These pictures may not be as nice as the ones I took before of winter on Mt. Hotham 
, but they still should give readers a good indication of how much snow has fallen on the mountain in recent days:
You can see more pictures here.
Tag Archive for 'Mt. Hotham'
This past winter has been the coldest in Victoria in the past ten years and these record cold temperatures are now extending well into spring:
VICTORIA’S wild weather looks set to continue, with predictions of further flash flooding, gale-force winds and hail and snow in some parts overnight and today.
State Emergency Services responded to more than 200 calls for help across the state yesterday, mostly because of fallen trees and powerlines.
Two women were rescued after a tree collapsed on their car in Emerald. The driver, aged in her 50s, and passenger, aged in her 80s, were treated at the scene for hand injuries and taken to hospital.
For the third time in three years, East Gippsland residents sandbagged homes and businesses.
SES Victorian co-ordinator Stephen Warren said moderate flood warnings were in place for four rivers in East Gippsland.
“If we get a lot more rain it would affect towns such as Orbost and Bairnsdale. And predictions are we will,” he said.
At Mt Hotham, the coldest place in Victoria at -2.7C, there was a surprise snowfall.
Falls Creek also experienced a November fall, which residents said was the first in five years. [Herald-Sun]
Here is a picture of the snow from a Mt. Hotham ski camera:
Keep in mind that in recent years these late snows are not unsual. Last year snow fell in the middle of summer time on Mt. Hotham and two years ago it snowed across the Victorian high country on Christmas Day:
This is just another example of where this eco-loon can find his snow.
Thanks to Andrew Bolt for linking to this prior posting on the great snow season we have had once again in Victoria.
Note that you can see high quality images of winter time on Mt. Hotham here.
Heavy snows have been falling in the Victorian high country leading to some of the best ski conditions in years. For example in Falls Creek they have over a meter of snow on the ground now which is the most in the entire state right now:
Falls Creek Ski Resort
Mt. Hotham Ski Resort located not to far from Falls Creek is likewise blanketed in heavy snow:
Mt. Hotham Ski Resort
Mt. Hotham is reporting 24cm of new snow and an average depth of over 100 centimeters.
Victoria’s other major ski resort Mt. Buller also has plenty of fresh snow:
Mt. Buller Ski Resort
The snow season this year is quickly turning into a quality one with this recent dumping of snow in the high country. For anyone thinking about going skiing in Australia now is definitely the time to do so.
Last month I made the drive up Australia’s very own Great Alpine Road in Victoria’s northeast:
The Great Alpine Road travels for 308 kilometers over the heart of Victoria’s high country between the inland, farming city of Wangaratta and the seaside city of Bairnsdale. I wasn’t planning to drive all the way to Bairnsdale but instead to the half way point at Mt. Hotham.
I have been up to Mt. Hotham before for skiing last year and have been meaning to get back up to this area in order to hike one of the most famous trails in all of Australia, The Razorback Trail:
The trail ran along a ridgeline between Mt. Hotham and to the summit of Victoria’s second highest peak, the stunning 1,922 meter Mt. Feathertop:
The weather the day I decided to drive back up to Mt. Hotham was absolutely perfect, between the city of Wangaratta and the small mountain hamlet of Harrietville, was nothing but blue skies and the temperature was around 23 degrees.
From Harrietville, The Great Alpine Road begins its steep, winding journey up to the top of the Victorian Alps. Eventually the road reached the top of the mountains and I pulled over to take the picture below at Danny’s Lookout:
The lookout provided a stunning view of the Victorian Alps which included even distant views of Mt. Buffalo. Also from the lookout I could look down into a number of steep valleys that gave me great perspective of how high up in the mountains I was:
Despite the great view the first I noticed at the lookout however was how cold it was outside. I looked at the digital thermometer in my Jeep and noticed that the temperature had dropped to 5 degrees Celsius outside compared to the 23 degrees in Harrietville.
From the lookout I had a short drive left to go on The Great Alpine Road in order to reach Mt. Hotham and the start of my planned hike:
I eventually reached the location where the hike began, just below Mt. Hotham’s summit and parked my Jeep along the side of the road and took in the beautiful landscape of The Razorback lying in front of me:
I walked down the road to the start of the trail and saw that the distance to Federation Hut just below the summit of Mt. Feathertop is 10.5 kilometers:
I figured to get to the summit of Mt. Feathertop was probably about 11 kilometers and then add in the return walk, that would make the entire trip about 22 kilometers. It would probably take me three hours or more each way on this trip which meant it would take about 6-7 hours total to complete the hike. It was now 10AM which meant that I would finish the hike around 4:00-5:00PM, well before sunset.
Everything was going according to plan accept the cold, but I had actually packed plenty of warm clothes for just this possibility. I put on my winter jacket and beanie hat and headed down the trail confident that the hike itself would warm me up just fine:
The hike was really stunning with gorgeous views thanks to the mostly clear blue skies. However, something I hadn’t planned for before I took off on the hike began to occur. The farther I hiked the more the wind seemed to pick up. As I continued down the trail the wind was battering my face with a biting cold and was making walking on the trail twice as difficult.
I continued on though and the trail began to go up and down the various hills that composed the ridgeline. Eventually the trail dropped and wrapped behind one of the hills providing me a much needed windbreak:
However, once I came out from behind the hill I was once again on an exposed ridgeline with the winds absolutely pummeling me as I walked:
The picture I took above may look like a nice calm day, but it was actually 5 degrees out with strong blowing winds that made even taking this picture quite difficult. Also the act of requiring to remove my gloves to use the camera was quite unwelcoming as well. Despite this, I continued on, hoping to get to the far off tree line that could serve as a much needed windbreak.
However, I was quickly falling behind schedule on this walk which would make my return later then expected and possibly I might not get back before night fall if I kept this pace. This was not a welcoming prospect in this cold weather. I also figured that once I reached the higher altitudes the winds would only get worse and thus prevent me from making up any time I had already lost. Because of these reasons as well as the fact this walk had ceased to be of any fun and decided to turn around.
I hadn’t even walked halfway across The Razorback yet and I had already walked 1.5 hours. I took one more look at The Razorback and Mt. Feathertop looming ahead before turning around and heading back to the trailhead:
On the walk back the conditions didn’t improve but I did try to take some more pictures knowing that warmth would soon be found once I got back to my Jeep. In the below picture you can really get a good since of how jagged this land is with its steep hills and narrow valleys:
If you look closely in the above photo, you can even see Mt. Buffalo hovering in the background. Walking back the wind wasn’t hitting me in face as much anymore and I was actually able to enjoy the scenery a little more as well as appreciate how scenic The Razorback Trail really is:
Eventually the summit of Mt. Hotham was looming in front of me and it would only be a short walk later until I was back in my Jeep with the heater turned up as high as possible:
It ended up being a good thing that I got back to my Jeep when I did because if you look closely at the last two pictures you can see the dark clouds moving in. I got off the mountain and back home without any weather issues but on the Monday afterwards the big news story was the amount of snow that fell on the Victorian Alps that weekend, which I had just missed.
Even though I didn’t reach the summit I was glad I didn’t get stuck in a snow storm and really the missed opportunity to summit Mt. Feathertop has only made me that much more eager to attempt to hike up again.
Here are some final scenes from Mt. Hotham as I drive down the mountain and back to Melbourne. The first picture is out towards Mt. Bogong which is the tallest mountain in all of Victoria at 1,986 meters:
Mt. Bogong is pretty much just a big high plateau that is supposed to have some excellent cross country skiing. The top of the mountain had long been used for cattle grazing, but grazing in the high country was banned by the government two years ago due to environmental concerns. At the time it was a big issue in Australia because the ranchers claim high country grazing limits the effects of bushfires while environmentalists say cattle harms the natural environment. I haven’t read enough about this issue to really make an informed opinion, but I do know one thing the bushfires last summer were one for the record books.
The cattlemen huts though are still used on top of the mountain, however not by cattlemen, but by hikers now. I will definitely get around to climbing Mt. Bogong probably some time this summer when the snow pack melts off to check out these huts.
The most prominent mountain you see as you drive down Mt. Hotham is Mt. Feathertop:
The mountain is only slightly smaller than Mt. Bogong at 1,922 meters and the quite possibly the most beautiful mountain in Victoria. I will definitely get around to climbing this mountain sometime this year as well.
As you can see the snow pack on Hotham is still quite good, but the road was in good shape all the way down the mountain:
Here is a view of some snow gums and a deep canyon as I descend the mountain:
Looking off into the horizon there are more snow capped peaks of the Victorian Alps that are slowly being swallowed up by an incoming snow storm:
The clouds were definitely getting thicker with a few flakes of snow beginning to fall. I picked a good time to get down the mountain, but not before taking one last pick of my Jeep in the snows of the Victorian Alps:
Previous Postings:
The Mt. Hotham Ski Resort is located about 350 kilometers northeast of Melbourne and provides the best ski conditions in all of Victoria. Mt. Hotham is 1,861 meters high and the ski resort is known as “Australia’s Powder Capitol” due to its high levels of annual snow fall. When you drive up to Mt. Hotham the level of snow fall is quite evident but the ski resort isn’t. The first thing you see is this small ski run:
When I saw this I was left thinking, “This is it?” However, once I drove to the other side of the mountain the full ski resort opened up:
Mt. Hotham for Australia is actually quite a big resort though not quite as big as Mt. Buller which is located further south and closer to Melbourne thus making it more popular. Mt. Hotham does get its fair share of skiers though and was quite busy:
You had to wait a little while to get on the ski lifts but all in all it really wasn’t that bad:
Mt. Hotham has 14 ski lifts spread out across the mountain which were all operating when I was there. These pictures kind of give you an idea of what the ski runs are like:
Obviously Mt. Hotham is not the Rockies or the Alps, but is good enough to have some fun on for people here in Australia. If you are into cross country skiing than Mt. Hotham is the place to go because cross country ski trails here are quite outstanding. Here is a view of the ridge line known as the razorback leading to Mt. Feathertop that is really popular with cross country skiers:
The scenery is just spectacular. If you look closely you can see the skiers on the ridge line:
Mt. Hotham has 35 kilometers of cross country ski trails to check out. I have never tried cross country skiing but it does look like fun and maybe sometime I will try it out:
If skiing isn’t your thing there is also areas where you can go sledding as well:
All in all Mt. Hotham is a pretty good ski resort and I encourage everyone to at least try going to one of the Australian ski resorts at least once during their time Down Under.
Previous Posting: Exploring the Snowfields of Northern Victoria
Next Posting: Scenes from Mt. Hotham
During a recent weekend I decided to make a drive up to the northern Victorian Alps to go snowboarding at the ski resort on Mt. Hotham. I have never been to this area of the Alps before as well as never going snowboarding in Australia either. Needless to say I was quite excited to go and check it out.
To reach the northern Victorian Alps I drove north up the Hume Highway from Melbourne before exiting at Wangaratta on the Great Alpine Road. The Great Alpine Road is one of Australia’s legendary drives through the Victorian high country and ending at the Pacific coastline of Victoria. Mt. Hotham lies at about the half way point of the drive in the very center of the Alps. However, there are a number of mountains that are passed along the way before reaching Mt. Hotham such as Mt. Buffalo:
You can actually see Mt. Buffalo all the way from the Hume Highway but good views of the mountain can be seen once you reach the city of Myrtleford along the Great Alpine Road. Unfortunately this day the mountain’s top was covered in clouds, but it was still a beautiful looking mountain that I will definitely check out on a future trip.
After Mt. Buffalo, the Great Alpine Road continues through a beautiful valley following the Ovens River and eventually passing through the charming city of Bright. On each side of the valley is thickly forested mountains and occasional grazing land:
Just outside the city of Harrietville which is just east of Bright you begin to have great views of the snow capped Mt. Feathertop:
Mt. Feathertop is Victoria’s second highest mountain at 1,922 meters (6,306 feet) and was given its name because of the snow that remains on the mountain during the spring time looks like feathers sprinkled on the mountain. Right now the mountain is thickly coated in snow from all the precipitation the Alps have received this year:
Here is a picture of Mt. Feathertop shortly before the Great Alpine Road begins it’s ascent up the Victorian Alps:
Before traveling up the road you have to have vehicle chains. There are number of shops along the road that rent out chains that I had to rent for $30 a day. It was a bit annoying because I had a four wheel drive vehicle and the forecast said it wasn’t going to snow, but if you drive up the mountain without chains it is a $250 fine so it is best to go and rent your chains.
Anyway, as I proceeded up the mountain evidence of past bush fires was quite obvious:
The forest here in the northern Alps was not as scorched as badly as around Mt. Buller this year, but plenty of trees here were effected by the bush fires. Here is a picture of Mt. Feathertop through some of the these trees:
Mount Feathertop is definitely the most beautiful mountain I have seen in Australia so far basically just because it looks like a real mountain. Most of the mountains here are just large, round hills like Mount Hotham:
The Mt. Hotham ski resort is located on the very top of the mountain and if you look closely you can see the Great Alpine Road that skirts the side of the mountain in the above picture. Now compare Mt. Hotham with this view of Mt. Feathertop:
This spring I am definitely going to climb Mt. Feathertop when some of the snow melts. It is to dangerous to climb now because of the snow and ice along with the unpredictable weather in the high country during the winter. Hikers and cross country skiers have been killed in these mountains after getting lost in sudden blizzards that have hit the mountains.
I was ready for any potential blizzards as I was driving my Jeep up this mountain:
As I drove up the mountain and reached a high ridge line above the tree line, great views of the surrounding high country began to open up including views of Mt. Buffalo:
The clouds around had broken a bit from the summit of Mt. Buffalo thus I had a decent view of the mountain to the southwest. The view to south was of the typical high rolling hills of the Victorian Alps skirted by the Great Alpine Road:
Looking to the west I could see the valley I had just driven through to reach this point:
To my north was the summit of Mt. Hotham. If you look closely you can actually see the ski lifts on the top of the mountain:
Here is a close up of the snow gum trees on the summit of Mt. Hotham:
Here is a picture of the ridge line running from Mt. Hotham to Mt. Feathertop that is known as the razorback:
Further up Mt. Hotham I had an even better view of the razorback running towards Mt. Feathertop:
Hiking the razorback to Mt. Feathertop is actually one of the most popular hikes in all of Victoria thus when I climb Mt. Feathertop this spring this is probably the route I will go. Overall though, the views up here are spectacular and it is almost hard to believe you are still in Australia. This was just the beginning to a great weekend.
Next Posting: Mt. Hotham Ski Resort
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