Moey and his crew rode 60km of name new MTB Trails in Creswick, solely 90 Minutes from Melbourne, and selected their favourites!
We Are Explorers acknowledges that this journey is situated on the normal Nation of the Dja Dja Wurrung individuals who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for 1000’s of years. We pay our respects to the Djaara because the Conventional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was by no means ceded.
Creswick, a quaint city situated simply 20 minutes from Ballarat, has develop into Victoria’s latest mountain biking hub. Lengthy often known as the house of the Victorian College of Forestry, that picture seems set to alter as 60 kilometres of mountain bike trails have formally opened to the general public. The city is already bustling with mountain bike riders.
Learn extra: How you can Maximise Your MTB Weekend in Creswick, Victoria: Greatest Meals Accom, & Aspect Quests
Djuwang Baring means ‘long track’ within the Dja Dja Wurrung language and now gives riders with an enormous playground amongst the forests, which range from pine to Australian bush.
The paths, which begin at Hammon Park Trailhead, supply one thing for everybody – whether or not you’re a whole newbie or a seasoned professional. Moreover, 30% of the path community is appropriate for adaptive riders. We like to see it!
It’s the right launching pad to discover the scenic, forested landscapes and well-maintained trails which supply flowy berms, optionally available technical challenges, and a breath of contemporary air.
These are our prime trails within the space for newbie and intermediate riders.
Learn extra: Bear in mind to go away no hint
The High 5 Trails
1. Down Martuk (W6) and Up Gir (W3)
Trailhead space: Wooden Coupe
Distance: 2.5km
Issue: Intermediate
By the point you’ve warmed up on the inexperienced trails and found out the circulation on the berms, you’ll wish to head to the intermediate Martuk for what we expect is probably the most scenic path we rode throughout our weekend in Creswick.
Professional tip: Drop your main shoulder, i.e. proper shoulder for proper corners, for higher management.
Park on the town and heat up your legs on the mellow climb as much as the Wooden Coupe path junction the place W6 might be ready so that you can circulation freely down and across the plentiful berms via native Australian forest.
The stability between circulation, enjoyable, and problem right here will go away you wanting extra and discovering a method to maintain lapping Martuk. Our suggestion is to go up Gir to avoid wasting time using the massive loop round W1. Worry not, while Gir is rated intermediate, the intermediate half comes with optionally available technical challenges comparable to fallen log traverses.
2. Down Gurnmil (L7) and Up Warami Galk Galk (L8)
Trailhead space: Yulawil Gravity
Distance: 1.7km
Issue: Straightforward
While the entire Yulawil Gravity community is definitely accessible from Hammon Park, we suggest parking your automobile close to the trailhead to maximise time on the path (with out getting in anybody else’s means!).
After our weekend on the Djuwang Baring path community, we realised that after beginning on trails comparable to L7 and G8, progressing onto some intermediate trails after which returning to greens comparable to Gurnmil, we had much more enjoyable and management than earlier than. By the top, Gurnmil was definitely within the mixture of our favorite trails!
Gurnmil has a pleasant lengthy straight part that’s conducive to ‘bombing’, choosing up a controllable quantity of pace earlier than squeezing the brakes and hitting the berms in direction of the top of the path.
It’s brief, sharp and completely lappable.
3. Up Yam Daisy (G7) and Down Inexperienced Apple (G8)
Trailhead space: Yulawil Gravity
Distance: 2.7km
Issue: Straightforward
Most simply accessible from Hammon Park Trailhead, this observe is ideal for anybody that has discovered their ft on the pump observe and Galki Kawa expertise space.
The ascent up Yam Daisy meanders via pine forests and earlier than lengthy you’ll be on the prime of Yulawil Gravity path junction. As you’re about to achieve the highest of the junction, visions of Leaping Jacks (G9) become visible.
The tight berms and massive jumps there would possibly look alarming, however these worries will fade by the point you attain the beginning of Inexperienced Apple.
Inexperienced Apple is a pleasing introduction into the world of mountain biking within the space.
Very similar to a cooked Granny Smith goes properly in an apple pie, a newbie mountain bike rider pairs properly with Inexperienced Apple.
The path has good sweeping berms that nearly appear to take care of you and information you across the bends. It’s the perfect path to achieve confidence managing pace round corners and training approach.
4. Rainbow Approach (L5), Windlass (L3), Up Swamp Wallaby (L2), & Quartz Ridge (L6)
Trailhead space: Far east of Yulawil Gravity into Lake Hyperlink
Distance: 3.6km
Issue: Intermediate descents and simple ascents
Beginning with the technical rock sections, and a few bumps to navigate on the decline, there’s positively a way of trepidation as we strategy the options on Rainbow Approach. We discovered it’s higher to hit these with barely extra pace than we could also be comfy with at first to journey the bumps out.
Professional tip: Trip as much as these options slowly earlier than hitting them to verify them out, and if there’s somebody extra skilled in your occasion get them to roll over them first and provide you with any ideas.
After finishing Rainbow Approach, it’s optionally available to maintain on using down Windlass or heading again up Quartz Ridge to the highest, nonetheless Windlass was additionally considered one of my favourites so my tip right here is to push on and ship it.
On Windlass there are some steeper gradients to deal with, and one part particularly will ask you to belief in your skills and let the brakes go, in any other case you received’t make it up the opposite facet of the ascent.
Fortunately for me, I had some guinea pigs with me, who informed me precisely the place I wanted to let the brakes go.
This one can have your adrenaline flowing, however it’ll be again down by the point you attain the sting of St George’s Lake with a peaceable finish to the downhill part via the Australian bush.
5. Marsupial (W1) Loop
Trailhead space: Wooden Coupe
Distance: 3.4km
Issue: Straightforward
From the Brackenbury and Port Phillip Highway junction take the Marsupial path to begin your journey via the Wooden Coupe space.
The path, like its namesake, is gentle and fluffy, and gratifying to heat up on within the morning when the environment is calm and the echoes of wildlife nonetheless linger.
Marsupial is a perfect path to absorb the tranquillity of the Wooden Coupe area. A newbie’s should and an important begin to any time out on the Creswick trails.
If Marsupial is your vibe then don’t shy out on ascending Gir (W3) as much as the Wooden Coupe Junction – though that is an intermediate path the technical features comparable to log traverses are optionally available.
We had a ball out on the Djuwang Baring trails and it’s no marvel that with its shut proximity to Melbourne, its high quality, and the number of trails, Creswick is quick changing into a favorite amongst mountain bike riders in Victoria. Nevertheless, Creswick is way from only a mountain biking city, with foodie hotspots (trace: Truffles and Masterchef) and previous structure that provides to the appeal and attract of a weekend away close to Ballarat.
Djuwang Baring Creswick Mountain Bike Trails FAQs
What number of kilometres of trails are there?
There are eight totally different areas throughout the community, with 60km of name new MTB trails to select from. Convey the crew! There’s one thing for everybody, with newbie and professional strains, in addition to adaptive and cross nation trails.
Are the paths near Melbourne?
Sure. The Djuwang Baring Creswick Trails are very near Melbourne, inside a 90-minute drive from town’s centre and solely 20 minutes from Ballarat. Take a look at the path community’s web site for extra info to plan your time out amongst the forests. The Trailforks app can also be one other nice useful resource that means that you can obtain trails offline.
Is bike rent obtainable?
The closest possibility for bike rent is Creswick Bike Rent, with the choice to both choose up the bikes your self in Ballarat or get them delivered to the trailhead at Hammon Park.
I employed one of many twin suspension bikes from Sam on the store and had a ripper time out.
How lengthy will I have to discover the paths?
Not less than a day, however a weekend is preferable. There’s lots to see and do as soon as the using’s accomplished for the day too. Take a look at the Go to Ballarat web site for inspo!
Are there locations to remain?
We stayed on the RACV Goldfields Resort Creswick. We selected them as a result of they’ve bike-friendly lodging, with a safe locking storage and bike-washing amenities. Did we point out the buffet?