Can't see The Feather from any part of the West Kiewa road, only from the High Plains. Can't see it from any part of the walk up, so a degree of optimism may be needed in order to continue carrying the snow tools. Went up in snowboard boots one year- not recommended. (Hot feet). Anywhere on the Razorback itself, bad weather will stop you in your tracks until it abates. Conversation while approaching the top of Bon Accord Spur after starting from Harrietville in Summer sunshine: "What is that howling noise" "You will know when we are on the ridge because you will no longer be able to stand up" And we couldn't.
Excellent thread guys, with a ton of great info. As one of those that are not into the really steep stuff, a few Q's 1. Where are the less extreme winter descents than the east facing gullies and slopes? 2. Are there good runs around Little Feathertop and other places on the west around Fed Hut? I seem to recall there was an article in an ancient Wild about skiing Feathertop and surrounds but I thought I might plumb the considerable knowledge gathered here.
little feathertop has good skiing is above the tree line. u wouldn't be able to ski for too long as the tree line approaches rather quickly bawbawbel is it possible to see the summit not the feather from the kiewa road? matt
Found the Wild article (Wild 48 from 1993) here at work of all places. Some good descriptions and piccies.
there is some less extreme skiing around Feathertop but it is a bit limited, and still in black diamond territory though not in the same league as the runs off Feathertop itself. 1. Little Feathertop on the Fed Hut side of the trees that break up the path from The Cross - limited vertical but you do get a bit more once the path is negotiated. 2. Little Feathertop on the Cross side of trees as above - more vertical narrowing as you go down but some good lines between the trees. On the trip I mentioned above we had great powder here, getting better the further we went down out of the wind. 3.from Molly Hill Cairn heading west towards Fed Hut then hooking into the same gully mentioned in 2. 4.East from the saddle between Feathertop and "Molly Hill". The cairn I understand is named after a person called Molly Hill, but I use it also as the name of the hill, in the absence of an alternative name.
during the snow season can someone take a picture of "the feather" As i have never seen why it is called "mt feathertop" i just thought it looked like a feather on the top? matt
The ridges between the east gullies aren't as steep and offer nice runs, although they can get a bit icy as you drop lower and arc into the gullies. The start of the Razorback near the Hotham road is also great - about 1/2 hour's skinning gets to nice, moderate terrain, although the runs aren't super long.
Cheers Graeme and gusc. I might have to make a return trip down that way this winter (if I can get a leave pass).
You may well wonder, Mattie, how such a significant sign of Spring as The Feather was very apparent to bushrangers of the 19th century, but not to bushbashers of the 21st. The High Plains were a highway in those days without bridges or track clearing, you know. "THE DARGO HIGH PLAINS . The most difficult part of my journey, that from Grant to Omeo, was yet to come—some sixty miles across what are known as the Dargo High Plains. These plains seemed to be on a level with Mount Feathertop, which is separated from them only by deep ravine. On the south the plains appeared to vanish into the horizon, and were everywhere too soft to bear a horse’s weight except on the northern edge, where is a narrow strip of more solid ground. For the person journeying along the very edge of the plain overhanging this ravine the fear is ever present lest his horse should stumble or shy—a fear aggravated in my case by the fact that I was leading a spare horse. The view down into these awful depths at one’s very feet, range rising upon range striped with snow at this late season, February, took one’s breath away."
Know what you mean. Trouble is, from a long way off, near Mt Cope say, quite a long lens would be needed. The Feather from there looks just like a Nike tick, or a floating feather, well below the summit. The summit itself just has narrow snow dribbles down the gullies. As for on the West Kiewa road (in the "deep ravine"), the summit can often be seen from various points, but there is no chance of seeing that snow nirvada that continues to skiers left for another 150 meters from the point that I took the December photo. Once, after setting up camp in the afternoon at the start of the route, I climbed for half an hour up an old timber road opposite Feathertop, probably 1000 feet up, but still could not see any sign of the elusive snowshow.
and the eagle, flying high above, dropped his feather. As espyed by a googly eyed raptor, with a tail wedged. Except our lofty sentinel has not had Lasik in years......
And with VSG having the last word on the subject in this thread it is off the (drum rolllll) "The Archives - The Knowledge Bank". So start a new topic on Feathertop if you wish or maybe it is time to pick on another hill. Although FT is hard to go past...aaahhhh
