Best Gravel Rides in Victoria's High Country

Photos: Georgina von Marburg

A mountain bike ride draws your immediate attention to a multitude of small decisions that all involve keeping you upright. When to brake, where to brake. What to steer around, what to pop over, and what to avoid at all costs – when to jump, when not to jump, and when to haul on the brakes. Riding off road demands attention, and the reward is immediate but also ongoing, pulling you away from any struggles off the bike, and placing you in the immediate here and now.

But this escapism is not just reserved for technical trails and the exploits of riders charging trails hard and fast. Riding off road and the rewards it provides is far more egalitarian. From a cruise along a winding bike path, to a climb into the mountains on a little used forest road, the chance to interact with the living environment and escape from the 9-5 is the same. With more road and every day riders discovering the joy mountain bikers have long since known of riding off road and away from traffic, small towns and communities across Australia are opening their doors to this burgeoning demographic. Victoria's High Country is littered with back roads and dirt trails. The threads of these routes are tied together in a complex tapestry that have been decoded and laid out for us by the folks at Ride High Country in the North East of the state. Where anyone can download a route direct to their device from their website, and follow along at their own pace. Here we follow two such routes in the heartland of what is becoming the gravel riding hub of Victoria.

Route name: Mount Pilot Lookout 

Distance: 52km
Climbing: 1015mStart/finish point: Beechworth.
Best coffee: Tiny of Beechworth
Best food: Tanswells Commercial Hotel
Maps: Ride High Country

A local favourite, it could be said that these gravel roads on offer resemble those of the Italian Tuscan hillsides. An Aussie version of those infamous Strade Bianche routes. Strade Bianche, for those here that are die-hard mountain bikers, is an early spring, part road – part gravel race taking in iconic areas throughout the rolling Italian hillside. That description, apart from the Italian bit obviously, isn’t too far off what is on offer here. Starting and finishing in the family friendly town of Beechworth, the route is best ridden here as a group. Broken up into gravel and tarmac sections, the route features adventures for those that are keen to explore, while simultaneously offering a consistent and easily laid out route that once you’ve got your head down, you can tick along and enjoy what the countryside has to offer. 

The shoulder seasons are the ideal time for a gravel ride in the High Country, away from the heat of summer and the icy days of winter. And if I could be even more picky, I'd choose autumn. The local hillsides here transform into a colourful utopia. All the leaves turn into a red and golden hue, while all the local farmers, having pruned their fruit trees since spring heap them together to burn off, effectively add an in-person an Instagram filter for the sun, tricking you into thinking that you’ve managed a Euro holiday without the 24hr hell of an international flight. 

This route can be ridden in either direction, although it is worth noting that if you want an easier start, riding out towards Beechworth Mountain Bike Park, (worth a visit by the way), then onto the Mount Pilot climb will give you a descent to start with, and not a pinch climb to finish. It may seem like a small detail at the start of the ride, but it's a big detail at the end.

You'll roll out of Beechworth on tarmac to begin with, as is the norm when your route starts and finishes in the centre of any town, let alone one as old as Beechworth. But this eases you into the ride. Maybe that was needed, given the supply of local brewers into town, sometimes an easy warm up is always welcome. Once you’ve made your way off the tarmac and onto the gravel, a sense of release always washes over the riding group – less attention has to be paid to traffic, and the quality of ride kicks in where you can ride comfortably together, share stories and take in the scenery.

The white roads come into force now, especially late summer where the road is thoroughly dried out. Sure it is slippery, but so is any gravel surface, and the speed that you can carry across the surface does make for an enjoyable ride. There is no slog here, whatever power you’re transferring to the pedals isn’t lost in any soft patches. The sweeping turns make it easy to navigate, and the climb through the National Park to Mt Pilot lookout comes quickly and relatively easy. While the road does snake past the lookout, you do have to be adventurous to seek it out as it’s a 300m walk or hike off the bike to get there. This is worth it for sure when on a solo or paired up mission, but with a group keen to spend time on the bike, pushing through and spending the time we have to ride always takes precedence. 

Apart from paying attention to the odd major road crossing, you can really press on and get lost in the rolling hillsides splattered with farmland in between passing through classic Australian bushland. Even the greenest of gravel rider would struggle to call this road anything other than champagne gravel. Cover this ground early on a crisp autumn or winter morning, the road almost sounds frozen as first tracks can be both seen and heard, a strange and intoxicating feeling whether on a mountain bike or a gravel specific bike. It's fast, and the easy speed spurs you on to go faster.

Heading back into town after covering these 52km may be in stark contrast to your normal singletrack rides, but it is equally enjoyable for all the different reasons why it is not your typical singletrack ride. Some will enjoy it for the serenity, some for the scenery, and some for the simplicity of cycling on those champagne white roads. 

Route name: Il Monte

Distance: 72.5km
Climbing: 1120m
Start/finish point: Whitefield
Best coffee: Hobbledehoy Distillery & Cafe
Best food: King River Brewing
Map: Ride High Country

Il Monte is a route for everyone, and equally a route for those that are prepared. This is a big loop that takes in everything from views of the back of Mount Buffalo and its lake at the base, to sprawling pine forests and everything in between. Starting and finishing in Whitfield, this is another route I’d suggest be taken on as a group. Once leaving town you don’t really have any chance of an emergency stop, be it food or bike support, no servo choccy milk will be on offer during this ride. So pack your snacks and spares, and be prepared. There are sections where phone reception disappears too, which isn’t unusual in the High Country, but better to know before setting out than the alternative. 

Heading out of town past all the wineries at the upper end of the King Valley, this route follows farmland right up until you don’t, you dip head first into bushland that helps bring you up and over the first minor climb. Soon patches of pine forest break out, and a mild gradient propels you back down to a narrow corridor sunk between small hills on either side of the road. It’s a meandering journey along this section, riding past the odd farmhouse, now well past the first lot of pine plantations, it’s a chance to let the bunch organically dictate the rules. Gravel is a bit like that, as the ride tends to be far more dynamic than a mountain bike ride where we always stop and start at each trail head. On a gravel ride it's a rolling, living being. Riders move forward, some roll back as they have something to eat, or opt out of pushing hard on a climb. And you'll always shuffle around to chat to someone else. It's a big part of the appeal for me, is how much of the ride you get to spend in the direct company of who you are riding with.

At this point you are still early into the trip, any energy that hasn’t been tapped from the early climb can often burst out into small surges of speed from those that have the legs. Those eager to push on are wearily met by those who know they are planning their own surge later on in the ride. It is equally easy to let the mind slip away as you follow the twisting river bed all the way to outskirts of Lake Buffalo, and before you know it, staring you in the face is one of the iconic mountain ranges in Victoria. 

The shear wall of rock that makes up Mount Buffalo can make you instantly regret any earlier surge of pace you may have taken on, but you needn’t worry, while you take in all that surrounding scenery has to offer back on a stretch of tarmac, pedalling alongside the inlet of Lake Buffalo itself, you will make a hard left turn and safely away from mountains of climbing and back onto a more forgiving gravel surface. The ensuing gradient almost feels like a relief in comparison, even though you still do begin to climb, you’re at peace knowing what could have been. Back in a mixture of pine plantations, some logged, some not, the accompanying roads match the scenery. At times rough then smooth, picking a smooth line definitely helps now that we’ve passed the midpoint of the ride. 

Depending on the time of year this section is often welcomed with open arms from autumn through to winter, or held with contempt in summer. I’ve ridden this particular length of road on a winter solstice ride, although starting and finishing in a different location to this particular ride. The purpose behind solstice rides is to start and finish with sunrise and sunset, and on this ride the overnight temperature was sitting at -6, and it didn’t really warm up until I’d reached this section of road, where the sun could slowly thaw my frozen existence back into some form of life. It was terrific, and on any ride through winter I’d imagine anyone could have that same experience I had. Passing through mid-summer however, you would want to have the job done by 10am. This place heats up.

On that tip once you make that turn away from Lake Buffalo, you are on your own back to Whitfield. I’ll let you decide on whether the river that helped lead the way up until this point can be drunk from, but I would plan on being prepared from start to finish on this route and leave the taste test to someone else. Pack enough water to suit the ride length and the conditions to play it safe.

Once you’ve managed to take in the final climb, short as it is, the long run in back to town gives you ample time to soak in what the upper end of the King Valley has to offer, passing more wineries, as if that were possible, on the way back into town helps close the scene for what is a unique gravel tour. It's no walk in the park, but it is a visually stunning route that doesn't need to be physically demanding – as long as you plan your day.

More gravel in the high country 

Ride High Country Tourism North East have mapped out over 40 gravel routes in the region. They are rated as green, blue or black, based on the difficulty of the distance, route and climbing. You can use the Ride High Country website to choose a route, download the .gpx file and roll out on an adventure.

ridehighcountry.com.au/gravel/

Do I need a gravel bike?

No, you don't. Some say that the best gravel bike is whatever you are riding right now. We find the beauty of gravel rides is that it really is about getting into the outdoors, without huge demands on technical riding ability. Bring your eMTB, bring your XC bike, or hey – even bring your folding bike on an easy gravel route!

The easier gravel rides could be the perfect way to take the family on an outdoor adventure with a picnic on the way, or to introduce a friend to the joys of riding off road.