The Walk In... & Out

The Walk In

After kitting you out in the village shop with your gear, we drive you up to the summit carpark and this is where the fun begins!

The walk from here to the top of Mt Buller summit is only 350m long but rises steeply (65m vertical), so it is a real “wake up the legs” moment. Luckily, the track is super nice, with a wide, grassy slope for the most part (that is often protected by the winter snow/wind fences), and then stairs for the final 100m push to the summit.

After catching your breath and taking 1000 photos of the views, it is nearly all downhill after that: about another 800m to the start of the route while dropping about 75 vertical metres.

The track however, from the Fire Hut Lookout onwards, becomes a real mountain track. Narrow, rocky, exposed and very uneven, but super fun and with continual, incredible views everywhere you look. So, take the time to stop and look up occasionally!

Be Prepared

As you are on the top of a 1800m Ridgeline in the Alpine, there is little protection from the elements, so be prepared. This is the one time you may need a jacket if there is any wind. And you will need sunscreen.

The West Ridge Track takes you about as far as you can go westward, then you start our zig zag access trail down to the routes start.

This is a trail that descends the steep, grassy slopes of the west face towards the cliff faces, and is often the spot where that first feeling of exposure comes in. We have put in a rope barrier along the way to make it feel a bit more comfortable, and at the end of it is the start of the route…

You’re there, and now the fun really begins.

The Walk Out

The Via Ferrata route finishes the same place you started, so the walk out is the exact same as the walk in, except back to front. It is 75m up over 800m to the Summit of Mt Buller, and then downhill to the carpark again where your lift awaits.

The walk out is often seen as the hardest part because you have already done 2 hours of exercise/climbing before your long, rocky, uneven uphill hike back up to the summit.

It is paramount that you make sure you eat well, and drink plenty before and during the tour to ensure you have the energy to safely make it back to the carpark.