Mount Kosciuszko: 1, Us: 0.

We’d planned and were looking forward to summiting Mount Kosciuszko this weekend, ending with a cosy campfire along the banks of the Snowy River. But the weather had other plans, and we were served up 80 km/h winds and horizontal rain instead.

We gave it our best shot. Although we’d originally targeted the 18km return trail, we called it quits after struggling to cover a measly 3.5km in 3 hours. Eeks. And with Sunday’s forecast of certain sleet and snow, we decided it was more prudent to retreat to lower, drier ground. So back towards Canberra we went, where we cooked our camp fare of BBQ lamb, couscous and roasted vegetables on proper BBQ grill and ovens, downed with civilized glasses of wine and schnapps.