Snowy Mountains Trip in April 2000 - by Jock Finlayson

I have recently completed - for the first time - some bushwalking in the Snowy Mountains area, which included making it to the top of Australia, along with Sue Bosdyk, Jan Liddiard, Cyril Crutch and John Tyssen.

We first had a trial run up Merritt's Nature Track to Crackenback Terminal then onto Dead Horse Gap along Riverside Walk and back to Thredbo. That was a fair day's bushwalking and encouraged us to challenge the big one the next day. But alas the weather closed in and we had to abort, so we did some nice walking tracks and had a great day.

Next morning it was fair and dry (like a spring day in Scotland) so we set out with great gusto to trek up Kosciusko (2228 metres) along the Main Range track, then with less gusto back along Rawson Pass onto the old Mount Kosciusko road into Charlotte's Pass. A great achievement and great satisfaction. Five and a half hours (The Duke of Edinburgh's Award could be forthcoming).

All in all it was a very enjoyable week, with great company and amazing country. I would like to say a big Thank You and Congratulations to Harry Croft for organizing such a top notch event. The organisation was first class and I was very impressed by the way he used the regiment's golden rule of the Seven Ts -

'Take Time To Talk To The Troops'.

This made it possible for us to know what we were up against before we made our assault on the summit. Sue led the way, as she had done the trek before. She was the front runner and I really mean 'runner'.