The Jagungal Wilderness is one of the most picturesque areas in The Kosciusko National Park. It is the area stretching from Mt Jagungal south to Guthega Power Station and offers great views towards the Main Range. The best way to appreciate the true beauty of the Snowy Mountains is to get off the beaten track and explore The Jagungal Wilderness.

We chose to begin our ride at Round Mountain which is near Mt Selwyn ski fields. From here we headed towards Derschkos Hut where we stopped for lunch. Derschkos Hut was once used by Park Rangers and is one of the most pristine huts in the region. The potbelly stove would be a welcome sight to many cross-country skiers but not to us, after cycling in 30+ degree heat. We decided to spend the night under the stars, preferring the mice free environment of our tents.

The next day we climbed Mt Jagungal where we got a great view towards the main range and further south in to the Jagungal Wilderness. The northern side of the main range is much more spectacular than the other sides with a steep wall down to the Geehi River. It was here that we saw the last person until Guthega Power Station as we left the track and headed into the beckoning wilderness. The soaring temperature and the lack of shade made this day difficult. Once we reached our destination for the day, Mawson’s Hut, we set up camp and luxuriated.

Mawson’s hut is an old tin hut but is one of the most interesting of all huts. Inside is a small library where one can read some of the many books written on the area. From the hut a distant Mt Jagungal can be seen through the few trees.

That night a pleasant change came, and this led to much nicer cycling conditions for the next day which required us crossing the Kerries range. The sometimes 360 degree views from the range is a must for all cyclists  visiting the area. At the end of the range lies Gungartan, a mountain that is slightly higher than Mt Jagungal. We decided to climb it as we had plenty of time and the climb looked very easy. At the top of Gungartan a strong wind blew from the north, this wind was so strong that you could lean right in to it. After descending Gungartan we climed onto the saddles and headed down a gully that would take us to Schlink Hilton Hut. From there we zig-zagged down the gully. After negotiating this gully we arrived at Schlink Hilton Hut where we had a quick stop and headed on to White’s River Hut for the last night of our trek. Once in our tents we heard a distant rumbling, so it was out of the tents for a guy rope test. The storm battered us with wind, hail, lightning and lots of rain.

The next day was an easy ride down a fire trail to Guthega Power Station.