Runner lost for hours near Mt Hotham after taking a wrong turn

The 31-year-old Melbourne woman got disoriented after setting off at 11am on Sunday.

She took a wrong turn while planning to run for an hour.

Friends raised the alarm when they hadn't heard from the women for three hours, with search and rescue agencies notified.

The police air wing, CFA, SES and ski patrol staff began searching for the woman, who was only wearing light clothing.

She was found by a passing trail bike ride near Birregun Road, about 25 kilometres from Dinner Plain, and the man took her to his home in Omeo about 5pm.

Senior Sergeant Doug Incoll said the woman had a phone but the battery was flat.

"She only had light running attire," he said.

"It's only luck that a motorbike rider came across her.

"She had luck going her way, but it could have ended very badly.

"It was a good news story but it could have been a totally different outcome.

"She was cold but otherwise safe and well."

Senior Sergeant Incoll said people needed to take maps while out in the Alpine region, have proper clothing and a fully charged phone.

"They need to be prepared if something goes wrong," he said.

"If the weather turned and she became injured or had to stop, she would have gotten cold pretty quickly.

"Who knows what could have happened."

The incident followed the rescue of drunk man at Dinner Plain a few days earlier.

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