Feathertop via Razorback

Mt Feathertop via the Razorback is one of the classic alpine walks in Victoria, following the exposed ridgeline from Diamantina Hut towards Mt Feathertop. This trip will spend a night camping outside the MUMC Hut before retracing the Razorback back to the cars.

This is an intermediate alpine overnight hike and is intended for people with a decent amount of overnight hiking experience. The Razorback is an exposed alpine ridge with limited shelter, and conditions can change quickly, particularly this close from winter. Participants should be comfortable carrying a full overnight pack and hiking in cold, windy, and wet conditions.

The summit of Mt Feathertop will be an optional detour on the way to the hut, depending on weather, conditions, timing and how the group is going. The same goes for the return journey.

Saturday 10th - Diamantina Hut to MUMC Hut

• ~12–14 km, ~5 hours walking
• ~600 m elevation gain
• Leave from MUMC Clubrooms at 5:00am
• Drive to Diamantina Hut / Razorback trailhead
• Start walking along the Razorback approximately 9:30am
• Follow the exposed ridgeline towards Mt Feathertop
• Optional ~2 km return detour to the summit of Mt Feathertop, depending on conditions and group progress
• Continue to MUMC Hut
• Set up tents outside the hut
• Cook dinner and spend the evening at camp

Sunday 11th - MUMC Hut to Diamantina Hut

• ~12 km, ~4-5 hours walking
• ~550 m elevation gain
• Pack up camp and leave MUMC Hut at approximately 9:00am
• Retrace the Razorback towards Diamantina Hut
• Optional detour to Mt Feathertop Summit
• Return to the cars at approximately 4:00pm
• Drive back to MUMC Clubrooms, aiming to arrive around 9:00pm

Trip requirements

This is an intermediate alpine overnight hike and is not intended as a first overnight hike.

Participants must have previous overnight hiking experience and a good level of fitness. You should be comfortable carrying a full overnight pack for approximately 12–14 km over alpine terrain.

The Razorback is an exposed ridge with limited shelter, meaning there is significant exposure to wind and weather. Mt Feathertop is an alpine environment where conditions can change rapidly, and strong winds, rain and low temperatures are possible even outside winter.

As this trip is being run close to winter, participants need appropriate equipment and enough experience to safely deal with cold and potentially poor alpine conditions. If you have limited experience with overnight hiking or cold-weather camping, this probably isn't the trip to start with.

MUMC equipment will be available for hire on Tuesday night in the trip meeting.

Transport

We will meet at the MUMC Clubrooms at 4:45am Saturday morning, aiming to leave by 5:00am. And we should be back by 9:00pm on Sunday night.

Fuel costs will be determined using the MUMC fuel calculator.

Trip details, including departure and return times, may change depending on weather, road conditions and the pace and experience of the group.

Approximate walking distance: 24–28 km total, depending on whether the Mt Feathertop summit detour is taken.