The stick of wise leader Rafiki.

Raced home from work last night, wolfed down dinner and B, C, J and I jumped in the car and headed out of town. Four hours (and the entire Roxette greatest hits album) later, we arrived in Harrietville and bunked down in a caravan park for the night.

Up early for our hike up Mt Feathertop, the second highest mountain in Victoria.
Oats eaten.
Feet taped.
Checked out the Riverside Crew.
Drove to the start of the track.
Signed guest book.
Started hiking.
Up...
And up...
And up...
Tough, but very picturesque walking.
Three-and-a-half hours and about 1200m of elevation change later, we reached Federation Hut.
J cooked a ripper lunch - risoni with rehydrated vegetables and B's beautifully cut chorizo.
Beautiful views from our lunch spot - in one direction looking out over a valley and up to the Razorback and, in the other, a view of the summit of Feathertop uninterrupted by cloud.
Pushed on towards the summit, leaving our bags under a tree at the turn-off point.
Up...
And up...
Until about 20 metres (elevation) from the summit when my fear of heights got the better of me... The steep drops off either side of the path were making me feel a little uncomfortable, so I stopped and enjoyed the views while the others horse-played their way to the top.
Quick walk back to the turn-off point, collected our bags and made our way to the net hut.
Filled our water bottles from the stream emerging from the sides of the rock.
Marvelled at the stupidity of two guys trying to descend a slippery 45 plus degree slope to avoid walking round to the path.
Hit the space-age Melbourne University Mountaineering Club Hut at about 4pm. Pretty amazing construction. Nearly 40 years old, it has two levels inside, the higher of which sleeps fifteen people.
Out of sweaty gear.
Into warm clothes and beanies.
Cup of soup.
Photos of a beautiful sunset, the sky pink below the clouds and still bright blue above them.
Dinner.
Upstairs to play 500, eat chocolate and get out of the way of the loud-talking group of sixty-or-so-year-olds drinking Jaegermeister downstairs*.
Zonked, so out to it by eight pm.
Rugged up in warm sleeping bags, in a warm hut...
With a leaking roof...

Stacks of photos to choose from today, but I did particularly like this one that J took. I'm the one in the middle.


*We are such party animals.