Grampians

Time : Fitness : Technical Skill : Various Good Moderate Where do you start! Firstly, there are more tracks than those shown, not all have cycling permitted so you might  have to push your bike along them if they form part of your circuit. There are so many variations that it's hard to list them all. Instead the ride described is a traverse with a couple of variations. You will require good fitness for the climbs, and there are patches requiring a bit of skill, so this is not really beginner stuff. But fine for fit intermediate or better. Waypoints 1  Start of Road        S41 17.487      E173 17.420 2  Fairfield Entrance        S41 17.021    E173 16.963 3  Bishopdale Carpark    S41 18.119    E173 16.320 4  Sofa Saddle        S41 17.810    E173 17.142 5  Major Track Hub        S41 17.783    E173 16.755 6  Lookout            S41 17.708    E173 16.640 7  Bottom of Tawa Track 8  Turnoff to old Kanuka Track 9  Top of Kahikatea Track Start by riding up Brook Street to the gate at the start of the hill road at waypoint 1. You can either grunt all the way to the top by taking the road, which will certainly work up a sweat, or you can look for the track that breaks off to the left at a switch back in the road called the Kanuka Track and ride up this to the Sofa Saddle. At the Sofa Saddle you can either head on up to the left or turn right and follow the Kanuka Track up to the new track that meets the road. Whatever way you choose to go up, you are trying to find your way to the major hub at waypoint 5. Almost all tracks head toward this point eventually. From here you can make a couple of detours, either up to the transmitter tower, or along to the lookout to get views out over Nelson. Back at the hub, look for the Fushia Track and enjoy the ride down through the native bush, ignoring the track off to the left part way down, to the point where it emerges on to a 4wd track. You have two options here. The first is to turn right and follow the track all the way around the Grampians and out at Fairfield House. The second continue straight ahead up the 4wd road for about 100 metres to a continuation of the Fuschia Track angling down to the right. This is quite a new track with some tight corners that comes out at Waypoint 3, the Bishopdale Carpark. The Kahikatea Track heads up from Waypoint 3 and although bikes are not permitted on it you could push your bike up that way to get access to the top of the Fuschia or Tawa Tracks. This year, 2007, a new track the Tawa has been built which takes off just behind the toilet between Waypoints 5 & 6 and heads down to join the 4wd road at Waypoint 7. This is fairly technical with some really tight switchbacks in it. Another 2 hour circuit for fit riders is to start off at the top of Collingwood St and ride up the zig-zag track to Trig B then follow the broad track up the ridgeline to a very steep section up through some eucalyptus trees that will stump most riders. This brings you to a stile near the top of the Ronaki Track. Cross the stile and climb another steep rocky section to reach another stile where the ridge flattens out. Continue along the ridge on to the road. Follow the road and just before it starts to climb again take the Kanuka Track to the left. Once on the Kanuka Track keep a sharp lookout after 2 or 300 metres for the entrance to the old Kanuka Track. The council in its wisdom decided there was an easier route for this track and covered the entrance to the old one over. However the old route is more attractive to mountainbikers and a short route down to the left on to the old one is developing with useage. So look for a path to the left about 5 metres long dropping down on to another track. The old Kanuka has a few steps and a couple of short technical sections that can all be ridden by experienced riders. This takes you out to Sofa Saddle at Waypoint 4. From here follow the track to your right climbing gently at first then doubling back up the hill a couple of times before leading aroung the south side of the Grampians to meet the top of the Kahikatea Track. Turn right at the Kahikatea sign and continue up crossing a firebreak at an angle then sidling and dropping to a track junction with the Fuschia Track. From here you can go straight ahead up the Fuschia for some more switchback practice to Waypoint 5 or left  down the Fuschia. If you go left, continue down the Fuschia until it comes out on a 4wd track. Turn right down this track for 50-60 metres to a junction. Go straight ahead up the hill taking the next left. This will put you on the track that leads right around the Grampians to Fairfield House. There is one steep section which will have a lot of riders climbing on foot, but otherwise is quite straightforward. Just follow the most well worn looking 4wd track. Drop left off the 4wd road at the Fairfield sign down a few zig-zags to a gate on to a sealed road. Turn right here and follow trails through trees above Fairfield to a stile and a grassy slope with scattered trees. Turn hard left down the fenceline for 50 metres and drop onto a track. Go right along the track and a short distance and you will be back at the top of Collingwood St. There a quite few tracks above Fairfield which are hard to describe, so you may have to use a bit of trial and error. It isn't a big area so you won't be lost for long. There are a huge number of options depending on what you want to do. The firebreaks can be a hoot, as can doing it all in reverse. The top of the Fuschia Track and Hub at Waypoint 5

The track up from Brook St If you want to brush up on switchbacks, the zig-zag track up from Collingwood St is a good place to start. The old Kanuka track is a lot more interesting to ride down than the new. Keep a close watch out at '8" for the turnoff. There are a few steps and other small challenges on the old Kanuka Track but it isn't difficult