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HATCH A PLAN There are countless
alpine adventures out there for you.
Whether you tread a common path like
riding from Falls Creek down to Mt Beauty
via the Fainter route, or maybe you want to
make a shorter trip out to Mt Nelse. Have
you spied the route from Mt Buller out
to Craig’s Hut – or possibly even thought
about connecting Mt Buller and Falls
Creek on a multi-day self-supported trip?The sky really is the limit in the
backcountry for enjoying some serious
adventure rides on your mountain bike.
You’ll encounter big views, big climbs, big
descents, and the ride of your life. But
you don’t want it to be an impromptu, and
therefore unrewarding, experience.GET A MAP Spend the time with a quality
topographic map and plan your route,
or use ride planning software to create
a .gpx fi le for your GPS. And share your
route plans with friends. Even if you’re
only out for one long day, chances are you
won’t be moving at your usual pace due to
carrying more gear, and taking on some
bigger hills. So plan your route accordingly- allowing for slightly slower average
speeds than normal.
ASK A FRIEND Do you know someone
who has done something similar? Ask
their advice – they might spot something
you have failed to consider. You might
have some luck asking on a forum for
adventure riding, but be prepared to take
advice from strangers with a healthy grain
of salt. Don’t forget to contact anyone in
the area, such as Mt Buller, Thredbo or
Falls Creek resort management, for any
local intel before you pack up and set out.PLAN FOR BAILING OUT They say failing
to plan is planning to fail, so you’ll want to
have some options if you need to bail out
with mechanical problems, illness, bad
weather – or even injury. Use your map so
you know a few options that can get you
to help (or a sealed road) from a variety of
points on your route.TAKE A MATE One of the safest things
you can do is not travel alone. If you can,
ride with a mate who is also comfortable
with the single or multi-day route you’re
planning. You can also share the load for
organising the trip, and for essential gear.
Besides, shared experiences can be the
best experiences.Buller more than 15 years ago, which is perhaps
under-appreciated in these modern times of
ours. All the tracks developed by World Trail
have settled in and become more part of the
terrain than the initial fi rst few years after their
introduction. Mount Buller have been providing
for mountain bikers for years, and their long-term
investment in quality trails and appropriate care
for them has really paid off.
The layout of the trails takes you far away from
the village itself, but as you twist your way back
and forth throughout the thick snowgums, only
when you reach an outlook do you truly get a
sense of scale and magnitude of the high country
and what Mount Buller has to offer. Where Falls
Creek requires you to be in charge of your own
route and destination, Mount Buller’s track layout
keeps you in a somewhat controlled environment,
taking you through places it wants you to see.
That’s ideal for fi rst time visitors, but does it still
offer that same sense of freedom and adventure
on the third and fourth occasion? If you are living
that suburban city life in Melbourne, I’d imagine
the answer would be a resounding yes. But if you
are travelling from interstate the answer might be
a little less clear-cut.
High country livingThe opportunity to grow up in the Victorian High
Country was probably taken for granted during
the early years of my life. Sure, I was outside
on my bike nearly every day experiencing it,
but I thought that was just a normal thing that
everyone did as a child. There was no need to
gaze at a poster on the wall, just look out the
window. It wasn’t until I started venturing away
from home that I came to realise the magnitude of
the playground that was in my back yard.In our modern times of connectivity and media
saturation it is becoming increasingly diffi cult for
a destination to set itself apart from the rest. Our
opinions are forever changing based on the last
post that we spent all of fi ve minutes watching.
No longer do we have time to stare up at the one
single image on our wall dreaming about the
possibilities and how we can make them happen.
But if we did, I guarantee you the fi rst stop you’d
want to make on your next trip would be the
hidden gem that is the Victorian Alps.