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| Timms Spur |
Started doing some research into bike packing and sourcing the equipment I would need mainly being the bags to store the essentials tent etc..... Commuter Cycles in Brunswick had everything I needed, an empty wallet and trip to their store later I was excited to start kitting out my Kona Kahuna.
No room for food storage was the only problem so I figure a day pack will be sufficient , I stored the cooking utensils in the frame bag along with spare tube and pump. I could of used panniers but they would stick out too much on the sides and I know some of the tracks it would be getting caught so not a good idea, more suited to road touring and back dirt roads.
Now it was all set for a maiden voyage I ripped out the map and started looking at possible routes and regions a circuit using the fire trails keeping off the walk trails. With some more research confirming I can use these trails I was good to go, Labour day long weekend was a couple weeks away.
Chosen route would be starting from Bogong HighPlains Rd up the Fainters and riding around on the high plains and returning down to my car via the Big River trail happy days woohoo!
The long weekend arrived and I left Melbourne around 10:30am its a long drive, between bathroom breaks and food I got to the head of Ropers Track around 3pm found a clear area on the side of the main road to park and was keen to get going, the first part up Roper track is around 1.3 km. and 600 meter elevation gain so I knew I was up for a early lung buster and surely not a rideable one! Was on my way half hour later.
Cycled the first 30 meters and instantly the gradient was impossible so I pushed and pushed my heavy bike up , couldn't get traction under foot as it was slippy with leaves and fine loose dirt , had to lunge and push the bike up whilst trying to get traction, I tell you what I was blowing steam huffing and puffing and thinking to myself what have I got myself into , thoughts of stupidity come to mind and what a bad idea this was, but I battled on and finally got up to the start of the Fainters trail.
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| The end on top of Roper Track |
Plan was to camp at Bogong Jack Hut for the night, with now a trail that was ridable I could finally get some better progresss as it was now just after 5pm an hour and half later was thinking its getting a bit late in the day I should of left Melbourne a bit earlier oh well.
I Pushed on it was slow going was a gradual up hill and got steeper and steeper in places forcing me to again get off the bike and start pushing "Hike n Bike style" yeah was getting used to not what I had in mind my foot was ok no pain, as light started to fade I gave up on trying to make it to camp in the full daylight , ripped out the head lamp and forged on.
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| Rolling into camp |
As the gradient started getting much easier to ride I started rolling down and entered thru old rusty cattle gates and a pair of illuminating eyes looking at me it spooked me out , some animal I hope, and realised I was at the camp area was just after 9pm relieved because I was hungry and tired. Tucked into dinner after pitching my tent of fusilli pasta the wind had a chill so I was quick to eat and hop into bed.
The wind had eased off I dozed off but woke a few hours later and was spooked out to hear sound of my bike making noises, a humming metal on metal sound , I put it down to wind passing thru the frame I put my head under the sleep bag hoping it would just stop , had those lit eyes I saw earlier back to scare me.
Day 2
Woke up to a beautiful morning and with daylight could see my surroundings of the area and the little hut, not much of a hut more like a storage shed.
Was on my way around 8am I made my way up the Fainters , was more pushing no riding all an uphill slog , I started to see this trip as a failure and defeated the purpose of carrying all my belongings on a bike it would of been quicker walking and much easier !
Got to crest and levelled out and was able to ride on the rough path , to my left I could see in the distance the clearing I had camped at and into the valley towards Tawonga.
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| Leaving Bogong Jack |
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| Somewhere on the Fainters |
Started to descend in a a valley and riding on a narrow windy path thru the scrub was fun going.
I reached Tawonga Huts at around 11 and had a good break and a snack, before making my way up again , aim was to reach Ropers Hut the sun was out and was warming up I lathered on the sunscreen ,
Made my way out to the open plains mostly rideable but slow, got to Cope Saddle Hut or also know as the SEC and veered up the AAWT and Pretty Valley Rd got to a point where there was a big hole in the middle looked like it was dug out by machinery for some purpose with flagging tape around it, looked like a grave, impassable around it I lowered my bike into and scrambled with bike up out of it, was difficult and taxing. Finally I reached the Bogong High Plains Rd.
I didn't know there was a cycling event on I think Peaks challenge so the road was full of lycra hardcore fast cyclist I headed left for 3 kms on the smooth road with cyclist looking at me as if I was lost and what the hell is this guy doing !
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| Tawonga Huts |
Turned off the main road and onto the start of the Big River trail was a little hot by this stage and riding become a problem was too steep and rocky , I reckon with my proper gavel bike I used at French Island trip it would be easy to cycled up.
I pushed and pushed in the blaring sun I run out of water and was dry and parched, I felt dizzy and light headed dehydration was certainly a factor , come to one point I had to lay down for a 20 minutes, plus my 30 litre backpack which was full to the brim with food was giving me sore shoulders and neck.
Had some Pringles and trail mix and kept going , skirted around a highpoint and could start rolling down the hill , I made it to Ropers Hut around 5 pm , dropped bike and went straight to the creek to collect water I was well and truly buggered.
Was a nice evening and being a long weekend I expected some other people to be here but surprisingly no one, I flicked thru the log book inside the hut and found an old entry from early 2016 a group hike we did in the area. Ate my veg stir fry and settled in for the night.
Day 3
I broke camp around 7 am and headed back up to where the Big River trail continues thru to Timms Spur , all down hill today to the main road , weather was looking bleak some dark clouds were building and a fresh wind blowing , I packed on a layer and my rain jacket to break the wind chill and started the long descent.
Was a very rocky affair negotiating boulders was hard work on the legs trying to keep up right in some parts I had to stop for a quick break. with bags full of gear attached I lost the agile response I would normally get , steering was the hardest I reckon a fat bike fat tyres would of been great thru here.
Took me 2 hours to get down to Big River saddle from there it was another 2 hours to the main road, one last obstacle of a closed gate 100 meters before the bitumen high plains road, I used the last of my reserves to pick my bike and hurl it on the other side and hike and bike up to the road. from here another 1 km and I was back at my car was great sense of relief definitely type 2 fun- approx 60kms covered
Note- later that year May 2017 I had foot fusion 12 months later I resumed hiking
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| Ropers Hut |
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| Approaching Big River trail |
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| Leaving Ropers Hut |
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| Big River half way down |
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