Once the snow melts and the streams, creeks and rivers lose their frosty edges, the Snowies spring to life with networks of trails, dirt tracks and even ski trails and great sealed roads to explore by bike.
You can plan a trip to suit your adrenalin and endurance levels with everything from hair-raising descents on ski runs, to gentle bush tracks that take in creeks, forest, meadows and a network of preserved stockmen's huts, camp sites and homesteads for rest or accommodation. Mountain biking is only allowed on roads and management trails but there are literally hundreds of options and such a diversity of terrain that even locals never tire of exploring the park.
This area is a great spot to make your debut in mountain biking, with plenty of great rides on sealed and well-graded dirt roads that won't require hi-tech gear or experience. They offer plenty of opportunity to test out your suspension too, with trails suited to more experienced riders spanning mountain regions like Thredbo, Mount Selwyn and Mount Jagungal. The region encompasses The Great Diving Range, Kosciuszko National Park, the vast Monaro Plains, a host of small historic towns and plenty of alpine scenery and waterways. Kosciuszko National Park boasts 690,000 ha of outstanding beauty with varying degrees of challenging terrain and altitude, all promising experiences of wildlife, bush flowers, fishing creeks and the dramatic landscape of the Australian Alps.
Very popular with weekend riders is the impressive Cannonball Run at Thredbo. Best known as a ski run in winter, the area also serves as a downhill run for riders in the off-season. It's a spectacular ride, and as daring as you make it. Chairlifts operate to get you and your bike to the top of the descent and local operators like Raw NRG specialise in providing tours, training, body protection and local know-how to visitors. The drop, though steep, is not difficult, following access roads that zig zag down the mountain so you can pace yourself for the first run and then test your metal once you know the route. There's an adrenalin rush of rides on offer - but it's certainly not the only way to get a buzz out of the mountains on a bike.
The Snowy Mountains area is huge so you need to choose which section of the Snowy Mountains Park you'd like to explore and narrow your trip options from there. Rides in northern areas at the start of the Snowy Mountains Highway reach into remote areas like Yarrangobilly and Mount Selwyn where there are plenty of easy trails as well as steep rides for the adventure hunters. Trails run all over the southern regions, spreading east around Bombala where there are great loops to Brown Mountain, Candelo and Cathcart, where you can find accommodation and supplies - and all the way to the Victorian extent of the range. There are plenty of options for travellers who have time to plan a week out in the mountains. Thredbo and Jindabyne are central and make good bases for weekends and short trips, but if you can arrange road support, tours or accommodation at huts, chalets or camp sites then there's really no limit to adventure.
Hot spots for weekend riders include the ride from Dead Horse Gap above Thredbo where the Cascade Trail heads along a moderate and well-travelled route that hugs the snow line. You'll pass through snow gum forest, mountain meadows bursting with spring flowers, wild brumbies, creeks and streams on an easy riding dirt trail that ends up at a mountain hut and picnic area perfect for a packed lunch before heading back to the trail head.
Another moderate but worthwhile trip starts at the head of the snowy Mountains Highway beyond Tumut where a relatively quiet stretch of sealed road passes through the entrance to the National Park, impressive dams and wonderful mountain scenery, making a great introduction to the beauty of the area. Take the Rules Point Road turn-off which is an unsealed track closed to four-wheel drives meandering through bush and low forest to a network of spectacular limestone caves at Yarrangabilly. A restored hut makes a good base, but, like many of the huts in the area, has a rat problem - take care with food - and explore camping options after you've checked out the nooks, crannies and underground stream which bubbles into a creek close to the main cave entrance.
Mount Selwyn, much further north, between Kiandra and Cabramurra also offers a great ride, though a little tougher on the legs. The mountain approaches 1,500 metres but offers an easygoing trip which stays quite level through snow gums and forest areas opening up to a great camp site beside a small dam. There are spectacular views of the surrounding peaks and valleys but the area is quite remote and much less travelled than more southerly routes so it's great for a weekend wilderness adventure. National Parks and Wildlife have maps of the area which show the trail and mark out forest areas which are open to bike riders. It's certainly best to do your research on a trip like this and there are great resources produced by local operators and the tourism office, which will give you the background you need. If you bring the muscle power and the water bottles, you'll find everything else quite easy to arrange with the help of the Snowy Region Visitor's Centre and its support offices in surrounding towns.
NSW National Parks can be closed at times of bushfire and bushfire danger. It is advisable to check with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service before you set off. Either phone 1300 361 967 (within NSW) or (02) 9253 4600 or visit www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au.
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For true mountain bike riders, the All terrain Mountain Bike Challenge is on every year during March. Not only does it test the skill and courage of the more elite mountain bike riders, but it proves to be a spectacular experience for spectators to watch, enjoy and learn from.
Nicholas, Cooma.
4WD
