I am planning to activate VK2/SM-001 Mt Kosciuszko on December 22nd.
If anyone is local / nearby / wants to join, I’d love to meet up. Please reach out to me here or via QRZ email, thanks!
This is also the last of my seven summits project so I expect to hang out and celebrate a bit.
Hi SBX
If you’ve done all those others I guess you might run up from Thredbo. Alternatives are to take the chairlift from Thredbo to the top of the range (aka “Top Thredbo”) then walk the 6.5 km to the top of Kosciuszko. if you are going back via Thredbo there are a number of places there that provide the usual liquid refreshments. But remember, it’s early summer in December, so the chairlift does not start until 9am local time and last rides down to Thredbo are at 5pm (or maybe earlier). The walk from the top to the chairlift is about 6.5km, mostly it’s a steel mesh pathway.
The alternative route is to drive thru Perisher to Charlotte Pass, the highest village in VK, where you can park and then walk 9km to the top of Thredbo. The two routes meet at Rawson’s pass, where there are public toilets and bike racks. And water. I have ridden my bike from Charlotte pass to Rawson’s Pass. Mostly only a mild slope but I had to walk the last 1-2km. Fast return trip though.
The weather is very changeable in that area, a sunny morning can progress through to a hailstorm by mid afternoon. Take appropriate layers. Temps can range from zero to 22C+. No doubt I am not telling you anything you don’t already know and practice, this would be the lowest of all your major activations.
Various 2m and 70cm repeaters are accessible from this summit. Simplex activity in the region is zero unless skeds are arranged in advance. Use the repeaters to arrange simplex contacts if you are carrying only vhf/uhf HT class equipment. The most common simplex freqs are 146.500 and 439.000 FM. The Canberra, Albury and Wagga repeaters are reachable. Closest vk1 repeater at Mt Ginini, 146.95 negative offset and 91.5 subtone for access.
At the summit, please don’t attach poles or antennas to the trig marker. Lots of tourists like to have their photos taken from the summit in particular from the top of the marker, which is a concrete monolith. Recommended approach for antennas is to be at least 10m away from the trig, and away from the walking path where the tourists get excited, usually to the west there is plenty of open space and a mild slope down to a rock formation. We have had at least one occasion where an officious tourist reported a “radio tower” had been erected on the summit and a ranger came up to tell us to leave the summit. This summit and others are in the Kosciuszko National Park, which is administered from Jindabyne which is half way back to Cooma. Some of your likely chasers on HF, mainly 40m, will be wanting WWFF and POTA codes for the park, apart from the SOTA reference. As it will be definitely the holiday season, expect plenty of other walkers and photography antics on the top.
Enjoy the trip and congrats in advance on the achievement. I hope to work you from Canberra.
Andrew vk1da/vk2da Association Manager for vk2.
Hi Andrew, thanks so much for the helpful and detailed response. I appreciate it.
For operating: I plan to have the KX2 and KH1 (backup) and I was planning to setup my portable mast away from the center concrete block that I’ve seen in photos. Thanks for the recommendation of setting it up over on the west side. I’ll mostly operate CW but happy to do SSB too - it depends on the WX! If I am limited on time, I’ll use the KH1 which should make the setup very simple. Appreciate the info on the VK1 repeater. I will throw in a HT in my pack in case HF isn’t cooperating.
I will have the POTA and WWFF codes handy, thanks for the tip on that.
For the route: I am planning to take the chairlift from Thredbo (where my hotel is the night before and the night after the summit) and planning on the 13KM roundtrip hike. I expect that my son will join me but if he does not, I’ll make it a run instead of a hike 
. 9AM start time for the chairlift sounds wonderful. I’ll aim to take the first one up.
Do you think there’s an option to add another peak in the area for some easy points? It’s not a priority but just curious. Main priority is to get back to a burger and a beer to celebrate this 5 year long project.
Thanks again!
I have activated Kosi is it is known locally a few times. Please be well, well, well away from the summit trig. There is plenty of space in the activation zone and I operate where I cant even be seen from the summit. Mt Townsend SM-002 is close by. It makes it a long walk and you will very likley miss the chair lift on the way down so have to walk the 5KM down, Geraerd VK2IO did both of these a while back on the same day. The Cascades SM-014 is a nice walk as well.
Noted on the operated position - thanks!
I will look up the suggestions on nearby peaks too, thanks so much.
I will be listening for you on CW
de W6LEN JESS
Hi SBX, as a chaser I will be listening for you.
Geoff vk3sq
Have fun! We hiked up first thing in the morning, before the cable car opened and fortunately we had the summit to ourselves. This was ideal, because it is where I proposed to Nic 2E0NYQ (she said yes btw 
).
I tried activating it on 2m FM with my handie, but didn’t make a single contact, so be sure to take HF. My experience of 2m in VK was generally disappointing, but I didn’t have HF as an option back then. I think I’d be fine today with the KX-2 and a dipole…
Well done on the seven summits, that’s amazing!!! 
73, Simon
for those who does not know yet 
Hi Simon, that is awesome - nice place to propose :))
Yes, definitely taking HF with me. If I am solo then I’ll run up before the lift opens up so I can maybe try to tag a couple of peaks - let’s see what my family says!
Thanks for the wishes!
Quite the history! I can never spell it right haha!
The Wikipedia page on Mt Kosciuszko rather than the Polish General after whom it was named provides some explanation of the confusion between the two summits and the popular story about the swapping of the names of this with Mt Townsend.
Thanks, Andrew - ps appreciate the tips about the flies!
Hi everyone, thank you for the contacts today! It was a brief activation as it was windy and getting a little too cold for my 14 year old to hang out! Really appreciate the QSOs
Hi again,
great to work you this morning, and good to see you also worked Warren VK3BYD as an S2S.
My summit was Mt Stromlo, the site of a former astronomical observatory operated by the Australian National University.
I think I heard you on 10m but you were more copyable on 40m so glad you made that move.
Congratulations on completing the list of astonishing mountain climbs.
73
Andrew
Yes great to get the S2S contact today.
What were you using for an antenna?
73, Warren vk3byd
Nice and thanks Andrew! Glad to get a s2s! I hung out at 10 meters for a bit to see if any US stations could get me and then quickly switched to 40 for the local stations! It was a windy and cloudy day after all day thunderstorms yesterday. It feels quite nice to wrap up this journey!
Thanks Warren! Appreciate it!
I was using a KX2 running five watts and the packetenna EFHW (deployed only the 20 meter wire). It was supported by the SOTAbeams carbon6 mast. I had the KH1 with me but didn’t use it.
Well, we had quite similar stations, I was using a Mid Band QMX and an 18m wire with external L Match. For today I used the local trees to hold it off the ground but also carry a light weight 6m squid pole for the less treed summits.
Very FB! I should use my mid band QMX more!
