YOU have all seen them.

The marketing photos for Hotham with a perfect cornice, great powder or corn snow, gorgeous light and Mt Feathertop in the background.

Most of those shots, whilst they are beautiful and within the official ski resort boundary, are NOT within the lifted ski terrain of Mt Hotham.

This Spilling the Beans is about getting that feeling for yourself.

The Cross, Pink Hamburg and Mt Hotham North Ridge make up my Part 3 of classic Hotham sidecountry descents.

Sunny north-facing terrain across two broad bowls interspersed by several spur lines, the expansive views across to Mt Feathertop are what will draw most people in, but its short distance from the ski lifts is another bonus, being only a few hundred up from the Loch car park.

Without a car, access is easiest via the Summit chair, a traverse past the Telecom tower and then gently down directly toward The Cross.

If wondering what it looks like before skiing it, check it out from the top of Gotcha chair, looking across to the true summit of Hotham.

Launching from the highest point on the Great Alpine Road at The Cross, the descents here can be as short or long as you like, with the technicality increasing and getting more interesting the further one descends.

Skiable vertical is in the realms of 250 metres, depending on conditions.

Skinning back up is a joy.

The surroundings are as superb as the looks of shock and awe from the passengers from passing cars when you regain the roadside at the top.

The picnic bench at The Cross provides the ultimate 'side-country après ski accoutrement', where a liquid refreshment and much banter can be indulged.

A short wander down the road to Heavenly (not recommended) or skin back up to the Summit chair allows for an inbounds ending to an outbounds session.

Pick the right wind conditions if seeking to ski Pink Hamburg & Co in powder.

Pick the right sun conditions if looking for a corn harvest later in the season.

These slopes have some of the very best corn snow around Mt Hotham, but getting the timing just right can be a challenge for the uninitiated.

Go too early in the morning and it can be hard pack.

Leave it too late in the afternoon and it can be an exercise in ski-grabbing, snotty, nastiness (now that’s quite the technical description).

Get it right and corn is some of the most fun, fast and forgiving snow in the land of Oz.

Do some snow dancing for late season storms and rip a few lines into one of my favourite spring skiing sectors.