Rescued politician thought his number was up

Victorian government minister Tim Holding has thanked his rescuers after spending two nights lost in freezing conditions and snow on Mt Feathertop in the Victorian alps.

"People who know me know I like talking about emotional things even less than I appreciated being in the forest the last few days," he told reporters on Wednesday.

"I'd like to thank a few people, search and rescue, I want to thank the police, I want to thank the SES (State Emergency Service) and army."

Holding said he wanted to thank all involved in his rescue, as he spoke from the Victoria Police Centre, flanked by his many rescuers.

Holding also thanked friends and family and his partner Ellen Whinnett for their support during the ordeal.

He added he was grateful for Ms Whinnett's work in getting the initial phase of the search underway.

Holding said he made good progress initially but slipped on ice as he tried to backtrack to Federation Hut.

"I slipped on some ice, fell a long, long way," he said.

Holding added he panicked as he slid "several hundred metres" down the icy mountain on Sunday.

"When I slipped on Feathertop and I slid off the top of the mountain I thought I was going to die," an emotional Mr Holding admitted.

"I slid very, very fast and if you've ever slid in the ice before, you'll know you start slowly and you slide faster and faster and you gather huge momentum."

He said he had his backpack on, and as much as he tried to stop using his hands and feet, he couldn't come to a halt.

"It turned me around and at one stage I was upside down, and I went a long way as I slid down the side of that hill on that ice," Holding said.

"It's a lot of time for a lot of things to go through your mind, and think about a lot of things, one of them being how do I stop, but you know you can't.

"And I thought I'd go off the edge of a cliff or hit a rock and that would be it.

"But I came to a stop."

He said he was happy to see media helicopters shortly before he was rescued.

- AAP