Mount Hotham stands 1,845 metres above sea level, and the Great Alpine Road crosses its shoulder, making this one of the highest sealed roads in Australia. The terrain is a rolling, wind-bent alpine plateau of snow gums, heath and rock, quite unlike the stereotype of the Australian outback. In winter it is a major ski resort, buried in snow from June to September, and in summer the high meadows burst into wildflowers in December and January.
The area is the country of the Bogong moth, which migrate in huge numbers each spring from Queensland and New South Wales to cool caves in these mountains, where they spend the summer. Aboriginal groups gathered here each year to feast on the moths, in an annual event that was also a time for ceremony and trade. Later, cattlemen drove their herds up to the high plains for summer grazing, and their huts still stand in places. Dinner Plain, a village lower down, was built in the 1980s in a style inspired by those mountain huts.
The road itself is a joy for riders, if a challenging one. On the western side, it climbs from Harrietville in a long series of tight bends, with steep drops and sudden changes of weather. On the eastern side, it eases down through Dinner Plain to Omeo and the wide forests of Gippsland. The surface is good, but ice and snow are real concerns, and in winter chains must be carried on the road. Temperatures at the summit can fall below freezing even in summer. The best time to ride is from late spring to early autumn, with fog and cold wind always a possibility.
Fuel is not available at the top of the mountain, so fill the tank at Harrietville, Bright or Omeo before the climb. The village has cafes and restaurants, which are open longer in ski season, and Hotham Heights, just 2.7 kilometres away, has accommodation. Bring warm gloves and a windproof layer, and take your time on the descent, where brakes work hard.