Midnight Ascent 2011

Requirements: Must have been on at least 3 club trips previously. No exceptions.

"Err what? That doesn't sound like fun to me ..." You think to yourself as you catch snippets of eager conversation at the pub one Tuesday night. The posse at the end of the table appear to be talking about a 'Midnight Ascent' – something to do with driving for way too many hours deep into country Victoria and then walking up a mountain in the cold for another umpteen number of hours.

A few beers later and your curiosity starts to take the better of you. A change in seats has put you right next to this group and at a pause in the conversation you timidly peep “Uhh excuse me, what is this ‘Midnight Ascent’ thing you are talking about?”

The table goes silent. Horrible thoughts run through your mind imagining you that you have said something incredibly taboo. You envisage them branding you an outsider, someone who is not welcome in this conversation and that the big scary rock climbers will seek revenge on you by torturing you in some sick manner with all of the strange ‘protection’ gear that they carry.

But this is not the case. Their faces all light up and they all start talking to you, animatedly explaining how much fun is had. With 5 people seemingly talking to you at once, eventually you gather that the trip is an annual event held up at the club’s hut on Mt Feathertop. Essentially it is a 3 course formal dinner atop the second highest mountain in Victoria.

But being an outdoors club, some things are not as they usually would be. For starters, everyone hikes – the showoffs ski – to the hut, a journey of at least 3 hours, but often around 6 hours. Doing that during the day would be too sensible, so after a 5 hour drive to the base of the mountain on Friday night, everyone then starts off hiking at midnight. Yes midnight. They are guided by torchlight, but ideally by the full moon that presents itself that night.

With some groups not arriving at the hut until after sun rise, Saturday can be a lazy day in the hut. For those who are enthusiastic there are terrific skiing and sightseeing opportunities to be had. In the late afternoon people start preparing their meals – in groups of 6 everyone is to prepare a 3 course meal entirely from scratch. No cans. No packets. No jars.

As the night progresses people start to don their outfits: following the theme of the year - glow in the dark or the traditional Black Tie. As the sun sets everyone head outside to freeze while the photographers do their magic, often very slowly!

This years details:

Sign up in the clubrooms in the special folder from July 12. No online signups.

The trip is limited to 40 people.

The trip meeting will be at 7:00pm Tuesday 9 August. If you do not attend, you will not go.

Any questions or queries send them to me, Mitchell Stephen, at