine plant. Looking up at one of the unnamed peaks I passed on the way to Consett Stephen Pass. A colourful scene looking down Guthega Creek. This yellow grass was so thick and deep in places that I would step into it expecting to hit the ground, only the ground was often further away than I had anticipated, causing me to stumble on a few occasions. I guess I’m a slow learner. Consett Stephen Pass. Mt Tate is a steepish climbt to he left.
I came across these two spiders, and felt that I had disturbed a rendezvous. There’s a story in this picture, I’m just not sure what. The spider on the left appears to be a wolf spider, and perhaps so is the one on the right but I couldn’t find a particularly close match on the internet. They don’t look all that similar, but it seem wolf spiders are somewhat varied looking. Approaching the summit of Mt Tate. The summit of Mt Tate (2068m) on the left, and other high peaks in the main range on the distant right. Looking west from near the summit of Mt Tate. The view from the summit of Mt Tate over the Main Range. Mt Twynam (2196m) on the left, Australia’s third highest mountain. The other two highest peaks are not so far behind. The view from the summit over the Main Range. Looking west again as I began walking down the East Ridge.
Interesting aesthetics viewed from the East Ridge of Mt Tate. The outward route was up that ridge opposite, walking from right to left. Guthega Creek as it enters Guthega Pondage.
A few shots from when I did this walk again the following summer (December 30th, 2019). The wildflowers were in bloom, although I liked the overall colour scheme more in Autumn. Summer was mostly green.
I took a slightly different line throughout much of the walk, staying a bit higher to avoid wet ground or thicker vegetation. Consequently I got a few different landscape shots, including this one with lots of rocks in the foreground. That’s Mt Tate in the centre. Remnant snow drifts in summer. Lots of wildflowers out. Loved these flowers. I think they are called Alpine Sunray. Candle Heath Billy Button
Track Notes
There’s an impact track over Guthega Trig but this eventually peters out. Follow roughly the 1930-40m contour around to Consett Stephen Pass, and head south to Mt Tate. Descend south off Mt Tate and leave the East Ridge to descend to the northern end of Guthega Pondage. This requires route finding through sometimes thick scrub. Aim if you can to follow an old ski lift line (roughly my dotted line).
I used track notes in an old copy of the Geehi Bushwalking Club’s book, Snowy Mountains Walks, and there are notes for the longer circuit via Mt Twynam on the Bushwalking NSW website. If you have a contour map then you can work out the route easily enough.
From Guthega you cross Guthega Dam, continue for a short while on a fire trail that switches back up the hill, then find a footpad which heads roughly north up the ridge through low scrub. On higher ground the track runs out, so navigate your own way north and then north west through alpine scenery, (avoiding the bogs and fens), to Consett Stephen Pass, and from there climb south (left) to the rocky summit of Mt Tate. Continue on southwards along East Ridge, eventually turning east to descend steeply from East Ridge down to the northern end of Guthega Pondage, where there is a footbridge over Guthega Creek (although you can easily cross the creek on rocks north of this spot). This descent may be through sometimes thick scrub, but better through this vegetation than the very delicate (and wet) bogs and fens.
December 2019 update: I did this walk again with Sophia and managed to find a much better route down, avoiding the worst of the scrub. We stayed on the East Ridge for longer, bypassing the bowl like depression I descended into in April, and dropping down from some rocks which provided a vantage point of the area. We came across large metal poles which once formed part of ski-lift equipment, and used them to guide our descent until near the bottom, when we veered left a little to arrive at Guthega Creek at the crossing. This route avoided the worst of the scrub and also boggy ground. Basically try and stay out of any little valleys or sunken ground.
One of the metal poles we used to guide our descent to Guthega Creek through more forgiving vegetation than on my first time doing this walk.
You’ll need to park your car in Guthega, and then the walk starts at the dam wall…
5 thoughts on “Mt Tate Circuit, Kosciuszko National Park NSW”
Hello edward Thank you. We completed this walk today. Completed in the opposite direction to you! We used the poles as direction to start. We must admit to reading the geehi club book notes and expecting an “easy 11 km”. Amazing walk free range is wonderful but the “ easy” rating we would challenge… more like a trumpism than truth. Thank you for you lovely notes we felt slightly more validated with your notes and how they aligned to our feeling of satisfied exhaustion.
Hi Caroline. Doing it in the opposite direction was probably a good idea. Would make navigation a bit easier through that overgrown section. Glad you enjoyed the walk. I felt it was a fair bit easier the second time I did it. Familiarity helps rather. But the first time was the best. More adventurous!
Thanks Edward. I completed this yesterday. I carried a pair of skis and boots out there so I could get a few runs on the remaining snow after missing the season due to Covid lockdown. There definitely are some thick areas of heath that make it hard to ascend. The old SMA lift line is a great guide to finding some sort of a track back down. So nice spending a whole day out there and not seeing one other person! Great place.
Hello edward
Thank you. We completed this walk today.
Completed in the opposite direction to you! We used the poles as direction to start.
We must admit to reading the geehi club book notes and expecting an “easy 11 km”. Amazing walk free range is wonderful but the “ easy” rating we would challenge… more like a trumpism than truth. Thank you for you lovely notes we felt slightly more validated with your notes and how they aligned to our feeling of satisfied exhaustion.
Hi Caroline. Doing it in the opposite direction was probably a good idea. Would make navigation a bit easier through that overgrown section. Glad you enjoyed the walk. I felt it was a fair bit easier the second time I did it. Familiarity helps rather. But the first time was the best. More adventurous!
Thanks Edward.
I completed this yesterday. I carried a pair of skis and boots out there so I could get a few runs on the remaining snow after missing the season due to Covid lockdown. There definitely are some thick areas of heath that make it hard to ascend. The old SMA lift line is a great guide to finding some sort of a track back down. So nice spending a whole day out there and not seeing one other person! Great place.
Sounds like a good day out John. Did you get to ski?
It was a great day. A dozen runs or so on about 150-200m patches – not much, but the only runs I’m likely to see this year!