PTR: Thredbo all-mountain trail

When you hear ‘Thredbo’ and ‘mountain biking’ in the same sentence, you probably stand there confused. Surely a village that comes alive in the winter with fresh snow would be a ghost town during summer, yeah?

For newcomers you need to know it’s quite the opposite. From November to May, the Thredbo Alpine Village turns into a mountain biking mecca, providing the south-east coast with some of the best descending and cross-country styled trails in this region of Australia. Old hands from the mountain bike scene will know that Thredbo is the home of gravity – and over the past few seasons the riding has really expanded.

Over the recent years, trail-building crew DirtArt had been working on the next best thing; a long distance trail from the rooftop of Australia down to the valley beneath. This trail comes in the form of the Thredbo All-Mountain trail, descending from 1930 metres to the valley floor.

GETTING THERE
There’s one main road through the Thredbo Valley under the name of Alpine Way, which comes from Khancoban right through to Jindabyne. From the north, take the Monaro Highway from Canberra, through Cooma and down Kosciuszko Road into Jindabyne. If driving from Victoria, head up toward Albury and down the Murray Valley Highway onto Alpine way.

TECHNICAL NATURE
The trail snakes its way down a ski slope, so some sections can become quite steep. There are some gapped jumps and drops to spice up the trail, rollable rock gardens, and huge berms scattered in-between brief uphill sections. This trail will definitely help you expand your experience on two wheels.

YOU’LL NEED
A dual suspension bike is recommended and protective gear. Knee pads, gloves, and a full face would be a good idea, however an open face helmet is also allowed. Bring a water bottle, sunscreen (the alpine sun is very harsh), and enough snacks to get you through the day as the village can be pricey.

DISTANCES
The All-Mountain trail twists and turns for 10 kilometres into the valley floor. With a lift ticket, you can rack up a number of runs, or try the Flow trail or more advanced Cannonball Run.

RATINGS
TECHNICAL   3/5
FITNESS    5/5
CROSS COUNTRY    2/5
TRAIL   4/5
ALL-MTN    5/5
DOWNHILL     3/5
JUMP   2/5

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Thredbo has 4 trails to offer; the All-Mountain, Flow, Cannonball Downhill (compulsory fullface helmet), and the Thredbo Valley Trail. Mix up your day(s) in the alpine with a ride down each, with either trails providing their own unique features. There is also a kids and adult skills park, which is enough to keep the family entertained for hours.

BEST TIME OF YEAR
Visit in the latter half of summer for the best weather and minimal snow. Keep an eye out on the social media channels for trail closures, as they could be closed due to snow/ice cover or for regular maintenance.

WHILE IN THE AREA
Enjoy a hike through Thredbo’s beautiful trails from the valley floor, or catch the chairlift and walk up to the top of Australia. Bring some barbeque utensils and food and relax by the Thredbo River after the morning ride, or a dip in the pool at the Thredbo leisure centre.

LOCAL BIKE SHOPS
The Thredbo Bike and Hire Shop at the bottom of the Kosciuszko Express Chairlift has everything you’ll need for a day of shredding. Spare parts, fresh kits, protective equipment, or casual clothing are all available for purchase or even Norco dual suspension hire bikes and protective equipment.
thredbo.com.au

There are also a bunch of bike shops in Jindabyne on Bay Street, including Sacred Ride.
sacredride.com.au

LOCAL CLUB CONTACTS
The Jindabyne Cycling Club on Facebook regularly organise ride days in the area.

REGULAR EVENTS
The mountain biking opening and closing weekend are increasingly popular, as well as the Cannonball Mountain Biking Festival, which has been running for four years in a row. Thredbo MTB hosts a ‘SuperEnduro’ race down all three descent trails in February each year, and ‘interschools’ hosted in March. Be sure to check the Thredbo website for more information.

TRAIL ESSENTIALS

Toilets: Top and Bottom of the main chairlift.

Drinking Water: Fresh alpine water is available via taps at the bottom of the hill.

Parking: In the Thredbo Village.

Trails Signposted: Thredbo has its own unique trail signage on all the trails. The trail head for the All-Mountain can be found on the right of the path leading up to Mt. Kosciuszko, to the left of the building at the top of the chairlift.

Mobile Reception: Telstra – yes, Optus – yes

Reception can become restricted on the All-Mountain trail, however most providers have a good connection in the Village and top of the chairlift.

Shelter: At the bottom of the chairlift.

BBQ Facilities: Across the road from the Information centre in the village, by the Thredbo River.

Accomodation: The Thredbo Alpine Hotel is bike friendly and fair-priced. Plenty of other accommodation is available in group numbers, with prices ranging from cheap to expensive.

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Words and Photos: Nick Waygood