Schlink Hut Tour

The Schlink Hut Tour originally started out as the first organized tour of the snow season for the Canberra Cross Country Ski Club, but in the end it was just Salome and I. We had really been taken by the idea and had been planning and getting our gear ready, so when the tour leader pulled out and told us that no-one else had shown any interest, we decided to go by ourselves.

Schlink Hut is an ex-Snowy Mountains Authority workers hut at the top of the high valley that heads from the Guthega Power Station at Munyang to Schlink Pass. Schlink Hut is then about one and a half kilometers past Schlink Pass. The aim of the tour was to head up the valley and stay at Schlink Hut and hopefully do some cross-country skiing.

We started at the power station at Munyang, where we parked the car. The good thing about the parking lot here is that it is one of the few places that high in the Kosciuszko Natonal Park where you can park your car overnight for multiple days. When we got to the car park, it was lightly raining with no let up. We got our Gore-Tex on, our packs organized, and decided to head up the road on the south side of the valley, as the distance was shorter, and there was a mountain hut not too far up the valley in case we decided to call it a day early, which ended up being a good idea. The haul up the hill was steep, but with the knowledge that we could gain altitude quickly made us push on and also kept us warm against the constant light rain. We rested regularly on the climb, but not too long as we started to get cold if we waited too long. The problem with taking a new route is that there are no familiar land marks to mark off the distance gone, and a map only helps to let you know you are heading in the right direction. We finally got to the top of the hill and had a few dips up and down on the road when we reached a sign that said ‘Horse Camp Hut 400 metres*’. Poor Salome was not enjoying herself so we made the decision to have a look at the hut, and if it was suitable, top there for the night as it was getting on to mid afternoon and the rain had not really let up.

Cutting wood at Horse Camp Hut

The hut was nestled amongst the snow gums, with a small clearing in front, an out toilet built on a solid concrete slab, and a small babbling creek of clear mountain water behind it. We opened the door and it had that wonderful hut smell off musty wood smoke. It was dry and sheltered, which was good enough for us. We dumped our gear down and checked out the facilities. There was a small room to the left, which had wooden bunk beds and a pot belly stove, while the main room had a large table, a big open fire place and plenty of kindling in the fuel box. On the wall on a nail were a couple of bow saws, so I headed outside to find some larger wood to cut up. Before long we had a good fire going (Salome, being a Solomon Islander, knows how to make a fire!), and I had four or five big logs cut up to get a big fire going. We hung all our wet gear up from the hooks on the ceiling and settled in for the night. A little later in the evening a couple of guys turned up, one of whom was also a ski club member. They were old bushwalking buddies for many years, and had walked up the hill in the dark and the cold. They were very glad we had the fire going. They pitched their tents outside, while we opted to sleep inside on one of the bunks. We had a very pleasant evening with a few drinks and more than a few stories.

In the morning Salome and I were up early, getting our gear ready to go and having breakfast. The other guys slept in taking advantage of the quiet privacy of their tents (one each, spaced well apart so as not to bother each other with snoring!). The track from Horse Camp Hut up to Schlink Pass follows a contour that carries a big water pipe (mostly buried), with a few dips, that then crosses the creek at a weir, then climbs steeply back to the main road, passes Whites River hut, and up to Schlink Pass. We made it up to the pass by late morning, resting in the sunshine and disappointed at the lack of snow.

Salome on the track to Schlink Pass

We headed on down the gently sloping road to Schlink Hut, but were put off when we found the hut was already occupied by a group of guys who obviously knew each other very well, and the hut itself was not in a very aesthetic position. If there was deep snow everywhere it may have been different, but we didn’t feel there was much reason to stay there. We headed back up to the pass and met the people staying at Whites River Hut, a couple of nice older guys with two children who were looking for somewhere to hide a winter stash of food to collect later in the season when skiing while one of the guys wife stayed down at the hut. We asked them if there was any room at the hut and they were very friendly and told us there was plenty of room and go right ahead. We were relieved to hear that as by then we were getting a bit track weary and wanted a sure base for the night. We got to the hut with the signs of a cold front heading our way, and had a pleasant evening around the pot belly stove again with a few drinks and stories.

Schlink Pass

During the night is snowed, so we woke to a morning of grey* skies and a new light layer of snow all over the ground and trees. The other people in the hut were up and about and ready to go early, as they had a much longer distance to drive home than we had. After they left, it started to snow quite heavily, so we decided to stay a while and see if we could get a bit of skiing in. The weather cleared a bit and I managed to get out on my new skis for a while, but there wasn’t really enough snow to do anything serious. I could tell that those new skis could turn though - just enough to wet my appetite.

Whites River Hut

It then started to snow heavily again, so we decided to get going in case it turned into a real blizzard. On with the Gore-Tex again, on with the packs and off down the road. Getting over the creek to get out of Whites River was a fun bit of rock hopping, but once back on the road the going was not too bad. We headed back along the contour track to Horse Camp Hut, as we figured it would be a good place to stop for a rest in case the weather was nasty. As it was, there were only light snow showers, with a bit of sun showing through by the time we reached the hut. By then we were thinking of a warm car and dry socks, so after a short break we made the last blast through to the car, which took a bit over an hour with easy going on the last few uphill parts of the road.

The journey to Schlinks was a good trek to get used to the conditions of the valley, what to expect from the huts, and which road to take to get there and back. It was a very magical place and felt like we were entering and leaving the valley of a mountain folk straight from Tolkien. With a good covering of snow, the place will be magic.

* Aussie / British spelling.