Hotham in mid-July is great! Staying at lovely Eiger Lodge at the eastern end of Davenport Village. There is a wide, groomed access trail behind Little Mt Higginbotham, that takes you down to the Skier's Crossing at Whitey's carpark, from there an easy access trail to Wire Plain and a network of great XC trails for all abilities. Mount Hotham also has great lifted runs for telemark enthusiasts and there is great backcountry skiing. We usually arrange this double-barrelled event so that members can book separately for the weekend and a subsequent mid-week booking. Whenever possible, we try to time these events so that mid-week participants can travel from Mount Hotham directly to Howman's Gap for the Social and Instruction Weekend. That's a whole 9 days of accommodated skiing for those lucky enough to be able to take the week off!

We don't usually have planned activities at this event. As is often the case for Melbourne Nordic weekends, participants tend to plan their activities in discussion with each other, often over a relaxed breakfast in the lodge. The excellent network of groomed XC trails at Wire Plain is easily accessed from the lodge. There are trails for all abilities. Beyond the trail network (past Whiskey Flat and the biathlon range)  you can cross under the road via the Skier's Tunnel and continue on to the freehold ski village of Dinner Plain (around 11km), if sufficient snow depth. There are free village buses from Whiskey Flat and Wire Plain if you don't feel like skiing back to Davenport Village. At Dinner Plain there is a pub and spa, so again you may want to take the return shuttle bus (~$16 one way). Of course Hotham has great lifted runs for telemark enthusiasts and there is great backcountry skiing beyond Mt Loch  and in the Dargo Bowl area. This is best tackled by skiers of intermediate and above ability, on touring skis, in a group, in fine weather. 

Eiger Lodge is best accessed from the stairs above Village Bus Stop 8 at the Easternmost end of the Mount Hotham village. If you are taking your car and don't have a Season Pass, the best option is to pay for your parking online in advance at:

         https://entry.alpineeasyaccess.com.au/UserPermit/Apply?group=day

That way, you can just drive in and park (the resort may check your number plates). Here's how parking works when staying at Eiger: 

• First park near Bus Stop 8 to unload your gear. You need to carry your gear up the staircase and across to Eiger Lodge (see map). The parking limit at the staircase is 2 hours.
• Then drive your car down the hill in the Omeo direction. The resort staff will direct you where to park.
• Finally, catch the free village bus service (see below) back to Bus Stop 8 and walk back to the lodge. The bus runs until very late.

Wheel chains are mandatory when driving to Mount Hotham (and there is a fair chance you will have to fit them because the road is steep and travels through an exposed high altitude area).

If you travel to Mount Hotham by bus, ask whether you can be dropped at Bus Stop 8. If the bus terminates at Hotham Central, you will need to catch the Village Bus (see below) to Stop 8.

Eiger Lodge supplies doonas and pillows. Guests are required to supply own linen - towel, top and bottom sheets and pillowcase (or you can hire for $15). No sleeping bags are allowed. This event is self catering in the fully equipped lodge kitchen, so you need to bring your food for the weekend. Food should be placed in the cupboards, fridge and freezer allocated to your room and/or in the cool room adjoining the kitchen. A cold store for drinks is available on the downstairs balcony next to the BBQ.

There is a hire shop at Mount Hotham that hires cross country gear and is located close to our accommodation.  Hiring off-mountain is also possible at various locations along the road (Myrtleford, Ovens, Bright, Harrietville) or you can even hire gear in Melbourne. The advantage of hiring at Mount Hotham is that if you have any issues with the gear, you can take it back and change it quickly. For this reason, we recommend that beginners hire on mountain.