Welcome to the
Victorian Backcountry Companion
Important: read the Start Here section if you are new to this page
Introductory Touring Areas
Hotham to Christmas Hills
Half day tour
An easy tour and a popular family outing. Close to amenities, groomed downhills and well patrolled. It explores some of the Hotham backcountry heartlands and the suburban back streets in the same tour. With twice as much down as up thanks to a bus ride back to the start.
Mt Buffalo: The Horn
Half day tour
A right of passage? Or a quick lap for the legs? This popular day tour is one of the Vic Alps most aesthetic adventures, from the park gate to the trail head, to the summit. A must do for anyone, regardless of experience, if the snow’s on.
Mt St Gwinear to
Baw Baw Village
Day tour or Overnight tour
A fast and light overnight circuit through a remote range with the comforts of a ski village. Stride across the plateau then slide into a ski village. Eat, sleep and repeat.
Mt Hotham: Eagle Ridge
Day Tour
The Eagle Ridge at Mt Hotham has cemented itself as a beginner backcountry playground. Hotham skiers ‘play harder’ and this is an intro tour in an advanced setting. A ‘level-up’ tour perhaps.
Falls Creek: Watchbed Creek
Day Tour or Overnight
Cradle of freeride? Not sure if that is actually a thing, but the Watchbed Creek area beyond the dam wall at Falls Creek is super fun, easy angled terrain with something for everyone. Decent hike, heaps to do.
Mount Stirling Circuit
Overnight tour
The classic front range extended tour on managed backcountry trails and terrain, cosy huts with some big alpine vibes. The perfect intro to overnighting in the snow.
Intermediate Touring Areas
North Bogong High Plains: Mount Nelse and Edmondson's Hut
Extended Tour: 2+ days
An extended tour to the vast high plateau of the northern Bogong High Plains and the fourth highest mountain in the state, Mt Nelse.
Pretty Valley and the Rockies
Day tour or overnight
A varied side country tour with heaps of variety and huge vert at an intermediate gradient. Totally ‘Pulkable’ as an overnight option, complete with a very (small) cute hut.
The Bluff to Mt Lovick
Extended tour: 2+ days
Some of the states best scenery and intermediate terrain awaits the tourer in this unique and remote range thats only 4.5hrs from Melbourne CBD. Did someone say a plush hut?
Razorback South
Extended tour: 2+ days
The classic high traverse of the Razorback Ridge connecting Mt Hotham to Mt Feathertop. If the weather window is there, this tour will be hard to forget. Without good weather stay well away.
Advanced Touring Areas
Mt Bogong Summit via Eskdale and Michel Hut
Extended Tour: 2+ Days
The regular route for the majority of parties on this mountain, the Eskdale spur packs a punch before letting up its summit plateau. Thankfully there’s plenty of fun to be had around the hut.
Dropping in 2025
The Fainters via Jaithmathang
Extended Tour: 2+ Days
The Fainters ridge sits central to the range, has superb terrain on every aspect and plenty of shelter for camp. The remote nature of the peak ensures you will have it to yourself. Everyone else on Bogong or Feathertop is still just standing and looking at it thinking ‘That looks good!’.
Mt Feathertop and approaches
Extended Tour: 2+ Days
The matriarch of the range. Mother Gaia of the Vic Alps. And when you complete your long, hard, pilgrimage and gaze upon the seductive spines and chutes you have to pinch yourself and ask ‘Are we still in Australia?’. As good as anything, anywhere at this altitude.
Mt Buffalo: The Hump
Day Tour
The hump is a foreboding place and this steep technical little jaunt, haunted by the ghosts of ski resorts past, has a big time vibe.
Dropping in 2025
Mt Hotham: Dargo Bowl
Day Tour
The Dargo Bowl, west of Mt Hotham’s summit is likely the most accessible advanced backcountry venue in the country. Here’s a quick look at where to get steep and deep without getting in trouble.
Dropping in 2025
Mt Hotham: Brides Spur & Womens Downhill
Day Tour
Once the secret spot of the Hotham backcountry elite, this place is tracked out by sunrise after a storm. This tour is to help familiarise yourself with this complex little pocket of glades and faces. With any luck we can bring a semblance of order, spread the love, and manage the usage to ensure we all get a bit of ‘fresh’.
Dropping in 2025