Mount Kosciuszko
Encyclopedia
Mount Kosciuszko is a mountain
located in the Snowy Mountains
in Kosciuszko National Park
. With a height of 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) above sea level, it is the highest mountain in Australia
(not including its external territories). It was named by the Polish
explorer Count Paul Edmund Strzelecki in 1840, in honour of the Polish national hero and hero of the American Revolutionary War
General Tadeusz Kościuszko
, because of its perceived resemblance to the Kościuszko Mound
in Krakow
.
The name of the mountain was previously spelt "Mount Kosciusko", an Anglicisation, but the spelling "Mount Kosciuszko" was officially adopted in 1997 by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. The traditional English pronunciation of Kosciuszko is kɒziːˈɒskoʊ, but the pronunciation /kɒˈʃʊʃkoʊ/ is now sometimes used, which is substantially closer to the Polish pronunciation AUD.
Various measurements of the peak originally called Kosciuszko showed it to be slightly lower than its neighbour, Mount Townsend
. The names of the mountains were swapped by the New South Wales Lands Department, so that Mount Kosciuszko remains the name of the highest peak of Australia, and Mount Townsend ranks as second. The 1863 picture by Eugene von Guerard
hanging in the National Gallery of Australia
titled "Northeast view from the northern top of Mount Kosciusko" is actually from Mount Townsend.
, from which it's an 8 kilometres (5 mi) walk up a path to the summit. Anybody with a modest level of fitness should be able to walk it. Until 1976 it was possible to drive through Rawson Pass to within a few metres of the summit. The walking track to Mount Kosciuszko from Charlotte Pass is in fact that road, which was closed to public motor vehicle access due to environmental concerns. This track is also used by cyclists as far as Rawson Pass, where they must leave their bicycles and continue onto the summit on foot.
The peak may also be approached from Thredbo, which is a shorter 6.5 kilometres (4 mi), and should take about 1 hour 45 minutes to reach the summit. It's not a difficult walk and is supported by a chairlift
all-year round. From the top of the chairlift there is a raised mesh walkway to the summit to protect the native vegetation and prevent erosion. Both tracks meet at Rawson Pass for the final climb to the Kosciuszko summit. Australia's highest public toilet was built in 2007 at Rawson Pass at an altitude of 2100 metres (6,889.8 ft). As over 100,000 people are now visiting the mountain each summer, human waste management is becoming a serious issue.
The peak and the surrounding areas are snow-covered in winter and spring (usually beginning in June and continuing until October or later). The road from Charlotte Pass and the track from Thredbo are marked by snow poles and provide a guide for cross-country skiers.
Kosciuszko National Park
is also the location of the downhill ski slopes closest to Canberra
and Sydney
, containing the Thredbo, Charlotte Pass, and Perisher Blue ski resorts. Mount Kosciuszko may have been ascended by Indigenous Australians
long before the first recorded ascent by Europeans.
Each year in December, an ultramarathon
running race called Coast to Kosciuszko
(aka C2K) ascends to the top of Mount Kosciuszko after starting from the beach 246 kilometres (152.9 mi) away. Paul Every, who is credited as being the one who thought of holding such a race, was the inaugural winner in 2004.
Higher peaks in the Australian geological continent
, but outside the mainland/country:
performed a song called "Kosciusko" on its 1984
album Red Sails in the Sunset
, referring to the mountain. The spelling was updated to "Kosciuszko" for the group's 1997
compilation album
, 20,000 Watt R.S.L.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
located in the Snowy Mountains
Snowy Mountains
The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", are the highest Australian mountain range and contain the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, which reaches 2,228 metres AHD, approximately 7310 feet....
in Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park covers 690,000 hectares and contains mainland Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko for which it is named, and Cabramurra the highest town in Australia...
. With a height of 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) above sea level, it is the highest mountain in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(not including its external territories). It was named by the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
explorer Count Paul Edmund Strzelecki in 1840, in honour of the Polish national hero and hero of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
General Tadeusz Kościuszko
Tadeusz Kosciuszko
Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko was a Polish–Lithuanian and American general and military leader during the Kościuszko Uprising. He is a national hero of Poland, Lithuania, the United States and Belarus...
, because of its perceived resemblance to the Kościuszko Mound
Kosciuszko Mound
Kościuszko Mound in Kraków, Poland, erected by Cracovians in commemoration of the Polish national leader Tadeusz Kościuszko, is an artificial mound modeled after Kraków's prehistoric mounds of Krak and Wanda. A serpentine path leads to the top, approx. above sea level, with a panoramic view of...
in Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
.
The name of the mountain was previously spelt "Mount Kosciusko", an Anglicisation, but the spelling "Mount Kosciuszko" was officially adopted in 1997 by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. The traditional English pronunciation of Kosciuszko is kɒziːˈɒskoʊ, but the pronunciation /kɒˈʃʊʃkoʊ/ is now sometimes used, which is substantially closer to the Polish pronunciation AUD.
Various measurements of the peak originally called Kosciuszko showed it to be slightly lower than its neighbour, Mount Townsend
Mount Townsend
Mount Townsend is the second highest peak of mainland Australia. Located in Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains , Mount Townsend is north of Australia's highest mainland peak, Mount Kosciuszko....
. The names of the mountains were swapped by the New South Wales Lands Department, so that Mount Kosciuszko remains the name of the highest peak of Australia, and Mount Townsend ranks as second. The 1863 picture by Eugene von Guerard
Eugene von Guerard
Johann Joseph Eugene von GuérardHis first name is variously spelled "Eugen", "Eugene", "Eugène", one source mentions "Jean" ; his surname is spelled "Guerard" or "Guérard". The most frequent combination is that used by the National Gallery of Australia: "Eugene von Guérard"...
hanging in the National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
titled "Northeast view from the northern top of Mount Kosciusko" is actually from Mount Townsend.
Reaching the summit
Mount Kosciuszko is Australia's highest mountain. Like many of Australia's highest peaks, Mount Kosciuszko is not particularly difficult to climb. There is a road to Charlotte PassCharlotte Pass, New South Wales
Charlotte Pass is a location in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia where the Kosciuszko Road crosses Kangaroo Ridge. The location is also often referred to as Charlotte's Pass, both colloquially and in official documents.Charlotte Pass Village Charlotte Pass is a location (elev....
, from which it's an 8 kilometres (5 mi) walk up a path to the summit. Anybody with a modest level of fitness should be able to walk it. Until 1976 it was possible to drive through Rawson Pass to within a few metres of the summit. The walking track to Mount Kosciuszko from Charlotte Pass is in fact that road, which was closed to public motor vehicle access due to environmental concerns. This track is also used by cyclists as far as Rawson Pass, where they must leave their bicycles and continue onto the summit on foot.
The peak may also be approached from Thredbo, which is a shorter 6.5 kilometres (4 mi), and should take about 1 hour 45 minutes to reach the summit. It's not a difficult walk and is supported by a chairlift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
all-year round. From the top of the chairlift there is a raised mesh walkway to the summit to protect the native vegetation and prevent erosion. Both tracks meet at Rawson Pass for the final climb to the Kosciuszko summit. Australia's highest public toilet was built in 2007 at Rawson Pass at an altitude of 2100 metres (6,889.8 ft). As over 100,000 people are now visiting the mountain each summer, human waste management is becoming a serious issue.
The peak and the surrounding areas are snow-covered in winter and spring (usually beginning in June and continuing until October or later). The road from Charlotte Pass and the track from Thredbo are marked by snow poles and provide a guide for cross-country skiers.
EWLINE
|
North Ramshead
Mount Kosciuszko summit(behind and obscured by cloud)
Etheridge Range
Mountt Clarke (
Kangaroo Ridge, Charlotte Pass
Snowy River headwatersKosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park covers 690,000 hectares and contains mainland Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko for which it is named, and Cabramurra the highest town in Australia...
is also the location of the downhill ski slopes closest to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, containing the Thredbo, Charlotte Pass, and Perisher Blue ski resorts. Mount Kosciuszko may have been ascended by Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
long before the first recorded ascent by Europeans.
Each year in December, an ultramarathon
Ultramarathon
An ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
running race called Coast to Kosciuszko
Coast To Kosciuszko
Coast to Kosciuszko is an ultramarathon run each December, from sea level in mainland Australia to the highest point, Mount Kosciuszko. It is 240km long and will be held for the 8th time beginning at 5:30am on Friday, 9 December, 2011....
(aka C2K) ascends to the top of Mount Kosciuszko after starting from the beach 246 kilometres (152.9 mi) away. Paul Every, who is credited as being the one who thought of holding such a race, was the inaugural winner in 2004.
Higher Australian mountains
Higher peaks exist within territory administered or claimed by Australia, but outside the mainland/continent:- Mawson PeakMawson PeakMawson Peak is a mountain on Heard Island, an external Australian territory in the Southern Ocean. With its summit at , it is the second highest peak in any state or territory of Australia, surpassed only by the Mount McClintock in the Britannia Range in Australian Antarctic Territory...
(2745 m (9,005.9 ft)) on Heard IslandHeard Island and McDonald IslandsThe Heard Island and McDonald Islands are an Australian external territory and volcanic group of barren Antarctic islands, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. The group's overall size is in area and it has of coastline... - Dome Argus (4030 m (13,221.8 ft)), Mount McClintockMount McClintockMount McClintock is the highest mountain in the Britannia Range in Australian Antarctic Territory, surmounting the south end of Forbes Ridge, east of Mount Olympus. It was discovered by the Discovery expedition and named for Admiral Sir Leopold McClintock, Royal Navy, a member of the Ship...
(3490 m (11,450.1 ft)) and Mount MenziesMount MenziesMount Menzies is the culminating peak on the large massif between Mount Mather and Mount Bayliss, standing on the south side of Fisher Glacier, Antarctica. It was sighted by Flying Officer J. Seaton from an ANARE Beaver aircraft in 1956, and mapped by an ANARE southern seismic party under K.B....
(3355 m (11,007.2 ft)) in the Australian Antarctic TerritoryAustralian Antarctic TerritoryThe Australian Antarctic Territory is a part of Antarctica. It was claimed by the United Kingdom and placed under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1933. It is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation...
.
Higher peaks in the Australian geological continent
Australia (continent)
Australia is the world's smallest continent, comprising the mainland of Australia and proximate islands including Tasmania, New Guinea, the Aru Islands and Raja Ampat Islands...
, but outside the mainland/country:
- Puncak JayaPuncak JayaPuncak Jaya or Carstensz Pyramid is the highest summit of Mount Carstensz in the Sudirman Range of the western central highlands of Papua province, Indonesia . Other summits are East Carstensz Peak and Ngga Pulu...
(4884 m (16,023.6 ft)) in New GuineaNew GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. It is the highest island mountain in the world, the highest mountain in IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and the highest in the Australian continent and OceaniaOceaniaOceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. - Puncak TrikoraPuncak TrikoraPuncak Trikora, until 1963 Wilhelmina Peak, is a 4730 or high mountain in the Papua province of Indonesia on New Guinea. It lies in the eastern part of the Sudirman Range of the Maoke Mountains. Behind Puncak Jaya at , it is either the second or third highest mountain on the island of New Guinea...
(4750 m (15,584 ft)) in the Papua province of IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. - Mount WilhelmMount WilhelmMount Wilhelm is the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea at . It is part of the Bismarck Range and the peak is the point where three provinces intersect, Simbu, Western Highlands and Madang...
(4509 m (14,793.3 ft)) in Papua New GuineaPapua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. It is the highest mountain in that country. - Mount VictoriaMount Victoria, Papua New GuineaMount Victoria is the highest point in the Owen Stanley Ranges in Central Province, Papua New Guinea at 4,072 metres. It lies approximately 75 km north-north-west of Port Moresby and can be seen on a clear day from the city.-History:...
(4072 m (13,359.6 ft)) in Central ProvinceCentral Province (Papua New Guinea)Central Province is a province in Papua New Guinea located on the southern coast of the country. It has a population of 183,983 people and is in size. The seat of government of Central Province, which is located within the National Capital District outside the province, is the Port Moresby suburb...
, Papua New Guinea. - Mount GiluweMount GiluweMount Giluwe is the second highest mountain in Papua New Guinea at . It is located in the Southern Highlands province and is an old shield volcano with vast alpine grasslands. Ancient volcanic plugs form its two summits, with the central peak the highest and an east peak about away at...
(4368 m (14,330.7 ft)) a volcanic mountain in Papua New Guinea. It is the highest volcanic summit in the Australian continent.
Cultural references
Australian rock band Midnight OilMidnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
performed a song called "Kosciusko" on its 1984
1984 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1984.-Janury-March:*January 21 – "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart, despite being banned by the BBC; it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top 40.*January 27 – Michael Jackson's...
album Red Sails in the Sunset
Red Sails in the Sunset (album)
Red Sails in the Sunset is an album by Midnight Oil that was released in 1984 under the Columbia Records label. This album was recorded and produced in Tokyo, Japan and is significant for becoming their first No. 1 album in Australia...
, referring to the mountain. The spelling was updated to "Kosciuszko" for the group's 1997
1997 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, 20,000 Watt R.S.L.
20,000 Watt R.S.L.
20,000 Watt R.S.L. is a compilation album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil released in October 1997 on their own label Sprint Music. The word "Collection" appears on the front of the CD along the hinge in the same type face as the title and the name of the band and may have been intended as...
External links
- Mt Kosciuszko Inc. — page for information about explorer P.E Strzelecki
- Peakware - World Mountain Encyclopaedia — photo
- http://www.aussie10.com - Hiking Mount Kosciuszko