Great Alpine Walk – 7 Days

The Great Alpine Walk begins in Southbank Melbourne at 8:00 am.  Travel via Milawa, Mt Beauty to Falls Creek Alpine Village. As part of the enormous Australian Alps National Park, the area is covered in a blanket of snow from late June to October. After this, the winter snows melt and flow as life-giving fresh water into Australia’s rivers. The grasslands and boggy areas hold vast amounts of water, allowing a never-ending supply for alpine rivers and streams even during the driest of summers. The rolling plains become a cool refuge from the hot valleys below, supporting masses of spectacular wildflowers and extensive snow grass plains. An easy late afternoon walk provides you with a good orientation to this unique alpine ski village.

Walking: Easy / 3 km / 1 hr

Meals: Lunch and dinner

Accommodation: Apartments at Falls Creek in rooms with ensuites

The walk begins from Pretty Valley on the Alpine Plain and traverses the Falls to Hotham track to Langford Gap. You also walk the Aqueduct Trail, which connects one of Australia’s early hydroelectricity schemes. The Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric scheme was built between the 1930s and 50s. Mountain cattlemen’s huts feature prominently on this holiday and today you’ll visit the oldest in Victoria – Wallace’s Hut. The ancient snow gum trees here are twisted and gnarled by centuries of harsh winters. After rain or fog, these tree trunks change colour to brilliant shades of red, orange, yellow and green.  This is the first part of the walk that links Falls with Hotham, we complete the link in the next 2 days.

Walking: Easy to Moderate / 15km / 5 hrs

Meals: Breakfast, walkers lunch and dinner

Accommodation: Apartments at Falls Creek in rooms with ensuites

Today’s alpine hiking trail will take in some of the Falls Creek peaks and pass another couple of the historic huts. The route begins along easy aqueduct trails again before climbing up through gently graded snow plains to visit secluded Fitzgeralds Hut. One more hut today – historic Edmondsons Hut where we’ll enjoy lunch amongst the twisted but beautiful snow gums.

The easier option for the afternoon takes us along Watchbed Creek and back to the bus.

The more challenging option heads up onto Heathy Spur and then cross country on a compass bearing to Roper Lookout. The track then descends to the shores of Rocky Valley Dam.

Walking: Moderate / 18 km / 5-6 hrs / easy option available

Meals: Breakfast, walkers lunch and dinner

Accommodation: Apartments at Falls Creek in rooms with ensuites

Few people, even locals, have done the walk all the way from Falls Creek to Mt Hotham. Here, we follow a section of the Alpine Walking Track (750 km between Walhalla and Canberra). You’ll be more likely to see brumbies (wild horses) than people here. Along the way, drop steeply down to the Cobungra River and Dibbins Hut (sometimes also called ‘Creep-Inn’ – you’ll see why), and then back through the Mt Hotham ski village. Skiers flock to Hotham for its renowned powdery snow. It is easy to see how the surrounding steep valleys would provide protection from strong winter winds, allowing snow to settle gently into deep drifts. Those taking the more leisurely option will do a shorter walk and then travel by bus to Mt Hotham.

Walking: Challenging / 22 km / 6-7 hrs / easy option available

Meals: Breakfast, walkers lunch and dinner

Accommodation: Apartments at Mt Hotham in rooms with ensuites

Today’s alpine hiking trail meanders through snow gum forests and across thick snow grass plains, where there are many spring wildflowers. The standard 10 km track to Dinner Plain is easy, but you can also add an optional 12 km return bushwalk to the aptly named Mt Tabletop. Accessing this remote mountain requires passing over some uneven terrain. Cattle once grazed these plains, and you’ll see the historic huts and cattle yards made by felling trees into piles. Walk into Dinner Plain, the highest freehold land in Australia, where every building is traditionally constructed with mud brick, weathered timber, local rock and galvanized iron.

Walking: Moderate / 22 km / 6-7 hrs / easy 10 km option available

Meals: Breakfast, walkers lunch and dinner

Accommodation: Apartments at Mt Hotham in rooms with ensuites

Another big walking day today on the Great Alpine Walk. The hiking starts along the breathtaking Razorback Ridge, surely one of the most dramatic walking routes in Australia. As you progress, Mt Feathertop gradually looms more and more impressively. The final (optional) steep climb to the summit of Mt Feathertop standing at 1922m is unparalleled.

Walking: Moderate to challenging / 20 km plus 2 km option / 6-7 hrs / easy option available

Meals: Breakfast, walkers lunch and dinner

Accommodation: Apartments at Mt Hotham in rooms with ensuites

It’s a short drive to Bright, for an easy two-hour walk through picturesque Bright Gorge and along the Ovens River finishes off the walking for this tour. There are numerous sluices, tailings, mines and shafts remaining from the gold mining days. After lunch in Bright, we travel back to Melbourne, arriving at the airport around 5pm, followed by a drop off at the Mercure Southbank at around 5.30pm.

Walking: Moderate / 7 km / 2 hrs

Meals: Breakfast and lunch