Razorback Winter Trek
3 Days 1690 ex Harrietville
Accommodation
1 Night Hotel
1 Night Tent
Transportation
Mostly on foot
Transfers included
Included Meals
2 Breakfasts
1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Trip Grade
Category 3
High Heart Rate Holiday
Charity
We’re Working On This One
The Razorback on Mt Feathertop is a year-round playground for the adventurous. Long Autumns and Springs, lead into hot Summers and cold Winters.
Here we are, embracing, not shying away from the cold, and about to embark on a true adventure!
The Razorback is a stunning ridgeline running north-south between Mount Feathertop and Mount Hotham. It is one of Victoria’s most scenic walks, reveling in 360-degree views the entire way along its 11km length. During the warmer months, the Razorback is a great training walk for those training for longer treks overseas as you can complete it in a day. In winter though, the Razorback becomes a whole different experience. Alpine areas require a range of skills and experience to be safely navigated during the winter months, we believe that anyone should have the pleasure of experiencing a place like this, which is why we use our experience to enable you to get out there safely!
To get the most out of our trip, we’ll meet in Harrietville at your leisure on the first day. We will be briefed and have our gear checked, before settling in for a night in the iconic Snowline Hotel. After breakfast on Day 2, we’ll be transferred up to Mount Hotham and the start of the Razorback trail. We’ll hike the 11kms across one of Australia’s most scenic ridgelines before camping in a sheltered nook, just below Feathertop’s summit. With an early start Sunday we will walk up to the summit of Little Feathertop to see the sunrise bathe the snow-covered mountains in all their glory (weather dependant). Then a short hike down Bungalow Spur back to Harrietville for lunch before departing.
“Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.”
Ernest Hemingway
The Feathertop Bungalow operated as a commercial ski lodge from 1925 to 1939. Were it not destroyed by bushfire, the mountain may have become a major ski resort.
Our Razorback winter program is designed for those with a little experience in the outdoors and looking for the additional challenge of winter conditions. You will be required to carry your own personal equipment, plus half of the tent you’ll be staying in (1.2kgs). The total weight will be approximately 10-13kgs. Hiking poles are strongly recommended! We will carry all the food and cooking equipment, plus group safety gear. Your efforts will be well rewarded with some of the most spectacular vistas the Victoria high country has to offer in the winter.
So get set for a weekend of adventure, trekking through a winter wonderland, along a trail with some of the best views of the Great Dividing Range in Australia.
And on your return to home, you can smugly smile knowing you probably just did something no one else you know has done before. We love that feeling!
The Journey
We’ll meet in Harrietville ideally by 7pm for a team dinner, but you’re free to arrive at any time. Enjoy a team dinner at the pub and a briefing for tomorrow’s hike.
After breakfast, we’ll be driven up to Diamantina Hut to start our hike along the Razorback. We’ll hike for approximately 11kms over the undulating ridge, stopping for lunch along the way and taking the time to enjoy the incredible views. We’ll arrive at Federation Hut mid-afternoon and establish camp. (B,L,D)
From Federation Hut, pre-dawn (weather dependent), we’ll climb to Little Feathertop’s summit to watch the sunrise. We’ll then descend back to camp for breakfast, rest, then head down Bungalow Spur. We’ll take a lot of snacks so we can get all the way down to Harrietville for lunch, and depart to head home by around 2pm. (B)
What a great weekend adventure. I love this trip because in a matter of hours, we are up in the mountains, hiking through snow, camping in the snow, and basically having an awesome adventure. Our Razorback Winter Trek is perfect for those who need some adventure in their lives, for those who have a bit of hiking experience and want to take the next step, and for those who want to learn a few new skills, such as snowshoe hiking.
Peter Miller
Australian Guide
Includes
- One night’s accommodation twin share in Harrietville
- Transport to and from the trail
- Use of snowshoes and poles
- Fully guided weekend
- Hassle-free supported camp
- All camp equipment, ie tents, cooking equipment etc
- All meals and snacks from Saturday breakfast to Sunday breakfast; 1x lunch, 1 x dinner, 2 x breakfast and snacks.
- All permit and camping fees
Excludes
- Personal clothing, backpack, mattress, sleeping bag, cutlery, bowl, and cup.
- Dinner in Harrietville on Day 1
- Transport to and from Harrietville
An Important Note(s)
For this trek to run we need a minimum number of 4 guests to join.
We have a range of equipment available for hire if there is anything you don’t have including backpacks, sleeping bags, and rain gear. Please get in contact with us to discuss!
Winter invites white; white invites silence; silence invites peace. You see, there is so much peace in walking on the snow!
Mehmet Murat Ildan
Our Accommodation
We combine a hotel and tents on this expedition. In Harrietville, we will be staying at the Harrietville Snowline Hotel which has become an icon of the area for its great food and hospitality.
On the Razorback Trail, we will spend 1 night out in a tented campsite. We use Mountain Designs Kaon 3 person tents on a twin share basis, i.e. there’s 2 of you in a 3 person tent, which makes for plenty of room! We provide 3.8cm self-inflating mattresses and all cooking equipment. There are no designated shower facilities on the trail or at the campsite, but there will be pit toilets at the campsite. While we are sleeping in tents, each of the campsites also has a hut that can be used in the evenings for cooking and socialising if the weather is less than favourable!
Snowshoes? How does that work?
Because we will be walking the Razorback in winter, the trail will be covered in snow. To do that in normal boots would be almost impossible let alone very uncomforatable, cold and wet. You see, our boots are perfect for walking on solid surfaces, but on snow, they just push right through as the snow is very weak.
To overcome this we use snowshoes. These clip to your boots (a little more on your boots soon), and what they do is displace your weight over a much wider area, thus keeping your feet and legs on the surface of the snow rather than in it.
We will show you the technique to walk with snowshoes as there is a particular technique which you will pick up in no time.
So that the snowshoes can clip to your feet, you will need a boot (not a shoe as melted ice can easily come in from the top) and the sole of the boot needs to be quite rigid (not so flexible like a runner). The boot needs to be waterproof. Wool or synthetic socks that wick water are essential.
With these points in mind, we know you are going to love snowshoeing the Razorback.
What's the weather going to be like?
Great question and who knows? Yes this is winter and yes it will be cold, but even in winter, we can have beautiful blue sky and sunny conditions. But guess what? We can also have the opposite, with snowstorms, whiteouts, and high winds. We will be able to handle most situations, however, our guide will have the latest weather forecast for the ridge and they will assess if the weather is appropriate or not. This is all part of the adventure and while we hope for the best weather we always prepare for the worst.
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