Mt Howitt, in the Victorian high country, is a wonderful destination at any time of the year. The easiest way in, of course, is the lovely trail from the Howitt Plains. The hardest direct approach is up the west spur from the Howqua River. In winter the options are more complex and way more committing. While you look across the Howqua valley to the metropolis that is the ski resort at Mt Buller, the ridges from The Bluff to the Howitt plateau feel wonderfully remote, and the A frame hut at Macalister Springs can feel like you’re at the heart of the Victorian high country. Weather, route finding and snow conditions can be variable and difficult. Heading to ‘Mac Springs’ in winter remains a classic hard trip for anyone who is committed to backcountry touring.
This winter, three friends, Hunter Williams, Oliver Huzzey, and Rainer Cook Tonkin, made the trip in to Howitt on old gear bought second hand on marketplace and with homemade ski crampons. In true backcountry tradition, it pushed them out of their comfort zones, providing a mix of misery, hard slog and elation.
Mountain Journal 
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