News
Australia has more accessible backcountry terrain than most riders realise. The terrain adjacent to Victorian resorts, the Bogong High Plains, and the Main Range in Kosciuszko National Park offer genuine backcountry splitboarding experiences that do not require helicopter access or serious mountaineering ability to reach. Here is where to go and what to expect at each level.
Victoria — Beginner Accessible Terrain
Mt Stirling
Mt Stirling is the best introduction to Australian backcountry for most riders. The terrain is gentle — open alpine meadows, modest slopes, well-defined runs — and there is a ski patrol presence during the season which provides a meaningful safety margin for riders who are new to operating without resort infrastructure. Access from the car park is straightforward and the tours are relatively short.
Mt Stirling does not have chairlift access — the entire resort is lift-free cross-country and backcountry terrain. This means the mountain has been quietly developing a backcountry culture for decades among riders who do not mind earning their turns. For a splitboard beginner doing their first independent tours, it is a forgiving environment to build skills.
Distance from Melbourne: approximately 240km, 3.5 hours.
Falls Creek High Plains
The terrain adjacent to and beyond Falls Creek offers the most accessible high-quality splitboard touring in Victoria. The Bogong High Plains beyond the Falls Creek boundary provide wide open alpine touring terrain with multiple descent options. The access from the resort boundary is well-defined and the terrain can be selected to match ability level — gentle open slopes for beginners, steeper chutes and lines for more experienced riders.
Mt Bogong — Victoria's highest peak at 1,986 metres — is accessible from Falls Creek as a multi-day tour. A serious objective for experienced tourers but one that is achievable without technical mountaineering skills in good conditions.
The terrain around the Falls Creek boundary is also accessible via guided tours — several operators run guided backcountry days from Falls Creek during the season. A guided day here is an excellent introduction to Victorian high-country terrain before you go independently.
Mt Hotham and Mt Feathertop
The terrain surrounding Hotham is more technical than Falls Creek in places — steeper lines, more exposed aspects, more consequence when things go wrong. For experienced backcountry riders, Hotham and the surrounding Feathertop area offers some of the best terrain in Victoria. For beginners, Falls Creek and Mt Stirling are more appropriate starting points.
Mt Feathertop, at 1,922 metres, is Victoria's second highest peak and one of the most spectacular backcountry objectives in the state. The descent lines from Feathertop are genuine — steep, open and rewarding. Requires real experience and good conditions.
The terrain just off the Great Alpine Road between Hotham and Harrietville also offers accessible day touring options without the commitment of a full backcountry objective. Gentle slopes just off the road are a low-stakes way to build skinning technique and transition practice.
NSW — The Kosciuszko Region
The Kosciuszko region contains the most serious and rewarding backcountry terrain in Australia. The Main Range — the high ridge connecting Australia's highest peaks from Mt Kosciuszko at 2,228 metres through Mt Townsend, Mt Twynam and the surrounding sub-peaks — is the destination for riders who want to experience genuine alpine terrain.
Charlotte Pass — The Gateway
Charlotte Pass is the most accessible launch point for Kosciuszko backcountry. During the ski season, the only vehicle access is the oversnow transport from Perisher — a snowcat that runs on timetable. From the Charlotte Pass car park you can access terrain ranging from beginner-appropriate gentle slopes around Blue Lake to serious steep terrain around Mt Twynam and the surrounding peaks.
The Blue Lake area is a classic Australian backcountry objective — a relatively straightforward tour with a dramatic alpine lake setting and descent options suited to intermediate tourers. The views from the Main Range on a clear day are unlike anything accessible from a chairlift in Australia.
Main Range — Serious Terrain
The terrain on and around the Main Range is the most consequential backcountry in Australia. Steep aspects, exposed ridge lines, avalanche terrain, significant consequences if things go wrong. This is where Australian backcountry riding is genuinely serious — not extreme in a global context but serious enough that riders who treat it casually occasionally run into trouble.
Experienced riders with solid AST training and multiple seasons of Australian backcountry experience will find the Main Range deeply rewarding. It is not appropriate for beginners regardless of resort riding ability.
Key zones: Watsons Crags, Mt Twynam north and south aspects, Carruthers Peak, the terrain around Club Lake and Albina Lake. Each offers different character and the choice of line depends on snowpack conditions, aspect and your group's ability level.
Perisher — Slackcountry Access
Slackcountry refers to backcountry terrain accessed directly from resort lifts without needing to skin up — you take a chairlift to the boundary, step through a gate and ride terrain that is not groomed or patrolled. Perisher has the best slackcountry access of any Australian resort, with multiple side-country zones accessible from the lift network.
Slackcountry is a lower-commitment introduction to ungroomed, unpatrolled terrain than full backcountry touring. You still need your avalanche beacon, probe and shovel — the terrain has the same risks — but the physical commitment is lower and the rescue distance to the resort is shorter. A good intermediate step between resort riding and full backcountry touring.
Overnight and Multi-Day Touring
For riders who want to go deeper into the Australian backcountry than a day tour allows, overnight and multi-day itineraries open up terrain that day-trippers never see. The huts maintained by the Parks Victoria and the Kosciuszko Huts Association in the Snowy Mountains provide shelter for touring parties willing to carry overnight gear.
Multi-day touring requires additional gear — sleeping system, cooking equipment, additional food and clothing — and more advanced navigation and decision-making skills. The reward is access to zones that require genuine commitment to reach and riding that stays in the memory long after the trip.
The Charlotte Pass to Mt Kosciuszko summit tour — a classic multi-day Snowy Mountains itinerary — is achievable for experienced day tourers willing to step up to an overnight objective.
Splitboarding in Australia — Full Guide · What Gear Do You Need? · AST Training Guide · Shop Splitboards · Visit Our Melbourne Store
