Australian Mountain Bike — December 01, 2017

(Jacob Rumans) #1

fallscreek.com.au


With so many great Alpine bike
resorts in the summer, competition
for mountain bike business is getting
fiercer and fiercer. Proof of that can
be seen at Falls Creek where they
have been on a blitz of development
and expansion - adding more than
45km of purpose-built trails in the
past four years.


They now proudly boast that they have
something for every type of rider,
whatever flavour of trail they prefer and
whatever their level of experience and
skill - although the focus is mostly on
intermediate riders.


And even trails that might appear
straightforward at first can easily
become a lot more tricky at Falls Creek
given the relatively thin soil and rocky
base that can become exposed if and
when the weather conditions change.


Flowtown is one of the newest trails
at Falls Creek and marks the ‘coming
of age’ of this surprisingly young
MTB destination. Smile-inducing and
face-contortingly awesome, the 6km
descent - with 300m total elevation
loss - offers fun in spades. You can
then jump in a Blue Dirt shuttle or take
the Packhorse trail that meanders its
way back to the village.


One of the beauties of Falls Creek as a
MTB resort is the fact that it is set into
a bowl, with a number of trails such as
Vortex, Jump Start and Wishing Well
bringing you out close to the central
plaza and within a few pedal strokes of
a welcome brew.


With 19 trails on offer, long looping
routes can be linked together for
extended rides, or easily broken up
depending on your personal fitness
and level of skill.

Falls Creek’s summer vibe has gone
from sleepy to vibrant in just a few
years, but they are refusing to rest on
their laurels - highlighted by an 85
page detailed Masterplan for the whole
resort being produced last year. In
terms of mountain biking, expect even
more developments (such as a pump
track) and a push to become the leading
altitude training base in the country.

Planned new routes include up to
Mt Nelse, Tawonga Huts and Cope
Aqueducts, but a vast network of
firetrails going outside the village
boundaries already offer even more
(lesser known) adventures.One
example is the Big River Firetrail that
links with the Little Bogong Firetrail
that ultimately takes you about 35-
40km all the way over to Mt Beauty.

In terms of best times to visit, Falls
Creek is putting on a wide range of
events over the coming summer -
from the MTB de Femme (a ladies
mountain bike social gathering that
is one of a kind), to the Victorian MTB
Championships and Vic Enduro Tour
in February, before a big closing party
towards the end of April.

COSTS
1-day MTB shuttle pass: $60
2-day MTB shuttle pass: $110

EVENTS
8 December: Mountain Bike
Interschool’s
13-14 January: MTB de Femme
4 February: Victorian MTB
Championships
10-11 February: Vic Enduro Tour
11 March: Junior Peaks
21-22 April: MTB Closing Party

BIKE RENTALS
(FROM VILLAGE BIKE CAFÉ,
FRUEAUF VILLAGE BIKE RENTAL
OR BE FOODSTORE)
Hardtail: from $50 per day
Dual suspension: from $70-$90
per day

E-MTB USAGE
Allowed

CLINICS
(ON SELECTED DATES)
Kids - $50
Beginner - $70
Intermediate - $70
Women - $70

WHERE TO STAY
QT Resort is fantastic, but
otherwise look at the Falls
Creek website

EATING
AND DRINKING
Stingray at the base of QT Resort is
open for all meals and does a good
coffee. And don’t miss the Last
Hoot for drinks or pizza.

54 - AMB

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