Australian Alps Walking Track
Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT) is a long-distance thru-hike in the alpine country of Victoria, New South Wales, and the ACT, running from Walhalla, Victoria to Tharwa near Canberra. Total distance is about 686 km, with a full traverse commonly planned around 5 to 8 weeks.
The route threads through major protected areas including Alpine National Park and Kosciuszko National Park (and adjoining wilderness areas), but it is not restricted to national parks for its entire length. It passes close to high points such as Mount Kosciuszko, Mount Bogong, and Bimberi Peak.
Travel is mostly remote high-country and exposed terrain, including crossing high plains such as the Victorian Bogong High Plains and the Main Range in NSW. The track also makes use of a mix of walking routes and link trails rather than a single continuous type of footpath, which is reflected in its uneven mix of walking surfaces across the journey.
Plan for navigation: much of the route requires highly developed navigation skills, with the ability to find your line where marking is sparse or absent (especially in wilderness areas). Even where track identification exists at intersections, you should not treat markers as your only method of route-finding.
Logistics are a core part of the walk. The track does not pass through towns, so typical planning involves food drops or a support crew to resupply across remote sections. It can be split into legs for planning, and it also passes near ski-area locations such as Mt Hotham, Falls Creek, Thredbo, Charlotte Pass, and Perisher.
AAWT is an extension of the older Victorian Alpine Walking Track, developed through promotion by walking clubs and government departments in the 1970s and later extended across the NSW border. The interstate nature of the route means it also crosses a range of land-management styles and track types as you move between states.
Entry points are flexible: you can join the AAWT at multiple places between Walhalla and Canberra where it connects with popular tracks in the national parks along the way. That said, the full thru-hike is best treated as a serious expedition through rugged alpine wilderness rather than a sequence of casual day walks.
More information: Conditions, Conditions, Wikipedia