46 - AMB
While the length of the trail will depend on where
it crosses the Eucumbene, Snowy and Thredbo
Rivers, it’s estimated that riders and walkers
could gain between 75 and 100 kilometres of
scenic tracks to enjoy, ranging from simple
recreational riding near the lake’s community
hubs, to technical singletrack in the more
isolated areas.
One of the keys to the Snowy region’s success in
growing mountain biking lies in the widespread
support from the community, a pro-mountain
biking attitude that spans local businesses,
landowners, and residents. The town’s population
is about 2,000, and the mountain bike club has
about 350 members. Mountain bikers here have
the backing to dream big.
Up the Alpine Way at Thredbo, the last few years
have seen just as much activity. Our visit gave us
plenty of reasons to come back when the snow
melts this year...
Three years ago Stuart Diver took on the role of
Operations Manager at Thredbo and reclaimed
the Cannonball Run from private operators. He’s
instituted an aggressive program for growth,
taking best advantage of the fact that Thredbo
Village sits at the bottom of a really big hill, rather
than at the top, as all Victoria’s ski resorts do.
No matter what their skill level, every rider loves
a downhill finish, and Diver wants to give them
more and more ways to do so.
‘We understood that we needed to cater not just
for the three per cent who enjoy the Cannonball
Run, but for everyone else,’ says Stu.
The Kosciusko Flow Trail opened a couple of
years ago, the first element of Diver’s push to
make Thredbo the place to ride each summer. It
feeds off the Cannonball Run and covers similar
terrain, but if you take the B lines its entire length
is rollable. Starting with magnificent views all the
way to Dead Horse Gap, riders can let go between
switchback traverses that take the sting out of
Thredbo’s steep slopes, and provide plenty of
high-bermed corners that get more technical the
harder you take them.
‘But we’d still classify the Flow Trail as
intermediate difficulty,’ says Diver. ‘We’ve looked
at what we could do given that we’ve got a 600
metre drop in altitude, but a lot of it is quite steep
terrain. The challenge was making that accessible
to more riders at a range of skill levels,’ he
says. ‘World Trail got involved and did an overall
masterplan, from gravity stuff all the way through
to cross country, and we picked out the best bits
of that.’
Thredbo’s most exciting project is due to open for
summer this year, and will be well-worth the drive
from Sydney or Canberra for a summer break. An
as-yet unnamed 11-kilometre all-mountain trail
starting at the top of the resort’s longest lift – the
Kosciusko Express – will wind its way into the valley
and link up to the TVT, yielding a 28-kilometre
descent that the resort plans to shuttle back to the
top. The all-mountain trail will suit all intermediate
riders and even advanced beginners, and promises
epic views, alpine flora, and a big day out.
‘That will be our signature ride,’ says Diver.
And while this has been in the planning, more
trails have sprung up around the village – many
are perfect for families or for any rider looking
for an easy roll, or even an XC-style hit out. Then
there’s plans for a six-kilometre Olympic cross
country course, more downhill runs, perhaps even
a World Cup track, and more flow trails, up to five
or six – suited to all levels of rider.Putting new trails in what was once Australia’s
most closely protected National Park has become
easier, and not just because National Parks
have begun to accept that mountain biking can
boost visitor numbers to wilderness areas. A new
breed of professional trail-builders with IMBA
credentials have given all kinds of land managers
and funding bodies the confidence to back
mountain biking as a sustainable outdoor activity.‘With the sustainable trail building techniques
available to us now, we believe we’ll be able to get
the new trails approved,’ says Stu.‘We’ve mapped our new all-mountain trail very
well to make sure we’re not going through any
endangered habitats. We’re track hardening with
lots of elevated platforms so grasses can still
grow underneath... they’re 600 millimetres wide,
900 at the very most, so it’s not a huge footprint,’
he says.‘For us, being inside the National Park is about
sharing the beauty of this place, so if all the runs
were just below the alpine area, you’d be missing
the key bits. The exposure of the new trail will be
just magnificent: you will see the whole way down
the valley in both directions. To give visitors that
experience of getting riiiight up the very top – it’s
just phenomenal, that’s the experience we want
to provide.’As second in charge at one of Australia’s leading
ski resorts, Diver is firmly focused on how every
facet of the resort can be mobilised to grow
mountain biking – key to summer tourism.