How Climate Change Rewriting Australia Hiking Landscape

On a crisp morning in the Snowy Mountains, Ruby Olsson used to start her alpine hikes with the crunch of snow beneath her boots. Now, more often than not, she finds mud and exposed grass. “The mountains are changing faster than we ever imagined,” said Olsson, a PhD researcher at the Australian National University (ANU) and lead author of the 2024 report Our Changing Snowscapes.

Her words echo a growing realization across Australia’s outdoor community. The landscapes that once defined adventure are transforming under the weight of climate change.

According to the 2024 State of the Climate report by CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), Australia has warmed by 1.51°C since 1910, with more frequent and intense heatwaves, longer bushfire seasons, and shifting rainfall patterns.

“The signs are everywhere — from the coasts to the high country,” said Dr. Karl Braganza, Climate Services Manager at BoM. “We’re seeing increased fire weather, reduced snow, and more marine heatwaves. These trends are altering not only ecosystems, but the way Australians experience the outdoors.”

For hikers, that means less predictable seasons, more closed trails, and greater risks from dehydration and extreme temperatures. The quintessential Australian adventure — spontaneous, wild, and free — now demands meticulous planning.

The Disappearing Snowlines

In Our Changing Snowscapes, Olsson and her co-authors, including Professor Adrienne B. Nicotra, Director of the Australian Mountain Research Facility, found that the Australian Alps could lose up to 55 days of snow cover by 2050 under high-emission scenarios.

“Many alpine species depend on the snow,” said Prof. Nicotra. “When the snow melts too soon, it doesn’t just change the scenery — it changes the survival prospects for plants and animals, and by extension, the entire human experience of these mountains.”

The research shows a 5–24% projected decline in precipitation across alpine zones by mid-century. Hikers accustomed to winter treks now encounter barren slopes and eroding trails, while ski resorts face shorter operating seasons.

“Every winter feels like it’s coming a little later and leaving a little sooner,” Olsson said. “It’s not just data — we see it in the field.”

Adventure Under Pressure

The implications stretch far beyond the snowfields. The Climate Council of Australia has warned that climate change threatens the nation’s tourism identity — from reef diving to desert trekking. Bushfires, floods, and heat extremes have forced closures in national parks, damaged access roads, and disrupted local economies.

“Adventure tourism is on the frontline of climate change,” said Dr. Jaci Brown, Research Director at CSIRO’s Climate Science Centre. “Every season now carries a layer of uncertainty.”

To adapt, some operators are introducing climate-aware itineraries — earlier hikes, nighttime treks, and off-season eco-tours that minimize heat exposure. National parks are also trialing real-time warning systems for hikers during extreme fire or weather events.

Yet, adaptation can only go so far. “The physical risks are increasing faster than we can manage them,” said Olsson. “We’re trying to document and protect what remains before it changes beyond recognition.”

When Adventure Becomes Witness

For many Australians, hiking has long been an escape — a way to disconnect. Now, it’s becoming a way to reconnect with reality. The disappearing snowlines, the blackened remnants of bushfire, the empty riverbeds — they tell a story that scientists like Olsson and Nicotra have spent years quantifying.

“This is no longer a distant threat,” Prof. Nicotra said. “Climate change is rewriting the Australian landscape before our eyes. The mountains are living classrooms for what the future looks like.”

Some hikers have begun documenting these transformations online, turning their adventures into acts of citizen science — sharing images of glacial melt, dry waterfalls, and invasive plant growth in high-altitude regions.

Despite the grim projections, researchers emphasize that it’s not too late. The Our Changing Snowscapes report outlines a roadmap for adaptation: stronger emissions reduction, investment in ecosystem restoration, and low-impact adventure tourism.

“The spirit of exploration is still alive,” said Olsson. “But now, exploring means understanding how fragile these environments are — and what it takes to keep them alive.”

For Australia’s adventurers, the challenge ahead is not just about endurance or navigation. It’s about learning to hike with awareness — to tread lightly on trails that are vanishing underfoot. (Sulung Prasetyo)