Kosciuszko High Country Gravel Circuit

The Kosciuszko High Country Gravel Circuit is the closest Australia gets to alpine bikepacking in the European sense. The route links the gravel fire roads, ski resort access tracks, and high-country station roads of the Snowy Mountains and Victorian Alps into a loop that covers the highest rideable terrain on the continent.

The circuit runs through Kosciuszko National Park, across the Monaro plateau, into the headwaters of the Murray and Snowy rivers, and over the Victorian Alps near Falls Creek and Mount Hotham. The riding alternates between smooth gravel fire roads with long sight lines, and rough double track that climbs above the snowline to open alpine meadows. At its highest points, above 1800m, the views across the main range are unobstructed by trees and extend for 50km in clear conditions.

The season is tight. The high country is snow-covered from June through November, and the access roads are often closed or impassable with ice until December. By April the evenings are already cold enough for frost, and by May the route is closing again. The window of December through March is ideal: long days, wildflowers on the exposed ridgelines, and the iconic summer-afternoon thunderstorms that build over the main range. These storms are fast and severe — watch the sky after noon and don't be on exposed ridge when they arrive.

Water is reliable from mountain streams throughout, but treat everything — cattle stations use these streams as well. Snowy Mountains Scheme roads and reservoirs are a recurring landmark on the circuit.

Main resupply points are Jindabyne, Thredbo Valley, Corryong, and Bright. Between these towns the circuit is remote — some sections are 60-80km between services, and mobile coverage is unreliable. Download offline maps and carry a full day of buffer food.

Brumby encounters on the high plateau are common. The Snowy Mountains wild horses range freely on the grassland above the treeline and tend to cross the road at inconvenient angles. They are not dangerous but they are not predictable either.

Five to eight days is the typical range. Strong riders familiar with alpine riding can push 80-100km days on the better sections; the technical fire roads above Falls Creek slow most riders to 50-60km days.