Flew over to a conference outside of Denver recently, near our Colorado Springs office, and through careful planning I managed to squeeze in a morningās MTB before returning home.
The ride ā organized by my mate ā ex-colleague - Phil ā was to head up, āThe Chutesā Trail and then round Gold Camp Road and down āCaptain Jacksā Trail. Just a 2-hour jaunt, this meant we could fit in lunch before I jetted my way home.
The Saturday morning was overcast and a chilly 8 degrees Celsius. Didnāt stop me from doing an early morning run along the āPikes Peak Bike trailā that parallels Colorado Springās main creek. Actually, this was my second weekend creek run; Iād spent a night in Denver the week before and ran the āCherry Creek Trailā which has a bike path on one side and walker-only trail along the other: a beautifully paved run & bike trail in the heart of the city. If youāre in Denver, donāt miss it.
But this Saturday we were up for a solid ride. It was still overcast and damp weather at 8am when Trev (also Colorado-based for a couple of weeks engineering) & I drove to Bicycle Village ā where Phil had rented bikes - and after drooling over the latest $US bike prices, we headed to the trailhead.
Parking was on Ridgeway Ave in Cheyenne on the south side of town, and there in front of us next to the trailhead: a Pivot demo caravan with about 20 shiny loaner bikes..! Turned out we could have borrowed instead of rented, but who was to knowā¦ Hell, did they look good, though.
Denver & Colorado Springs are both āmile highā (2000 metres) cities, so riding up seems a tad more exhausting than on Sydneyās 500-metre-high Blue Mountains. The rarified atmosphere can cause altitude sickness* so we were puffing a little after riding just 2 miles up to Gold Camp Road, still managing to pass a couple of guys test riding the aforementioned Pivots (did I already say the bikes looked sweet?).
The views from the Gold Camp Road are spectacular but it was still overcast as we ascended, with just a little sun breaking through. Also great were the rental bikes; 3 near-new Trek Fuel EX machines. Beautifully tuned, with weight & height set before we left by the guys at Bicycle Village (www.bicyclevillage.com). Iāve had a Trek and wasnāt that impressed while I owned it but it may have been the setup (more likely the fool rider!) ā¦because these were superb machines.
Gold Camp Road winds around āMayās Peakā, through Pike National Forest, going from tar seal to gravel, through a single lane tunnel
and then up to High Drive, about 8,000 feet. This last 1000 feet was accompanied by great views into the valley and by the time we hit the āHigh Drive ALT 7867ā sign, our hill climbing was all but done.
Opposite this sign is a carpark, and ahead, parallel to High Drive you can see the trail: Ā a narrow single-track cut into the side of a steep hill.
Thereās not much room for error in places unless you like tumbling down hillsides in which case, hell, you can go ahead and make all the mistakes you want! As such, this is not a trail for your acrophics (fear of heights) but most will find it a balance of thrilling XC, a little technical and twisty but ultrafast downhill sections. This being my first go on the trail I approached it carefully, but next timeā¦.
The trail has a couple of perfect pitstop areas where you can stop for a drink (or a pee. The higher up you go, the more you want to urinate, apparently). The guys went ahead while I stopped a few times for photos and then they slowed down to check where I was.
This was inspiring riding, reminding me of the best of Stromlo; outstanding views while riding a magnificent trail: All in all, an unbeatable excursion. Whatās more, the cloud cover had slid aside and we had full sun for most of the way back. Felt like a mild summerās day, though theyād had snow in town just the week before. Colorado is like that; the weather can change in a few minutes so if youāre going far, take enough sunscreen AND winter gearā¦just in case.
On one of our pitstops, Phil told us this was only a taste of whatās available in this part of the Rockies, right next to Colorado Springs. Phil & his wife live outside of Denver just an hour north, but he reckons the Springs has the better riding, mainly because itās is accessible, close to the city. Next time Iām there he said weāll make a day of it and ride out on the 30 mile firetrail and come back on the 30 mile (48 Km) of mostly singletrack. Hearing that, I was tempted to put in for a US transfer!
Towards the end of Captain Jacks Trail are some steeper drops but nothing unrideable for your average Joe (eg. me). But if this (or just the altitude) doesnāt get your heart going, then there are plenty of steeper trails in the area.
Finishing off the trail at a superfast pace, we were back on Gold Camp Road for a couple of Kms before heading back down the Chutes, slowing down some as this ones a two-way singletrack i.e. you meet people (like we had earlier) riding up. Itās wide enough in places for two bikes and the berms are stunningly formed, so you are tempted to just push it ā¦but then you come across some dude taking a wide corner and you appreciate the need to take it easier. Phil said heād done a night ride race where the trail was set up as only downhill and reckoned it was even better, especially in near-darkness on your second loop.
The boys from Pivot were still there in the carpark but we were running out of time so no chance to sample the shiny hardware. Instead it was off to town for Pizza before doing the 1-hour drive to Denver Airport. In the end I neednāt have rushed. I missed my flight & had to catch a later one back to overnight in LA, missing my flight back to Ozā¦ (and whoādāve thought spending the next day inside a crummy LAX hotel doing email while waiting for your next flight would be so much fun?)
If youāre heading to Colorado Springs, the bike shop is worth checking out and if you want someone to show you the trails, they have organized rides or drop me a line and Iāll pass your details on Phil.
I brought back a couple of maps of Colorado Springs trails ā $5 each at the bike shop, but free to a good home, so if youāre heading over and wanting to scout out some riding before you go, drop me a line and Iāll send you out a copy.
The Bike Shop:
Bicycle Village
2450 Montebello Square Drive
Colorado Springs
CO 80918
*Altitude Sickness: The causes of altitude sickness are not fully understood. The term ārarified atmosphere is ambiguous because percentage of oxygen in air, at 21%, remains almost unchanged up to 70,000Ā feet (21,000Ā m). The RMS velocities of diatomic nitrogen and oxygen are very similar and thus no change occurs in the ratio of oxygen to nitrogen. However, it is the air pressure itself, the number of molecules (of both oxygen and nitrogen) per given volume, which drops as altitude increases. Consequently, the available amount of oxygen to sustain mental and physical alertness decreases above 10,000Ā feet (3,000Ā m). Although the cabin altitude in modern passenger aircraft is kept to 8,000Ā feet (2,400Ā m) or lower, a large proportion of passengers on long-haul flights may experience some symptoms of altitude sickness.
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Dehydration due to the higher rate of water vapor lost from the lungs at higher altitudes may contribute to the symptoms of altitude sickness.
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The rate of ascent, altitude attained, amount of physical activity at high altitude, as well as individual susceptibility, are contributing factors to the onset and severity of high-altitude illness.
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11 June, 2010 @ 9:35 pm | Comments (0)
It was late Friday and Iād just arrived in Hong Kong after a week of work & running in Singapore and was hanging out for a bike ride. After trying unsuccessfully to latch on an MTB tour (see http://www.crosscountryhk.com/Ā ā turned out they were booked for the weekend), I dug into the local MTB orgās website ā http://www.hkmba.org ā to see if I could at least check out one of the trails.
Hong Kong is pictured in the media as this bustling jam-packed metropolis but thereās plenty of green behind the cityscapes and many places you can ride:
-Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā One of the outlying Islands, Lama Island, renowned for its seafood restaurants (a dozen or so, lined up in a row as you get off the 30-minute ferry ride)
-Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Lantau Island, Ā home to the expats (Discovery Bay), where Disneyland put its HK Kingdom, and where they built the swish new Airport about 10 years ago, or
-Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā the largest part, the Kowloon-side of Hong Kong Harbour called the āNew Territoriesā, that borders on greater China and where most people live (and most of the trails can be found).
Hong Kong island however, has just one legal MTB track: āDragonās Backā, part of the the Hong Kong Trail, a mostly hiking track that meanders along the ridge of the main island.
After a frustrating Saturday in the hotel doing email and writing reports - while the sun blazed away outside! - I eagerly headed off at 8am Sunday to nearby Wan Chai MTR station.
Now hereās a public transport system we should build in Sydney*: fast / frequent / reliable / efficient / cheap / cleanā¦ need any more superlatives? Sydney would be so much more liveable with infrastructure of this calibre. People might actually get off the roads, as they do in HKā¦ (mind you I donāt know that they allow bikes on the MTR, so that could be a problemā¦.)
I went all the way to Chai Wan in the North of the island. About 15 minutes for about $A70cā¦ Sydney Rail take note!
Earlier Iād used the hotels Wi-Fi & my iPhone to take Google Map shots of the start of the track showing the English name: Dragons Back. The guys on the Hotel front desk then happily translated the English address, but looked at me twice because it happens to be the same road as the islandās prisonā¦ but is also the entrance to a National Recreation park.
SHEK O ROAD
The concierge was doing OK translating until he got to one of the names ā sounded like he knew how to say it but it took 2 of his mates to work out how to write what is an ancient and rarely-used Chinese character (unless they were trying to write āCrazy Caucasian dude ā wants to go to jailā)ā¦
Anyway, they must have been spot on because the taxi driver outside Chai Wan station took one look at the card and shot off, hightailing it up to #110 Shek O Road in about 10 minutes (for $HK30, about $A4ā¦. . In Sydney youād be lucky to do the same journey for less than $A20.)
And there I was; at one of the entrances to Shek O Country Park. As the photo shows thereās steps, which should have alerted me to later challenges, but I eagerly marched up in the 28 degree/65% humidity.
It was still fairly early but there were 3 groups of hikers out alreadyā¦ compare that to your typical Sydney trail where itās unusual to see another bod all dayā¦ such is life in a populous one-city-country (ā¦well, it used to be before the Brits handed it back) rammed with nearly 6 million.
The trailhead was well-signposted and displayed that it was legal for MTBās but also indicated you need some sort of bike permit which I hadnāt seen referred to in the MTB website. I wondered if it was for this one or for biking on any HK trailā¦ must find out. In my case, I was hiking so no worries.
The trail starts with a bit of a climb and then quickly flattens out. Youāre 300M above sea level but the track is bush-enclosed ā reminded me of several Blue Mountains walking tracks - and you only get glimpses of the view from time to time. The wide single-track seems pretty easy until you get to the first creek crossing then itās the first sign of how technical it can be on the flat. Not too bad.
There are 3 sections like this and between these the base is clay and leafy: easy as. I passed one other group on my way to the first intersection where the trail opened out and the sun shone on a steep series of concrete steps. Oh yes, they like their concrete in Hong Kong. The highways are made of it but the place is so hilly and they cut into the hillsides everywhere for housing and roads, so they need that spray-on concrete + these shabbily made concrete steps all over. I run along Bowen Road above the āCentralā business district and thatās concreted both up and down the cliffs keeping everything stable. They might be on the Pacific Ring of Fire but they can still build these 60-story monster towers up hillsides without blinking. And all using bamboo scaffolding that withstands monsoonal winds: try getting THAT past your NSW Building Safety officerā¦
The steps are not rideable uphill and
the path alongside was marked for bikes. Anyway, hiking them was good for the thighs because much later I felt like Iād been riding.
DRAGONS BACK
At the top, your first glimpse of the spectacular nature of the track. You can see across the harbour towards China, and on a misty but stunning day it was breathtaking, aided by the steep hillsides.
This was like my recent discovery: the Kiama Coastal Walk, but about 3 times higher, and with islands dotting the water.
I came to my next T-junction and there was a guy standing there looking official. I had a Trailflix T on so I must have looked sporty (heck, I should wear them more often!) and looking at my SLR camera in hand he asked, āAre you the official photographer?ā
āNope. Just hikingā, I said, looking at the sports-racing paraphernalia around him: āIs there a race on?ā
āYep. It’s a kayak and running eventā.
Itād be a hell of a steep runā¦āWhat time are they coming through?ā
āOh about 20-30 minsā¦ā
I thanked him and headed right, towards the peninsula. Hereās where the track really opens up to a series of peak ridges: the Dragons Back of the name. Here you can see both sides of the hill: the Harbour and the open sea. This section is the last of the Hong Kong Trail and presumably the least hiked which may be why they allow bikes. T’was not to be quiet today, though.
The view of the sandy beaches and harbours was stunning. Donāt let the water fool you though, for all the cleaning up theyāve done, Hong Kong Harbour water us still pretty filthy. When I spent a lot more time here several years ago for work I threw caution to the wind one weekend and went for a swim with some workmates who were localsā¦ I felt none too good that night and the next day was like having the flu with no coughing, sniffing or sneezing; everything ached and I was nauseous, a condition that I never get. “The effect of toxins in the water”, my expat workmates told me 2 days later when I finally got back to work. My suggestion: stick to the hotel poolsā¦
True to his word I encountered the first two runners halfway along the ridge track, running up a narrow set of stairs. Yep. Fit buggers. About 200 in all Iād guess came past while I was hiking.
Of more interest was the track itself. This is a XC track on steep rolling hills (like mini DHās) with rocks & stairs ā great for hiking but not my cup of MTB teaā¦ Iād be hike-a-biking about 50% of the time if I rode it. I was fairly glad I hadnāt gone all-out to try and rent one for the day. Apart having to attempt to ride the roads in HK (probably a near-death-experience given the dominance of the taxi drivers over pedestrians) this track would have been a frustration.
But as a walk? superb and equal to any in Sydney.
Turning around at the top point I got to go the same way as the slower runners and indeed passed a couple when I packed away my camera and played a āpretend-Iām-in-this raceā game. I must have been convincing too as a group of Japanese tourists with cameras clicking made way for me and I kept ahead of a couple of runners for at least 500M, enjoying the exercise but sweating a flood, ending up soaking my shorts & tee.. (cooled right down in the air-conditioned MTR on the return)
As a bike trail: recommended for experts only. As a sightsee: worthwhile checking it out if you like great hikes with views. There was taxi standing near the stairs when I exited the track so perfect timingā¦. I just had to say āMTR māgoiā (Cantonese for thanks) and he took off.Ā
Right now Iām looking forward to my return, whenever that may be, because Iāll definitely book ahead to explore more of the MTB side of HK life.
The 2 cities are similar size: Hong Kong has 6 million people inside 1000 km2 versus Sydney with 4 million people & 1800km2
29 May, 2010 @ 7:23 am | Comments (0)
All this rain. What happened to Sydneyās dry autumns of a few years ago?
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I buy Mountain Biking-UK magazine from time to time, plus a few Trailflix riders are from the āmotherā country or have spent some time there, and one very common theme that keeps coming up is rain. And, like the fluoride in Colgate toothpaste, rain really does get in. Turns dirt to mud, bike parts to rust, forks & shocks to fail, and eventually gets into or under whatever wet weather gear you can buy…
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And I know wet. In my teens, my younger brother and I would ride the motorbikes from Christchurch to the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand on a regular basis. Locals in Canterbury call it the Wet Coast because it seems to rain there a lot. A whole lot.
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We either camped, or if it didnāt stop raining, found a cheap motor camp cabin and bunked. No second-guesses why my camping skills are not up to scratch.
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In those days the Coast was nearly devoid of cars and people, having had its heyday in the gold rushā¦ then the greenstone (jade) rushā¦ and later the coal mining boom. The lot of them now all-but disappeared. I still remember my Uncle taking my brother and I ā at age 8 ā over to our second cousins in the small West Coast town of Dobson for a week in the summer holidays, when the coalmine there was still open. I recall the sky in Dobson was a featureless grey, mainly because it never stopped raining the whole time we were there. Luckily, though, it was warm or the holiday itself would have been miserable. The highlight of our stay was the time we managed to get on board a tram that went down into one of the mines. It was an incredible experience: Helmets and lamps on, we boarded the carriage, on a 45-degree angle at the mouth of the mine. A single row of dim yellow lamps tracked our descent and water dripped from the roof almost all the way down. Luckily none of us was claustrophobic because the slow rail trip seemed endless. I remember looking back at the disappearing hole of grey light behind us, obscured by my uncle, steam rising from his body, and pondering about where we were headed. Iād seen the pictures of the earth with the yellow-hot lava in the centre and the cooler red lava just under the surface, so my 8-year-old-volcanic-obsessed mind was thinking we were heading down to this cauldron. Fortunately we stopped some way before the lava started oozing out of the coalā¦which was both a disappointment and a relief.
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Apart from the subsequent showering with about 200 miners ā with coal-black faces and arms, white eyes and the rest pink & hairy - my next memory was swimming at night with a million frogs.
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With all that rain, backyard cricket and BBQās were, sadly, not an option. Tattered old war comics and ancient board games like Monopoly and Cluedo kept us amused, while my uncle and his cousins drank, smoked and played cards in the kitchen every night ātil the early hours. Adult card playing was interesting to us kids mainly because we got to stay up late - which was a big thing to an 8-year-old - but mainly because I was co-opted into helping my 2nd cousins sneak sips of beer and drag on cigarettes when the adults werenāt looking. One night after we were shuffled off ā reluctantly - to bed, our 2nd cousins and my elder brother and I climbed out the bedroom window in singlets and shorts in the pouring rain, through the mud patch that used to be the garden, and snuck along the barely lit streets, heading for the huge open water reservoir, used to supply the mine. Being the height of summer, it was like the tropics, so we were both drenched and (almost) warm.
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Ignoring the āTrespassers will be Prosecutedā sign (what kid understands āprosecutedā anyway?), and climbing over the mesh fence at the reservoir, we stared into the huge pool, lit by a single arc lamp. It was writhing with black, slimy legs and tails. Large tadpoles and baby frogs with tails seemed to cover almost the entire surface, but the bright light was so strong, the white tank made the water underneath luminescent. I cupped my hand, dipped it in the water and caught a few, which were as cold and slimy as they looked and highly fascinating, but too frenetic to remain in my hand. Further along the pool edge, one of the cousins threw off his clothes and jumped into the pool, making a splash and joining the million throng. He didnāt appear to be being eaten alive so we all followed, a tad more tentatively, into the warmish water. Feeling the mucusy, shiny creatures swim past us was an eerie feeling ā they all seemed to be on a mission ā but to where? I never did find out..
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As it was, though, if weād been caught sneaking out at night it wouldāve been a lot more painfulā¦ I remember the next day, wanting to ask my hungover uncle about the fate of the frogs, but it was either fear of being discovered or the threat of my brotherās fist, so I never did.
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One day when the rain eased off to a drizzle, we biked around the streets on old rusty ladies bikes which were way too big for me and either had no gears or had rusted-out 3-shift Sturmey-Archer ones. I was barely able to look over the handlebars & steer let alone change gears and they were heavy and very sturdy so the couple of roller derby crashes did them (and luckily us) no harm at allā¦
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These days, Sydney seems almost as wet as that summer, more like the UK than the Sydney of a few years ago. Global Climate Change means this might be it for a while, which would be unfortunate since neither the trails nor our bikes are ideal for riding in the wet. Whereas UK trails have had any clay and soli washed away eons ago, thatās our bread & butter.
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Roll on the big dry. On weekends, at least.
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26 May, 2010 @ 11:38 pm | Comments (0)
It was the spring of 2007 when I first rode the Neverfail Trail in Marramarra National Park, near Dural. I drove out there expecting a great ride but found instead a trail infested with spider webs strung across the whole track, about every 10 metres. I dodged under some and pushed aside others but after persevering for the first 500M or so, I retreated, rode back, beaten. Now I donāt mind spiders, but by the time I got back, my bike jersey was like a cocoonā¦not pleasant.
Still desperate for a ride that day, I drove further on and rode the Old Great North Road. Great riding as usual.
A couple of years on and I decided recently it was time for a re-sortie. āMust have been the seasonā, I said to myself. I checked Google Maps to see if there were any other trails I could spot in the area and found 3, so was even more determined to head back to check the place out.
The return journey was well worth it: I didnāt spot a single spider, or web, and the rides were at the least interesting and at most, fantastic.
I think I was right; spider infestation must be seasonal. Unless youāre an arachnologist, I donāt recommend riding the trails early spring.
Marramarra is located past Dural, after Fiddletown (the name apparently comes from an American mining town where in the early 1800ās the local water source, Dry Creek, ran dry during the summer months, during which time the miners couldnāt do any mining and were said to be “fiddling around,” thus the name.) The road route to get to the trailhead takes you on a bit of a wild goose chase, but stick with it.
Trail 1: Neverfail Fire Trail, which, about 5Km in, splits into Collingridge and Coba Trails.
Collingridge (5Km): Moderately easy track, not too wide and narrow in places. Feels largely downhill from the start. All firetrail and at the end a reasonable view over the Lower Hawkesbury
Coba Trail (9 Km): Narrow firetrail. More interesting. Better views of the Upper Hawkesbury from further round the hills. The trail got very steep, rocky and very technical about halfway.
Eased off after a steep downhill but then became very narrow then flattened out as it rounded a hill. Eventually the trail entered private land that had a sign that said, āNo Vehiclesā but had no fence or gate. About there I stopped and headed back. There’s an abandoned rusted out old Ford Anglia ā maybe 20 years old? ā¦.
How the hell anyone drove it to this point I have no idea. Crazyā¦ I could only guess that 20 years ago the trail was not nearly so overgrown AND they were crazy or maybe it was helicoptered in. Yeahā¦maybe not.
Trail 2: Smugglers Ridge Track. This is a shorter track from the looks of the map. I skipped this one on the day to try outā¦
Trail 3: Marramarra Ridge Track.
You head along Bloodwood Road to Smugglers Ridge Road, past the turnoff & gate to Smugglers Track then at the next T-intersection, turn right and park in either the first or second gap in the trees at the left. My gpx (coming soon with the trail page) starts at the first track but they both join up not too far along. For a start itās a decline but quickly becomes fairly flat, rocky and sandy.
It follows a line of Pylons which is not my preferred trail accompaniment (they usually give me a headache - electromagnetism is weird physics!).
On the left about 2 Km in you can see from the track , the faƧade of an old sandstone house. Looks historic. It sits on a grassy ridge and looks like a great spot for a sĆ©ance if you happen to be riding by at midnightā¦ Got a photo but didnāt explore. Thereafter, good rocky trail with lengths of trail-width and unavoidable sand and a few sandstone areas and then there’s a gate after which the DH fun begins…
This next partās for DownHillers: Unfortunately, youād need to have a boat (Iāll explain later) if you donāt want to ride back up. The 1 km stretch between the first and second gate is fast enough but after the second gate itās Andersons-style speed-of-light downhill all the way. This is fun and somewhat treacherous and goes for well over a kilometreā¦ not for new riders; that’s for sure. Steep valley on the left and low grass-lined bush off to the sides and good views of the hills as you head down.
At the base of the hill you hit swampland but the trail that continues around to the right is built above the marshes and meanders round through sparse trees until you hit an orange grove.
Seriously.
Iād stopped to grab some food from my Camelbak and looked up to see near-ripe oranges. I hopped off the bike and headed a few metres off-track to go get a sample, when something dropped on my helmet: something big.Ā
A large seed pod from the huge tree 50 feet above me. At this point I realised that if the Orange trees didnāt want me to pick their fruitā¦ then heck I would quite happily back off! But there were maybe 5 more trees behind this first one, indicating that unless this was private land then one could have a fairly hearty fruit lunch, in seasonā¦
Superstition aside they werenāt ripe anyway so I rode off, but I did get a couple of photos to prove it wasnāt my glue-sniffing addled brain, (well, maybe the superstitious part was.)
About another 700M on and the trail ends at a narrow river, one of the tributaries of the Hawkesbury. Thereās a picnic table & BBQ and a sign alerting boat drivers of the Marramarra National park. Really nice spot, but was nearly in shadow when I rode in at midday
The ride up that great hill, wellā¦ not so nice. Steeper than Andersons. It felt endless.
Itās great training, I guess… I hiked a fair bit of the early part but the slope eased off and I rode some, figuring the downhill had made it worth the trek up.
Recommended.
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23 May, 2010 @ 9:00 am | Comments (0)
Sent to:office@sartor.minister.nsw.gov.au, lisa.corbyn@environment.nsw.gov.au, sally.barnes@environment.nsw.gov.au, alistair.henchman@environment.nsw.gov.au, gary.dunnett@environment.nsw.gov.au
on 23rd May
To Whom it May Concern,
Australia’s National Parks were initially developed along the lines of the US National Parks “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people”.
They were tracts of land set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, animal and environmental protection and (more recently than initially) restricted from most development.
They are now seen primarily as as lands of preservation, but retain a strong role in education and, to a certain extent, recreation.
As a result of this change, there is a disconnect between the parks and many young people, who see National Parks - if they consider them at all - as areas off-limits; certainly not areas to have “fun”.
At a time when the nation as a whole is lurching towards obesity and chronic diabetes, when the primary pastimes for the young are PC gaming, Facebook and TV watching, we need to do more to encourage young people to engage in outdoor recreation. Fewer young people are hiking bush trails yet we have set aside thousands of kilometres of walking tracks across the nation, barely used, but most of which bar access to mountain biking.
Mountain Biking is one of the fastest growing sports in Australia, more especially amongst men in their 30’s and 40’s, yet most riding occurs either on fire trails in National parks or on unconserved, often undeveloped land. And the latter is fast disappearing.
The primary disconnect between riders and National Parks is that the majority of mountain bikers want to ride singletrack, (narrow, challenging trails, approximately the width of a bike).
Today, this need is being unfulfilled officially. The current system of banning riders on singletrack, encourages continued unapproved construction and unapproved trail riding due to the
- 20+ year history of riding single track trails in national park areas at urban interfaces (this has in part led to community understanding that existing trails were legitimate).
- Loss of bush land outside of Parks containing other trails due to urban development.
- Shifting in park boundaries to occupy trail segments previously outside of National Parks.
- Failure at state, regional and council level to achieve integrated planning for trail networks and bike park areas in an established but rapidly growing recreational activity (despite government documentation of the need for trails and precedent in other States and regions).
- Fringe element in community constructing trails to meet user group demand not met by authorities.
- Unapproved construction in National Parks areas so that trail will not be destroyed later by urban development in other land tenures.
- Shortage of other and areas in Sydney (State Forest, State Recreation Area, Regional Parks).
- Lack of approved alternative that caters for sufficient ride duration and technical skill level.
However, other countries are meeting the challenge, opening up National Parks to singletrack mountain biking, engaging biking groups to manage and maintain the trails they are riding…Ā and this is being done sustainably (protecting and enhancing the ecological value of the bush) in the UK, NZ, Canada and the US.
Sadly, in Australia it’s anathema to most conservationists who seek to protect National Parks from the “ravages of damaging mountain bikes”. In truth, where local riders work with local parks staff to develop and maintain trails, they are no more damaging than a hiking trail. Such examples are the work done in Royal National Park in Sydney.
Going forward we should be
- Encouraging more people in the urban environment to take an interest in enjoying and protecting the bush.
- Allowing for greater community education and involvement in bush regeneration and trail maintenance.
- Providing part of a sustainable managed trail network that also increases its value to the community.
- Provide the direction so that regional level issues can be resolved by operations staff, riders and the community.
I seek your support and engagement in this much-needed initiative.
Regards,
Grant Shatford
18 April, 2010 @ 5:11 pm | Comments (0)
Kiama Coastal & Hoddles Track
Iād hiked the Kiama Coastal Walkway earlier this year, but to get to it on that occasion, weād first had to
walk (where mates had dropped us off) from Gerringong to Princes Highway,
then hike alongside the train line, getting the 10am horn sounded at us for good measureā¦.
then trudge through a fly-infested, marshy paddockā¦
across a barbed wire fence
and all because the Werri Lagoon (where you normally cross over to hike the track) was up to our necks!!
Not recommended for all punters, but hell, we survived.
Attempting a lagoon crossing would have been more treacherous; it was an outgoing tide plus we had no wet bags for the phones and cameraā¦
The day itself had been drizzling, but it was still a memorable walk, even in the rain. Donāt get me wrong, we had a great time; I was just very glad we hadnāt brought bikes that dayā¦ but I really wanted to ride next tim e…
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And as youād expect, on a bike it was a completely different experience (ie helluva lot better).
I drove down Easter Sunday and though there was a bit of rain about it was mostly fine and quiet on the roads, being the middle of the busy weekend.
I got to Elanora Street in South Kiama about 8am and was in the mood for a quick dash to the lagoon and back (only about 12 kms return) and after unloading the car and bike I was ready to goā¦.just one thing held me back: the great scenery!
Being an enthusiastic photo-hack, I was awestruck by the views that opened up as I biked down into Love Beach Bay: smashing waves with salt-laden air swirling above the rocksā¦ huge cliffs on both sides silhouetted in the distanceā¦sun rising over the cattle-specked peninsulaā¦ hell, I spent over 10 minutes just shooting pics! And this continued throughout the morning. I guess the coast is so different from my usual bush-filled vistas, I really got into it.
As such, the ride out took me twice as long. But heck, I figured Iād ride it at pace on the way back instead.
100M before the trailhead I saw a lone cyclist heading downhill from the trail, presumably having done it there and back already. He raced past, smiling, before I could ask him about his ride: obviously on a mission.
At the trailhead is an informative signboard, along with an obligatory set of warning signs, advising the uneducated, unwary and innocent tourists that straying on rocky or grassy cliff edges can be an exciting but potentially life-ending experience.
From the trailhead itās up the first of several grassy ridges. The trail is 90% on grass, so take care ā it can be slip-n-slide in the wet, which we discovered wearing running shoes on the previous occasion ā¦
At the top of the peninsula: the aforementioned cattle, blackbirds, terns and a few gulls heading inland from the roiling ocean. Idyllic. Snapped off a couple of hundred more shots. Yes, I admit got a little carried away, regretting it only when I had to review them all later at home.
Also at the top: the first of about 5 or 6 plaques, mounted on rustic metal stands, telling the history of the walk and the area; early land ownership; the land use, aboriginal history and the geology of the cliffs. Interesting stuff if youāre hiking.
Across the ridge and down a steep but smooth track you reach a section of bare dirt ā this one more mud than grass ā and then head up the other side of this unnamed bay.
Most of the ascents are more of a challenge than normal, as you usually have mud/rocks/sand to slow you down at the nexus of the valley so you canāt really build up enough pace for the next rise.
On the next ridge; a couple of fairly hefty wooden pedestals, blocking you from a near-invisible cliff drop beyond: yet another useful reminder of the risks in the area.
Most of the way you pretty much hug the coastline ā about 10 -20 metres from the cliff edge except where the trail drops into the bays.Ā In a couple of bays you can leave the trail and get to the waters edge but the beach areas donāt look that inviting, given you have to climb over rocks with a bit of kelp ā¦ but it may be better at high tide.
The next cliff top has a unique stand of trees - a remnant of the original cedar bush that covered the hills in the area until settlers cleared them for housing. Just before you enter into this 30 or 40 metre stand, you get the sense itās almost Lord of the Rings territory, coming in as you do, to a tree-lined room, with a leafy canopy and dozens of poles (tree trunks) all swathed in an eerie greenish light. Canāt go more than 10 metres in as it gets tangled, but a very interesting feel nonetheless. I imagined it in the moonlight as something like a wizards denā¦ maybe an idea for a great night ride one moonlit eve.
Around the corner and you get your first sight of Gerringong, framed with a series of rock pools along the cliffs. Pretty soon you see the Werri Lagoon.
Iād already made up my mind to take a few shots of the Lagoon and then turn back and ride, iPod at full blastā¦. And just as I climbed aboard for the return journey I saw a couple of bikers heading down the slope Iād just descended.
I continued to photograph them as they approached, and the first guy ā Ben ā stopped for a natter.
He and his mate Matt, were out for the day to ride this one and another track ā Hoddles.
āSee that ridge line in the hills yonder?ā (I looked up) āThat’s Hoddles Track. Wanna join us?ā
Having no particular plans for the afternoon, I barely hesitated and soon we were crossing the lagoon ā luckily only thigh deep this timeā¦and riding through the back streets of Werri Beach.
We then headed south along Princes Highway for 7Km until Foxground Road, near Broughton Village. This looked like a long and very straight road heading very obviously uphill. At the Princes Highway corner, we stopped for a drink and I looked at the ridgeline again. It looked even higher than it had from the coast. At that point I wondered if Iād consumed enough Easter eggs to cope with the climbā¦
One of the guys recalled, āWe had couple of roadies along last time and about halfway up, one of them got off her bike and screamed at us, āTHIS IS TOO MUCH!ā
At this, we all laughed, thinking, āThose weak woossie roadies!!āā¦
By the time we got to the same point, my own legs seemed to be screaming much the same message (only internally; no bloody way did I want to be seen as a woossie roadie!:)).
But itās definitely steep; reminds me of the Wall along the Red Track at Wingello: only about 3-4 times longer: or the steep section at Manly: maybe 15 times that height. Ouch.
About halfway up Foxground Road, it finally starts to wind around the hill and, since it’s a dead end, there was only one car all the way, so we pretty much owned the road. A small creek crossing then the turnoff to Hoddles Road itself which again rose up to test the thighs. Right now I was thinking I should have brought a couple of energy gels or some of those Easter Eggs Iād lusted after in Colesā¦Ā hell, I NEVER pack enough food!
Then we headed through open paddocks dotted with cattle and finally a nice flat (at flaminā last!) stretch with a view along the Southern Coastline. It was a bit overcast but I snapped a couple of shots anyway.
Just one more rise and we were in a clearing. This is where Hoddles Road turns to Hoddles Track and becomes a X-country singletrack through the bush.
Hoddles was an explorer who forged this trail across the ridgelines in the early-mid 1800ās to get produce up the coast to Sydney. Turns out the plains back then were pretty much all marshy until they were drained a few years later
Matt & Ben told me that if you turn left at the clearing you can carry your bike up the escarpment and ride the ridge at the top, for what was said to be excellent views, and it went for miles, though neither had done it themselves, so perhaps worth an exploreā¦.
But the Hoddles Track to the right was definitely rider heaven. Though we saw three groups of walkers along the way, there was plenty of room to step or ride off the track so it worked out fine. Saw an Origin Energy van parked precariously (actually stuck & temporarily abandoned) halfway up a very steep, ie unrideably steep, firetrail . A good cloudburst would have swept the van downhill, so lucky it wasnāt rainingā¦
After about 2 km of bush track, you come up top of Saddleback Mountain above Kiama Heights. No view on the day: all fog, but usually a great lookout on 3 sides. Iād ridden up there a few times when Iād stayed at Kiama, ignorant of the MTB trail off from the top, otherwise I would have explored earlier… Actually it would be interesting to do the ride in reverse and I promised myself I will do soā¦
The downhill to Kiama was steep, fast & furious (and dangerous as hell after a few light showers had greased the road)ā¦ but we survived and the boys went off to Kiama while I headed back to Love Bay, happy to have met the guys when I did otherwise unlikely I would ever have found the well-hidden Hoddles Track.
20 March, 2010 @ 9:16 pm | Comments (0)
(from Manly Dam)
Keep to the signposted route
Biking on walking tracks prohibited
Enter the park only from the access points indicated on the map
Give way to walkers and dismount when approaching groups. The bike route is a shared access
Do not make new trails. It is illegal and degrades the park
Dismount near childrenās play areas
Do not ride around water bars, steps or other erosion constructions ā they stabilize tracks by minimizing soil movement
Keep speed and skidding to a minimum. Sustained or repeated skidding causes erosion
Always ride on the left on blind corners. When riding on firebreaks behind houses, keep to the bush side to minimize grass and erosion damage
Wash your bike before entering Many Dam or any bushland reserve as mud carries seed ā a real threat to bushland
Observe bike route closures
After heavy rainfall, please refrain from using the bike access routes until conditions settle
10 March, 2010 @ 7:29 pm | Comments (1)
As I wrote in an editorial last year, I spoke to Daniel Bishop of the Mt Annan Botanic Gardens, and he told me of significant plans to upgrade bike facilities, including MTB, in and around Mt Annan Botanic Gardens, located in south western Sydney.
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How on earth did a botanic garden trust get mixed up with biking?
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Good question. Mt Annan, Mt Tomah & the Royal Botanic Gardens in central Sydney, are operated by the NSW State Government within their Environment portfolio. The three Gardens and the Domain are administered by the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust.
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Their primary aim is,
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āā¦the appreciation and conservation of plantsā.
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Now they do have great conservators; the Mt Annan gardens have gone from strength to strength over the last 10 or 15 years since it was opened, but in practical terms you also need to get the public in the gates to do the āappreciatingāā¦
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In the 1800ās when the trust was first established, there were fewer opportunities to ārecreateā outside of the home, and the new botanic gardens in most Australian cities were a focus for families young and old. Just meeting there and seeing the flora was a significant break from the dusty city streets and hard slog of the times.
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Leap forward to the 21st Century and while many may have more time, we spend it less and less in places like public gardens. Most of us are overwhelmed with the choices in technology; Facebook, Twitter, live cable TV sport, short-break holidaysā¦ you name it, itās taking up time in most of our days. And besides, gardens are not seen as important places for the young anymore.
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Unlike the old days, you canāt just ābuild itā¦ā i.e. open the Botanic Gardens gates and āā¦they will comeā, you need to make it relevant; gardens need to be seen as more than about fairly static plants; they need to be meaningful to people in ways that incorporate both interesting and useful aspects of their lives and our global community.
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Looking around Sydney there arenāt many locations that enable young people to get back to nature while providing transport infrastructure, recreation alternatives and address their growing concerns of global warming, obesity and the disintegration of traditional family life.
Botanic gardens ā though their original name perhaps belies aspects of their future opportunity ā might be such a place.Ā With cycling as one enablerā¦
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Daniel Bishop told me plans are already drafted for Mt Annan to take a lead developing recreational biking in Western Sydney. Here are some of the plans:
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PUMP TRACK
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Mt Annan have started working with Brett Barnett from Dirt Tracks to build a Pump Track and Skate area. A Pump Track is like a groomed dirt BMX trail for MTBāers; The track will be circular and will incorporate jumps, drops, and be designed for momentumā¦ Location is planned for the Southern precinct, near the railway line. Itāll be part of an overall adventure park.
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REGIONAL CYCLEWAY
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Camden and Campbelltown Councils are working with Landcom ā developers of the new Western Sydney housing precinct called Spring Farm Estates ā and Mt Annan, on laying down a regional cycleway, that will go from the Nepean River, through the Spring Farm Estates development to the University of Western Sydney on the other side of the freeway from Mt Annan.
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Landcom have put aside $4.5M for the cycleway ā about half the required funding ā and the parties have applied to the Federal Government for the rest of the funding under the recent Stimulus Package funds, a small proportion of which has been earmarked for cycleways.
Funding request went in, in June, and with projects needing to be completed by 2011, Dan says they should know soon enough if these have been granted. The cycleway would then form one of those new access points to Mt Annan, giving access to the Adventure Parkā¦
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ENDURO MTB TRACK
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In yet another initiative, Mt Annan have already gained approval from the Trust for the development of 14km of single and doubletrack for a MTB Ednuro track, to be located at another area in the park.
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The track would have three gradings;
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(1) introductory - designed for family and learner riders;
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(2) Fast ā more challenging and
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(3) Expert ā with steep climbs and descents (I can tell you from experience they already exist at Mt Annan) .
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The pylons that form part of the boundary for the park are being relocated and in this process Mt Annan were able to gain funding to implement this trail. The realignment funding will also allow Mt Annan to eliminate the Olive plant weeds that are a pernicious weed in Western Sydney.
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The 3 projects would bring locals and regional people to the park alike and already there have been discussions with MTB Event organizers who would be keen to include the track as part of a calendar of events that take place in other parts of Sydney. That of course brings much needed ongoing funding to develop the rest of the gardens and in turn bring people to appreciate the rest of what Mt Anna has to offer.
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As with any change, there are some for whom this is a straying from the original objective, but Dan feels that there is now an openness to new ideas. So long as the biking aspects are compatible with the existing aims and ā importantly ā can be income generating over time, he believes there will continue to be support.
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This series of initiatives arrives at a time when many in our community are waiting for great ideas to help us āsave the planetā. This conjoining of parks and biking could be a key element to start an ingrained biking culture right across Sydney, remaking parts of our structured recreation, transport infrastructure and livability of what we have begun to realize is a much more fragile world than we might have believed when botanic gardens were the recreational pinnacle of our cities.
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Weāll look forward to sharing their progress.
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24 February, 2010 @ 10:23 pm | Comments (0)
Iād driven to the Newnes glowworm caves about a year ago ā after a bike ride at Narrowneck ā and was determined to actually ride it at some stage. It was a 36km (one-way) firetrail with heaps of side trails I hadnāt tried, plus there were apparently great views of Wolgan Valley just beyond the caves, that weād never reached on that day. So it was a must-ride.
Late January and the need to get some kmās under my belt was strong ā I had a 100Km race in 3 weeks and had mainly done road miles in the lead-up. I needed long stretches of dirt and hills, to kick the thighs into condition. Plus I wanted to put the Newnes track up on the website, but had no gpx file to get the right mapā¦ and with all the side trails, plus the parallel road / ex-rail tracks, I figured it could be a guessing game for anyone else without some clear guidance.
6am on a Saturday morning. The weather report said āone-or-two showersā in the city and Blue Mountains, but Iād decided a bit of rain wasnāt going to put me off. After all, the trails are sandy-forest-firetrails driven hard by logging trucks, not your typical fragile clay single-track ecosystem.
There was sparse fog along Bells Line of Road as I drove up to Lithgow but by the time I unpacked the bike at a big open car park and took off, the rain had disappeared.
Like most small towns, Lithgow is pretty quiet early Saturday and there was hardly a soul around. The Workingmenās clubĀ - Workies ā looked pretty swish for a town of just 20,000. Must be some big drinkers (or pokie players) out hereā¦
All my weekend rides are planned but something often turns up to make life a bit more interestingā¦ Here I was on a solo 4-to-5 hour ride and as I turned onto State Mine Gully Road leading out of town I spot two MTBāers ā and a large white dog - about half a km in front of me.
I hoped they were heading the same destination.
Riding up, I introduced myself to Allen Park & Lauren. Yes, they were heading to the glowworm caves and yes, no problem - happy to have me join the trek. Both life-long bikers (aged 68 and 59 ā fit as buck rats!) with Lauren ā the local guy - showing Al ā the Newcastle visitor - the route.
āYour dog?ā, they asked? āNope, donāt have a dogā¦ā (that’s the plan for later this year, though). This one was a big, old, white lab; a friendly stray who took the tour with us for about the first 15Kmā¦ran it like he owned it, too*
State Mine Gully Road is about 3-4 kilometers of steep, steady uphill. Not an encouraging start (but a fantastic finish later in the day). Al set a fairly steady pace, talking about his interesting and varied life. He regaled me with stories on biking, work, rugby (after he learned I was a kiwi) and countless other talesā¦ like the time he rode from Seattle to Mexico, with his mate. On their last night in Seattle, they met two young Mormon brothers ā at a pub - who were riding the Seattle to San Fran leg over their summer break and had hoboāed up (i.e. hitching a train ride without paying) with their bikes to begin their journey. The boys had just 2 pair of nicks, 2 bike shirts, a sheet, and a pair of shorts & tee shirt & toothbrush - and next to nothing else - in the small backpacks. By the time the 4 hit San Fran 10 days later theyād done over 1300 km, had had a heap of fun and were exhausted & stunk. But it turned out the boys lived in one of San Franciscoās most exclusive suburbs and their Dad was a millionaire! Needless to say, Al & his mate dined out in style at the Dadās Club that night and slept very, very late the next day, before the pair headed off to Mexico…
But, according to Al, the story didnāt end thereā¦ 2 years later the boys called up and asked Al and his mate to fly back to the US and ride the whole journey again for a documentary. They did it this time in better style (i.e. no canned bean dinners) and the resulting short film ran the festival circuit at the time. This was all 25+ years ago. (Sounds like a film project I could get stuck intoā¦)
After the long uphill, my legs were aching for relief but I reminded myself this was why Iād come all this way. Al ā very fit at 68 - meanwhile was taking it all in his stride while Lauren ā much less so after a recent bout of pneumonia ā was following more slowly.
From just after the ascent, State Mine Gully Road changes its name to Glowworm Tunnel Road and is mostly flat or downhill all the way into the Wolgan Valley, which lies between Newnes State Forest and Wollemi National Park. Itās a great ride and we reached speeds of 40+km towards the endā¦(Had Grant Byrne been there, he would have doubtless hit 60!)
There are two trails that run parallel at timesĀ (diverging at others) where the old rail track follows the old-road-next-to-the-rail-track. If you take a look at Google Earth maps you can see where they come together then part and youāre pretty safe taking either. Both vary between wide firetrail and single-track size but the narrower one (not the main trail) is pretty sandy and not so hard-packed, so it depends what trail base you prefer to ride on.
To the left (as you ride in) there are perpendicular, narrow tracks here and there that take you down to an escarpment, according to Lauren. He says some are worth the trip for the views. We didnāt divert on the day but Iāll return maybe next summer and scout a few out.
Past the Warratah Road intersection (an alternative route in from Clarence, about 8Km east of Lithgow) there’s a huge open area - the Bungleboori Picnic & Camping area - which has some large shady pine trees thatās semi-fenced in. From what I read in a couple of places, there is no water , so you have to bring your own in…The day we rode past there were a couple of caravans and trailers with several trail bikes. With countless sandy roads, this place is a mecca for Moto-X rides but we only saw a few all day on the main trail.
We had around 10 4WDās pass us on the outward journey and a few on the way back. Lauren the local was pretty filthy on them saying āthey speedā¦ā and āthey donāt give bikes enough roomā¦ā but on this day most seemed pretty fair: few slowed down but none came close enough to worry us.
Past parked lumber trucks, past sawn logs, new seedlings and old forests that looked ripe for cutting, it was an interesting pine-aroma-filled journey, especially with the 2 guys as company. About 25Km in the road splits into Glowworm Tunnel and Old Coach Road. Take the Glowworm one as youāll come back via Old Coach if you decide to do the circuit.
From here itās 8km of fast descent. This is fantastic great fun until you get to the sign:
TUNNEL AHEAD.
Eh?
This is the old rail tunnel and you can make it through without lights (as we did) but do take it easy as the last time Al said he rode a tunnel light-less, he smashed into one of the walls. Was a bit painful, from the telling. Ā With this one, there’s just enough light (if you have good eyes) from the entrance behind you to get you to the mid-point safely where thereās barely enough light coming in from the exit on the way out. Being an old rail tunnel and not that wide, it could be a tad more scary with a car coming towards you.
From there its downhill again to the turning area/car park and the track to the glowworms. That last part is meant to be walked. I think we might have had a few cheaters on our outing who biked it, but Iām saying nothing. You can tell the track is a part time stream in the wet as itās fairly rocky & technical, so anyone not walking it risks going arse over kite.
20 metres in front of the Glowworm tunnel entrance, the trail was overgrown and waterlogged and a few branches placed there were helpful in keeping the feet dry. I described the tunnel walk itself in last years blog and it hasnāt lost any of its magic but definitely take a torch because youāre not going to make it without something bright. This is pitch black and then some. The glow worms shine enough light for themselves but itās faint blue and not that useful for illuminating much, unless youāre a tiny glowworm looking for a hot dateā¦.
Being EXCEPTIONALLY well planned I only had my red tail light ā a 1-light-LED. Would have barely worked on its own so lucky I’d had met up with Lauren as heād brought 2 so between the two guys lights & my red one, we were fine. Met a couple of couples on the way through ā one with torches and the other with that old standby ā an LCD screen on their digital camera, which is what I used last time.
Main rule: take the path to your right as there’s a wide ledge thatās easy. The middle is pretty rocky otherwise. The tunnel is not bikeable.
Out the other side into ferny overgrowth you follow a narrow ā absolutely unbikeable - track that after about 500M takes you over the stream and up onto a ledge overlooking Wolgan Valley. The view is blocked by bushes but is still impressive. You can bike the narrow trail but only if you are OK riding next to a near-vertical 100M drop on one side. We walked about 50% of it then stopped for a feed. Iām not one to pack a big lunch on rides but these guys had ham, bread, cheese & even chocolate teddies (Mum musta packed right). Needless to say my protein bar & apple paled a bit in comparison but they had plenty to go round and being MTBers were more than happy to share. We all agreed bikers are (generally) good guys. Easy to get along with and apart from being fussy about our bikes, are fairly laid back unless we are competingā¦ in which case we are all selfish bastards who only want to winā¦.at all costs!! No? ā¦Sorry, that must be just me then.
Round the ridge track and the views continue over the northern part of Wolgan Valley and Wolgan Road. The road is actually an alternative way back to Lithgow but we carried on round, past a few slips and then turned up the hill at the Old Coach Road. This was yet another steep ascent and here I split with the guys as I needed to be back at Sydney early whereas they were content to take it easy on the way back.
At the top of Coach Road are some good escarpment views which reminded me of Kings Canyon in the Northern Territory. Only not so redā¦
Itās a long way back. So take heaps of water. I took 3 litres and could have used another couple. As indicated above, there’s no water at the campground but I was on a roll anyway.
Great long ride. Worth exploring and if your kids havenāt seen glowworms, take āem for a light show theyāll never forget.
* the white labrador was there, waiting at the campground, when I biked back past; probably been trying to mooch food from the trail bikers. He joined me on the outward journey ātil I hit the superfast downhill along State Mine Gully Road. That alone is another highlightā¦
9 January, 2010 @ 5:19 pm | Comments (1)
If youāre like me, you probably grew up in and around the water whether it was the local swimming pool, the beach, the occasional river or for the lucky many in Oz and few in NZ, a swimming pool in your backyard. We spent a couple of weeks each year over summer at one of the beaches near Christchurch (Waikuku, Woodend, Spencer Parkā¦)Ā and I can still feel the cool crisp water in the early morning dips, see the murky reed-covered lagoon of Waikuku, or the fresh, crystal clear river water of Ashley Gorge only about an hour out of Christchurch. Some of my favourite childhood memoriesā¦
In Sydney there are great swimming holes too, and last summers Sydney Magazine covered 5 of Sydneyās best freshwater pools, some of which can be reached by bike! We havenāt explored them all but offer them up here in case you too like the idea of a dip as a destination for your weekend summer ride:
1.Ā Ā Ā Ā Manly Dam
Dams=water. The way we hurtle around the trail on metal and polymer bikes youād be forgiven for thinking we were being chased by the law, we so rarely put our heads up off the trail. But there is a dam in the centre of all that track. Not now used for water reticulation; it is there for recreation and youāre allowed to swim in it or boat about on itā¦
Youāve ridden it, now swim it. There are a couple of access points visible from the trail, walkers onlyā¦
2. Jingga Pool, O’Hares Creek, Dharawal State Conservation Area
Jingga Pool is actually a string of isolated pools where Stokes Creek meets OāHares Creek (the waters of which eventually flow into the upper reaches on the Georges River) between Campbelltown & Appin. If you just want to swim, itās closest to the Victoria Road Management Trail that leads into Dharawal, just before St Helens Park. However the trail is marked walkers only, so the best MTB access is to ride the 10B Maintenance Trail from Appin Road ā straightforward X-country firetrail.
There’s a waterfall and weir that ensures the pool is always deep enough for swimming. Never spotted anyone else at Dharawal so you might be the only one(s) you see all day, but come those hot summer days it could start to attract a few walkersā¦
3. Karloo Pool, Royal National Park
There’s a simple rule about all bushland pools. Theyāre in valleys and gorges, so there is usually downhill involved. This oneās part walking so if youāre only in to biking or don’t usually have a lock for your bike then it may not be for you. Ride down Uloola track out of Waterfall (see the Uloola Trail Page) and when you get to the turning circle at the end of the NPWS rangersā 4WD track, tether your bike to a tree somewhere in the bush. From there, take the short trail to the Uloola Falls and from there go 1.7Km to the end of the Karloo track. The pool is said to be one of the finest pools in the Royal National Park. Itās deep and clean thanks to the Heathcote and Goondera brooks, which feed it through summer unless there is a major drought.
4. Bents Basin, Wallacia
I went exploring Bentās Basin several months ago when a scan of Google showed rideable tracks might be there. It wasnāt to be. The picnic area has some walking trails but you can only ride the roads. Thereās a camping area nearby though and some good road riding to be had since itās well off the beaten track, traffic-wise. The little bit of bush there is, is tall ā unlike your typical scruffy bush in the Blue Mountains. The Basin lake however is ideal on a hot day as Iām told by reliable sources itās effinā freezing! Narrow lakeside beaches and steep cliffs add to its European-like appeal. Great picnic spot to take the kids and perfect piece of water to test out those Xmas lilosā¦
To get there: leave the Northern Road at Bringelly (Greendale Road) or Luddenham (Park Road, then turn south onto Greendale Road). Turn west onto Wolstenholme Ave and drive until you reach Bents Basin. Parking is 900M from the gates & 3 mins from the water. $7 entry to NPWS unless you have the annual $65 pass.
5. Wattamolla Lagoon ā Royal National Park
It’s apparently a beautiful spot with the combination of lagoon and surf swimming between rugged cliffs. Very popular on summer weekends, itās quieter on weekdays or in the evenings. People jump from the cliffs and ropes into the lagoon but itās prohibited because people have had serious accidents. The surf beach is not patrolled, and is not really suitable for surfing, due to the cliffs to either side of the beach. ACCESS BY ROAD; follow the signs to the National Park from the Princes Hwy at Loftus. Continue straight ahead through Audley on Sir Bertram Stevens Drive until you get to the Wattamolla turn. Around 15 minutes drive from the Highway. HIKING ACCESS: Wattamolla is also around the halfway point on the Coast Walk from Otford to Bundeena.
Let me know if you guys get to any of these.