Mount Stirling
Encyclopedia
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
and backcountry
Backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing is skiing in a sparsely inhabited rural region over ungroomed and unmarked slopes or pistes, including skiing in unmarked or unpatrolled areas either within the ski resort's boundaries or in the backcountry, frequently amongst trees , usually in pursuit of fresh fallen powder...
ski resort in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
approximately 230 km from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Mount Stirling is a popular location for beginner backcountry skiers and snowboarders due to its distance from Melbourne and proximity to the Mount Buller
Mount Buller (Victoria)
Mount Buller is a mountain in the Australian Alps.The summit of Buller can be reached by vehicle via the village coupled with a 500m short walk. It is also possible to climb the peak from Delatite river level you can follow the Klingsporn walking track. The Klingsporn track was the bridle trail in...
resort.
Mount Stirling Alpine Resort is an Unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of Victoria; the larger surrounding locality of Mount Buller is part of the Shire of Mansfield.
It is located at the head of the Delatite River, which flows westwards. It is surrounded by the Stirling Circuit Road, which provides access to mountains further into the Victorian Alps. In winter the road is closed at Telephone Box Junction, from which it is generally possible to ski to reach the summit (depending on conditions it is sometimes necessary to walk the lower section).
The mountain has fantastic views across to nearby Mount Buller as well as the high range that runs from Mount Cobbler through Mount Speculation and the Cross cut Saw and Mount Howitt. From there the range swings westwards, finishing in The Bluff, an impressive tilted plateau that has large clifflines on its northern side.
The lower reaches of the mountain are dominated by Alpine Ash forests, which merge into Snowgum Woodlands above about 1,400 metres. There is a small part of the summit area which sits above treeline.
Huts
There are a number of huts in the area of Mount Stirling providing emergency refuge to visitors:- Bluff Spur Hut is a shelter hut near the summit erected as a memorial to a pair of skiers who died of exposure on the mountain.
- Kingsaddle Shelter, an open shelter amidst towering Alpine Ash.
- Howqua Gap Hut was moved around Mount Stirling for loggers to shelter in and was left at the bottom of the Howqua Gap trail.
- Geelong Grammar School Hut on the other side of the summit from Bluff Spur Hut is owned by Geelong Grammar SchoolGeelong Grammar SchoolGeelong Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located at Corio, on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay....
and is used during cross country skiing by students from the Timbertop campus. - Craig's Hut in the Clear Hills, built as a set for the The Man from Snowy River film was destroyed on 11 December 2006 by bushfire. However, it has now been rebuilt.
- Mount No 3 Refuge Hut, rebuilt in 2007
- Bus Hut on the Mount Number 3 Road
Winter
In winter the area is a patrolled cross countryCross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
and back country
Backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing is skiing in a sparsely inhabited rural region over ungroomed and unmarked slopes or pistes, including skiing in unmarked or unpatrolled areas either within the ski resort's boundaries or in the backcountry, frequently amongst trees , usually in pursuit of fresh fallen powder...
ski resort.
Maps of ski trails are available at the entry gate.
Summer
In summer the area is popular with four wheel driversOff-roading
Off-roading is a term for driving a vehicle on unsurfaced roads or tracks, made of materials such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain.-Off-road vehicle:...
and bush walkers. The trail from the Circuit Road to the summit takes less than two hours to walk and is popular for day and over night trips.
Also, when it is not snowing or in danger of bushfires, the area is used by numerous educational groups.