Club Supporters
As many will know, the Mountain Bike singletrack in Penrose Forest has been partially destroyed by logging in the area. Local riders and organizers of the VAUDE Highland Fling, Huw Kingston and Fiona Dick of Wild Horizons didn’t leave it like this for long, and soon enough, several working bees were organized to build tracks in Wingello State Forest. The first of 3 planned bees was held on weekend of 26/27 August in the native forest section of Wingello State Forest, 2hrs from Sydney, and 1.5hrs from Canberra. The process of developing track has involved Forests NSW, Wild Horizons, Southern Highlands Cycling Club and Wollongong MTB Club.
Volunteers turned up to shovel some dirt and make trails for everyone to ride. Grahame North from Forests NSW, was in control of what was done in the ways of trails and obstacles and due to the State Forests guidelines and regulations, the creation of obstacles and berms was limited. This wasn’t a bad thing, as it has made the track more sustainable and manageable in the long run, with more obstacles to be added later.
So far, the track consists of section 1, which is an approx 900m. long trail, which follows the contours, as this limits erosion. The track consists of fast flowing corners, and short climbs. A lot of attention was paid to detail, as this is a permanent fixture, and creative gardens of native plants were made, to stop ‘corner cutting’ on the trail and a multitude of drains were put in place, to remove surface water after rain. This was all in aid of limiting erosion, and creating a more stable track surface.
The other features of the track, which will all have to pass a close examination by the Regional Manager of Forests NSW include; A manmade rock garden, called Rocky Road, and a causeway over a main runoff channel, to reduce water contamination by the constant traffic. A fast section of singletrack from the entry to about midway is also part of the track, with plenty of fast corners and swooping turns. As said, the placement of obstacles was very limited, and will continue to be so until the current progress is examined, and passed. Then more additions can be made. However, the track builders have all agreed to continue with the current motive, of making the track rideable, no matter the skill level of the rider, and to make it enjoyable too.
Section 2 starts after a short jaunt down a firetrail, for 150m or so, followed by a sharp left hand turn into dense native bushland, where the singletrack commences. This section follows a different style of design, with very sharp turns, and tight squeezes between small trees. Some corners are very tight, and due to the concern of erosion, logs and twists have been placed before the corners of concern to reduce the rider’s speed, to prevent the need for harsh braking and lockups. This section is still under extensive construction, and it currently passes through eucalypts, and scrub, until it travels through a glade of ferns. A small deviation has been made, linking the trail to an old motorbike track, back out onto the firetrail.
The new sections of track should be open soon. It is hoped that the next new section will be another fast and flowing section, to accommodate all rider preferences, and add variety to an already fun track.
In the future, loop sections may also be added to section 1 and 2, to allow riders to link up their own favourite sections. However, these additional tracks won’t just disappear into the bush; they will stay in close proximity to the car park, and reconnect with the main trail at some point. As quality is very important, this will take time, and help would be appreciated if a callout is issued by the Wild Horizons team (anybody who entered the Vaude Highland Fling should have received an information email). The local clubs, Southern Highlands Cycling Club and Wollongong MTB Club are also involved in the trackbuilding process.
However, it has been made clear that private work on the tracks is illegal, as this is at a cross – purpose to the current plan, in association with Forests NSW. On this working bee, the first of three currently scheduled, about a dozen people turned up on Saturday to help, and similar numbers of people helped out on Sunday.
Thanks go to everybody who worked on the Saturday and the Sunday. It was a very productive two days, and a lot was achieved. It must also be acknowledged that Grahame North was very understanding, when faced with the comment of “but it’s not an mtb track without this in it!” Thanks to Grahame, Huw and Fiona for organizing the working bee, and all the workers who turned up to lend a hand. More information on future working bees and the track can be obtained from emailing huw@wildhorizons.com.au. The next dates set are for 23-24 September and 21-22 October.