Summer guest information

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Appropriate insurances are strongly recommended. Being rescued by an ambulance or air ambulance evacuation is not free and could involve changes from several hundreds to thousands of dollars. Your private Australian health insurance may or may not cover the cost in Australia, depending upon your level of cover. If travelling from overseas it is essential to carry travel insurance to cover ambulance and medical repatriation.

Be prepared and stay safe. We encourage you to follow the comprehensive TREK approach for planning ahead for your activities:

T - Take adequate supplies of food, water, navigation and first aid equipment.

R - Register your planned route / tell your lodge host when you expect to return.

E - Emergency beacon (PLB's) are available free of charge from NSW Police Force and NPWS.

K - Keep to your planned route, follow the map and trails.

Carry more water than you anticipate requiring. Water supplies may be unreliable. If going off track or overnight, you should take enough water to be self-sufficient for a couple of days, in case of emergencies. Stream water should be purified before drinking. You can boil water for at least 5 minutes or use treatment tablets, a filter or UV treatment. Remember to collect water upstream from toilets, huts and campsites.

The water at our lodge is safe for drinking, we have a water filter installed that filters all incoming water. There is a water fountain in the coffee area, however it is a slow pour and is the same water from the taps so you can fill your water bottles in your rooms or in the laundry. 

March flies can be an issue in Kosciuszko National Park at times, usually between mid December through February and particularly on calm, sunny days. They typically come out as the day starts to warm up around mid morning and will persist until the temperatures start dropping again. They tend not to be bothersome in the colder parts of the day or in windy conditions. They can administer a painful bite. 

To prevent bites, wear long, loose clothing as March flies can bite right through tight clothing such as gym tights. A fly veil may also be useful. March flies are known to be attracted to dark blue, so it is advisable to avoid wearing blue and other dark colours. The use of insect repellent may assist. 

It is suggested to walk on breezy days, setting out early in the day as the flies are worse on hot afternoons. Be prepared and only take short breaks as the flies have more trouble finding you when on the move.

Stay where you are. If you move about, you’ll be harder to find and use valuable energy. 

Find a spot out of the wind and make a shelter. Leave something visible out for people looking for you such as a colourful item of clothing. 

If you’re in the Main Range of Kosciuszko National Park (above the treeline), do not drop down into the trees except to seek temporary shelter. The forest areas are rugged and dense and it can be almost impossible for helicopters to see people on the ground.

Hypothermia is a drop in normal body temperature. It can happen in wet, cold or windy conditions. Not eating enough food and tiredness can contribute to hypothermia. A person with hypothermia might show these signs: 

• Exhaustion
• Lagging behind
• Slurred speech and a drunk appearance
• Difficult to reason with
• Stumbling
• Cold to touch
• A slow and shallow pulse. 

If you suspect someone has hypothermia immediately help them: 

• Warm the person from the inside out.
• Give warm sweet tea if the person is conscious. 
• Provide shelter and warmth with warm dry clothes, sleeping bag or shared body warmth. 
• Let the person’s body temperature rise gradually and allow them to rest.
• Avoid excessive external heat such as placing the person near a fire or under hot water.

The weather in our location is quite unpredictable and often changes quickly. It can snow at any time of the year in Kosciuszko National Park. Snow can cover walking trails causing walkers to become disorientated. Occasionally we experience big dumps of snow in the summertime which can also cover roadways. The roads are cleared by NPWS, however NPWS do not operate road clearing on weekends. It is not compulsory to carry chains in the park outside of ski season, however as there is a very slight chance you may require them or a 4WD to get around the park safely it is important to keep a close eye on the weather forecast and to plan ahead as chains cannot be hired in Perisher Valley. Snowshoes can be hired from Wilderness Sports in Jindabyne. 

Our lodge is located within a bushfire prone zone with one road in and one road out. Our bushfire plan’s primary action is: Leave Early. Our Lodge Manager monitors bushfire advice daily. In the event of an extreme or catastrophic fire danger rating, we will order all occupants to evacuate the lodge in a safe and orderly fashion, to our designated safer place. It is also a possibility that NPWS will close the park and all occupants will be issued with an evacuation order in the event of an extreme or catastrophic fire danger rating. 

Getting to the Valhalla:

During summer season, outside of ski season, guest parking is available at our lodge. Typically roads are open all the way to the lodge. Very occasionally we experience large volumes of snow in the summertime which may require the use of chains or a 4WD. Additional guest parking is located in the Perisher Car Park at the Ski Tube Terminal. 

Getting around the park:

Most loop or return trails have a car park adjacent to the trailhead. For other trails that require one way walking, we may be able to provide complimentary walker transfers, please contact us in advance to confirm if a driver will be available for your stay dates. Alternatively walker and bike transport can be arranged through either Snow Connect or Snow Link.

Our lodge is situated in the sleepy summer village of Perisher Valley. There are no food outlets, shops or restaurants open nearby. The closest village is Jindabyne. On weekdays, the NPWS Perisher Visitor Centre is open, along with the Perisher Valley post office (mornings only). For your comfort and convenience, we provide breakfast, a packed morning tea with lunch, a pre-dinner snack and a 2 course dinner. We have a small honesty bar onsite for snacks offering nuts, chips, chocolates, cookies, 2 minute noodles, soft drinks, suncream etc.