Midnight Ascent 2026
Special Events
Fri 28 - Sun 30 Aug 2026
Posted by Ella E
on Tue, 30 Jun 2026
Leaders:
Ella E
Standard: Intermediate
Meeting: Tue, 18 Aug 2026, 7:00 pm
Midnight Ascent 2026!
What is this Midnight Ascent? - Only the premier event of the year!
Put simply, Midnight Ascent is the annual club trip to our snow-surrounded MUMC hut at Mt Feathertop, where the 4-7hr uphill walk begins at midnight on Friday and all sanity is left at the carpark. Think fancy dress in the snow, think three-course meal from scratch, think some classic adventuring with all your friends.
The full moon falls toward the end of August this year, and the trip will run on the 28th-30th August. More details to come. Sign-ups and theme will be released on the 21st July, please get in contact with an officer with any questions.
Firstly, a few key requirements of participation:
• You must have a demonstrated ability to be prepared for, and hike in wet conditions and very cold temperatures (e.g. in the snow)
• You must have been on at least two club trips to sign up and have a leader vouch for your ability to safely complete the trip.
• You must bring a costume that fits the theme of the even
• will attend the trip meeting on Tuesday 18nd August.
This is an intermediate to advanced trip and requires walking (with pack and tent) through potentially thick snow up a very steep incline in the dark. In saying this, the rewards are definitely worth it! Our mumc hut has been heritage listed and cannot be slept in until it is repaired so we will be snow camping. Your own gear is preferred however can also be hired from the club, including limited number of snow tents.
More details about all aspects of the trip will be released closer to the meeting but it will roughly follow the program below:
• Friday day/evening: Drive with hiking group toward hike start
• Friday midnight: Start hiking up North West Spur Track (aka Tom Kneen memorial track) It is a 7.3km hike with 1154m elevation.
• Saturday early morning: Arrive at MUMC hut in time for the sunrise (hopefully)
• Saturday morning: Set up tents and sleep in
• Saturday afternoon: Themed costume and games!
• Saturday evening: Cooking competition
• Sunday morning: Pack up and head back to Melbourne
Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
Back to list of trips