Mt Feathertop winter panorama.jpeg

Epic Alpine Crossing

Victoria's 2 highest peaks and the plateau in between.
5 Long days, 3 big climbs, 2 river crossings and a partridge in a pear tree!
Expedition Snapshot

 

Location:
Activity:
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Alpine National Park
Snowshoe
7 days, 6 nights
Tented camp on snow
Extreme
'Think of the glory'
Expedition Overview

 

Are you looking to test yourself this winter? We are. We wanted to do something epic and we want you to join us.

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There's no getting around it - this trip will be a slog, but it will be worth it. We'll summit Mount Bogong, Victoria's highest and most prominent peak, cross over Mount Feathertop, its second highest, as well as traverse the Bogong High Plains. Over 5 days and 4 nights, we'll make 3 long climbs, cross 2 rivers, visit a number of historic high country huts and camp in the snow - all totally unsupported. Yep, thats the kicker. 

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For this trip you're signing on as a full expedition member. You'll need to have room in your pack for your share of food, tent and fuel, making your load a little heavier than our usual trips. 

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We're going to be completely open and honest about this one - it's going to be long, hard, cold and likely rather uncomfortable at times. But you'll sure have a few stories to tell!

Expedition Details

Itinerary

Day 1 Meet in Harrietville then group transfer to accommodation in Mount Beauty. Day 2 Transfer to Mountain Creek Campground/Carpark, ascend the Staircase Spur to Summit Mount Bogong. Traverse Bogong to camp at Cleave Col Hut. Day 3 Join the AAWT and head south towards the Big River. Cross the Big River and ascend to the Bogong High Plains - Camp at Roper Hut. Day 4 Roper Hut across the plains to Cope Hut. Day 5 Cope Hut to Blair Hut via Westons Spur. Day 6 Ascend Diamantina Spur, turn right on the Razorback towards Mt Feathertop. Optional ascent of Feathertop summit if there is time (unlikely), if not ascend Little Feathertop. Before descending Bungalow Spur to Harrietville. Accommodation at Snowline Hotel. Day 7 Breakfast in Harrietville, debrief and departure.



Who is this expedition for?

Experienced trekkers with high levels of fitness and resilience. You should be looking to push yourself both physically and mentally and more motivated by challenge than comfort. You will be required to carry approximately 18-20kgs for this expedition. Who is this expedition NOT for? If you have little or no trekking experience, if you need to guarantee warmth and comfort at the end of a long day or if you don’t have a high level of fitness - this trip might not be for you.



Inclusions

  • 2 guides for the duration of the expedition
  • Group safety equipment such as first aid kit and satellite phone
  • All catering while on expedition
  • Breakfast day 2 until lunch day 6
  • Group equipment including stoves - BYO personal cutlery and crockery
  • Use of 2-3 person tents - depending on the current COVID-19 situation single tents may be required
  • Hire of Snowshoes and trekking poles
  • Twin share ‘3 star’ accommodation for the first and last night
  • Transfers required to complete the one way journey



Exclusions

  • Personal clothing and equipment (including pack, sleeping bag and mattress)
  • Any meals, drinks and other purchases in towns
  • Personal medical and evacuation/ambulance insurance



Route Description

Day 1 Meet in Harrietville for welcome drinks and briefing. Once the group is assembled, the group transfers to accommodation in Mount Beauty. Day 2 12.2 kms - ⬆1430m - ⬇240m An early start. Transfer to Mountain Creek Campground/Carpark. Walk along Mountain Creek road for 2km to the Staircase Spur, ascend the Spur to Summit Mount Bogong. Traverse Mount Bogong eastwards over Hell Gap to camp at Cleave Col Hut. Day 3 9.1 kms - ⬆811m - ⬇878m Join the AAWT and head south towards the Big River. This river crossing could be one of our biggest challenges for the expedition. Cross the Big River and ascend to the Bogong High Plains - Camp at Roper Hut. Day 4 17 kms - ⬆222m - ⬇250m From Ropers Hut we'll join the Big River Fire Trail and cross the high plains to Cope Hut via Watchbed Creek and the Longford West Aquaduct. If we're making good time there will be an opportunity for a short side trip to Wallace Hut - the oldest cattleman hut in the high country. Day 5 13 kms - ⬆167m - ⬇688m Cope Hut to Blair Hut via Westons Spur. Day 6 17.2 kms - ⬆782m - ⬇1361m Today is the biggest day of the trip. We start very early, cross the creek and follow the road to the begining of Diamantina Spur. We ascend the spur, it will have a number of challenging sections depending on the conditions then continue up until it connects with the Razorback trail. Turning right on the Razorback leads us towards Mt Feathertop. If we started early enough, or have any energy left, there is an optional ascent of Feathertop summit for an additional 3km return and 165 vertical meters - this will be the steepest and most technical part of the trip. If not, we can ascend Little Feathertop and enjoy the spectacular view before lunch at Federation Hut and the approximately 3 hour descent of Bungalow Spur to Harrietville for a hot shower, great feed and a comfy warm bed! Accommodation at Snowline Hotel. Day 7 We can enjoy a comfortable sleep in on our last day before heading out for breakfast in Harrietville, debrief over coffee and depart for home.



Equipment list

This is a list of personal clothing and equipment that you will be required to bring for this expedition. If there is anything you don't have we can assist with either hire equipment or a discount code for our online store. Please enquire! Footwear

  • Sturdy waterproof hiking or mountaineering boots
  • 3-4 pairs of hiking socks
  • 1 Pair of light shoes/sandals/slippers or hut booties for night time (optional)
  • Gaiters - recommended
  • Snow Shoes - Supplied!
Clothing
  • 1 x shirt and pants for trekking
  • 1 x light to mid thermal top and bottoms for day use
  • 1 x mid to heavy thermal top and bottoms for evenings and sleeping
  • Mid to heavy weight fleece or merino top or light synthetic fill layer
  • Large down or synthetic fill over jacket
  • Waterproof and windproof rain jacket and pants (must be full waterproof and breathable min 20,000mm ie not ski jacket)
  • 3-5 pairs of underwear
Head and hands
  • Warm beanie or balaclava
  • Neck warmer
  • Dark sun glasses (sun on snow can be very bright!) - must be UV rated and ideally polarised
  • Sun glasses strap - too many pairs of sunglasses have been donated to the mountain gods to not recommend these strongly!
  • Snow/ski goggles
  • Light glove liners
  • Warm and waterproof over gloves - good quality ski gloves will suffice
Sleeping gear
  • Sleeping bag upper comfort limit rated to at least -8, recommended -10 or below.
  • Sleeping bag liner (recommend thermal liner if you have a lighter sleeping bag)
  • Inflatable sleeping mattress (ideally R-value 5 or above)
  • Close cell foam mattress for additional insulation - can be supplied on request
Health and hygiene

  • Personal toiletries

  • Toothbrush/paste

  • small facecloth or wet wipes (optional)

  • Feminine hygiene (if required)

  • Sun screen (recomend UPF 50+) or zinc

  • Lip Balm

  • Personal Medications

  • Pain killers (whatever works for you)

  • Anti-inflammatories

  • Throat lozenges

  • Small personal first aid kit

  • Small hand sanitiser

  • Toilet paper

Trekking gear
  • Hiking pack - 65-80L - keep in mind you'll need room to add your share of food and tent
  • 2 x water storage containers - either 2 x Nalgene bottle (or similar) or 1 bottle and 1 bladder. Bottle must be able to take hot water
  • Personal plate, bowl, knife/fork/spoon set
  • Hiking poles (can be supplied with snow shoes on request)
  • A few small accessory carabiners (to clip drink bottles etc)
  • Head Torch with 2 sets of batteries
  • Water proofing system for your pack - dry bags, large heavy duty garbage bags (bring a few spares!) and pack cover
  • Camera! (optional)
  • 1 x awesome attitude (this cannot be hired, must be brought from home)



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Come and visit us in the Grampians any time! Or get in touch however you like via the contact us page.

Ascending Eskdale Spur