Talk:Mount Kosciuszko summit trails

Banner

Are the footsteps in the banner easily recognizable? --SHB2000 (talk | contribs | meta.wikimedia) 07:53, 21 May 2022 (UTC)

You can see that it's trodden. Ikan Kekek (talk) 08:41, 21 May 2022 (UTC)

Okay thanks for the confirmation – it just looked a bit half-half to my eyes (but maybe that's just me). SHB2000 (talk | contribs | meta.wikimedia) 08:47, 21 May 2022 (UTC)

Climate

Now the article says that in winter "you need much more preparation [...] Hiking sticks, good snowboots, a puffy jacket and plenty of water". That doesn't seem much preparation for a Seven Summit hike. Does it mean that temperatures are only just below freezing and that hard winds and heavy snowfall are rare or dependably forecasted?

It would be good to have some notes on the climate, as those coming from farther away cannot just grab their hat, gloves, scarf and long underwear if the forecast tells them to – they need to have had them in their luggage, unless they feel like taking an extra shopping trip (or is one expected to be able to borrow them somewhere?).

–LPfi (talk) 18:17, 7 October 2022 (UTC)

@LPfi: Although Mt Kosciuszko is a Seven Summit, it's basically a Sunday afternoon stroll. It's very easy that there are even photos of the summit trail on Google Street View (during winter). Snow does regularly cover Main Range Track (completely), which is why one would need good hiking sticks, but otherwise you'd only really need the four things during winter. SHB2000 (talk | contribs | meta) 00:00, 8 October 2022 (UTC)

I understand that 2,228 m isn't like the ca 5,000 m of Mount Blanc & co. I checked the latitude, and realise that according to a rough altitude-latitude relation, the weather at the peak should perhaps be like ordinary Poland countryside. However, that doesn't mean that the climate shouldn't be told. Some might overdo it, others might be too careless.

The article said "Winter will require much more preparation", which I don't interpret as grabbing my warmer coat and boots instead of walking shoes. On the other hand, w:Snowy Mountains#Climate mentions a record low of −23 °C (−9 °F), and a kilted jacket won't be enough in such temperatures. It also tells about heavy winter snow, and even modest snowfall can make orienteering a challenge if trails and markings get covered. I wouldn't send out a friend from the south in a Polish snowstorm either. I now notice that that there is a warning in Main Range Track: "doing this walk in winter is not a good idea – weather can be unpredictable, and it's long". Good.

Some temperature info should probably be needed, for people to know what clothes to pack. I would know that I'd need to prepare like for a hike to imagined nearby uninhabited treeless hills over here, somebody who hasn't seen snow before might want to prepare more thoroughly. I added a recommendation to check the forecast.

–LPfi (talk) 06:33, 8 October 2022 (UTC)

Thanks for the addition. I'll admit that I haven't really attempted many hikes like these during winter, so I'd defer to you as to what you think is recommended. SHB2000 (talk | contribs | meta) 10:26, 8 October 2022 (UTC)

I don't know that mountain, so cannot say anything for sure, but I know what -15°C in deficit clothing means. And I know what it is like when visibility is down to 50 m in a landscape like those in the images in the article, and the snow cover has made all contours smooth, so that you cannot tell a stone apart from a bush or a heap of snow. –LPfi (talk) 18:17, 8 October 2022 (UTC)