Bright 4 peaks - Day 2 - Mt Feathertop

Day 2: Sunday - Mt Feathertop

Distance: 11.990km
Start Altitude: 505
Top Altitude: 1922
Climb: 1417
Time: 3:35:21


The highlight of the 4 days was the Mt Feathertop run. Getting to the top of the summit of the second highest mountain in Victoria was great.

We started in a town that I have forgotten the name of. Harrietville maybe? I started earlier than most because I knew I would take a while. It was a nice clear day, but it was chilly for a Queenslander.
The run went through some suburban streets then on to a track. The scenery was nice, and the track was very busy with lots of walkers and runners, but not too many that it was crowded. It was good to see the scenery change with the altitude. The climb is frustrating, because just when you think you are close to the top, you find that you are just at the top of a ridge and there is more climb to go. I knew it must be a long way to the top because I didn't see anyone coming back down, despite more and more runners passing me. Stupidly I didn't take any food. Eventually I came to the campsite near the top, where there were lots of people and tents, and a block of tiolets. I could see a naked hilltop that I assumed was the summit. Thank goodness, because I was getting tired and beginnning to wonder if I would make it to the top and back down again. I asked some runners coming back down (only the second lot of people I saw going down the hill all day) where the summit is. Turns out it was still a long way away, 2 k's or so. Doh! Followed a ridge and then saw part of the real summit emerge from a saddle, complete with lots of little specks of people all over it. It was still a long way up. I was stuffed but kept pushing on, eventually getting to the 'real' top. It was great. The weather was perfect, a little bit windy but i bet it was probably as good as it gets. 360 degree views, we could see Mt Bogong and Mt Hotham. Could see heaps of mountains and valleys below, all the way around. Glad I stuck at it, the view was worth it. Pity I forgot to take my camera. It took me 3h35m to get there from the bottom. The 'run' finishes at the top, the only way to get back is by foot, back down the mountain. After a bit of a breather, we turned around to go back down.

I wanted to get down quickly because I was hungry, and stacked it. Was running and tripped over a rock rather spectacularly and have scabs on my hands, arms and belly to proove it. Found later that 3 others also injured themselves on the way down, even though the downhill is not actually part of the event. They must have been hungry too.