Course Details
Vetting procedure for all rides is standard AERA with optional early present.
The descriptions provided below are for those who are curious about the track, and like to know what to expect. There is no need to memorise these descriptions – there will be plenty of arrows, distance markers and signs to show you the way.
Most of the features mentioned with capital letters in the descriptions will be signposted on track, as a guide to where you are on the course, and to help with counting the climbs so you can pace yourself.
5km Introductory Ride – 1 leg
A pleasant introduction to Wingello, this course follows sandy/gravelly forest trails through pine forest and some native bushland.
The trails are almost flat and very easy for the first 1.5km. The course then leads gently downwards along the edge of the forest, with pines on one side and native forest on the other, before a short moderately steep climb up the side of a small hill.
Here you will find a checkpoint, with water, hay, snacks and some friendly Cherished Volunteers.
From the hill, the track follows the boundary of the forest between the pines and open farmland. Within the space of 100m you go down and up The Little Dipper, and from there it’s almost flat back to base along the Home Straight.
10km Introductory Ride – 1 leg
A fun tour of central Wingello, you set out along a fairly level sandy/gravelly forest trail for 2.7km to the first Checkpoint. Here you will find water, hay, snacks and some friendly Cherished Volunteers.
From the checkpoint, the trail leads into native forest and becomes undulating. In some places the trail is a little washed out and there are some short rocky sections.
Once past the half way mark, you follow the undulating and winding Serpentine trail along the boundary of the forest, with pines on one side and native forest on the other.
The course then continues gently downwards, before a short moderately steep climb up the side of a small hill. Here you will find a second Checkpoint, with water, hay, snacks and some more friendly Cherished Volunteers.
From the hill, the track follows the boundary of the forest between the pines and open farmland. Within the space of 100m you go down and up The Little Dipper, and from there it’s almost flat back to base along the Home Straight.
20km Introductory Ride – 1 leg
Test yourself on a ride through some of the prettiest parts of Wingello State Forest. The journey starts with a few kilometres of fairly flat sandy/gravelly forest road leading up to and through the Forestry campsite.
From the campsite you follow a softer trail though the pines, turning sharply right at The Hairpin to then head downwards on a soft track through the pines.
After some twists and turns then a few hundred metres on a rocky boundary track, you climb up through a gorgeous valley of ferns. Then it’s a short flat 1km to the first Checkpoint (6km from the start), where you will find water, hay, snacks and some friendly Cherished Volunteers.
There is then a few kilometres on a flat sandy forest trail, before some undulating work in and out of ferny gullies, to reach Checkpoint 2 (12.9km from the start).
From the checkpoint, the trail leads into native forest and becomes undulating again. In some places the trail is a little washed out and there are some short rocky sections.
You follow the undulating and winding Serpentine trail along the boundary of the forest, with pines on one side and native forest on the other, before a short moderately steep climb up the side of a small hill and through The Green Room, where you will find Checkpoint 3 (18.5km from the start).
From the hill, the track follows the boundary of the forest between the pines and open farmland. Within the space of 100m you go down and up The Little Dipper, and from there it’s almost flat back to base along the Home Straight.
41-61km elevator Training Ride – 2 legs (2nd leg optional)
1st Leg (41km)
This is an undulating ride which requires moderate fitness. The course starts with 7km of gently undulating or flat forestry roads and trails through the northern Wingello pines. The trails are mostly sandy with fine gravels.
Then you leave the pines and start a long descent through native forest into Gully 1 (approx 600m length, 90m drop) where there is a vehicle width bridge across the creek.
You climb out of the gully (approx 1.6km length, 70m rise) for an easy 2km saunter around a pine-clad ridgeline. The course then takes another dive through native forest into Gully 2 (approx 1.3km length, 135m drop). You cross a narrow and shallow running creek at the bottom, and then ascend up into the southern Wingello pines (approx 1km length, 150m rise).
From here the tour gently rolls around the Lyrebird Loop and along sandy/red-basalt boundary trails for approx 10km, before a short rocky descent through the White Gum Woodland into Gully 3 (40m drop). The trail crosses a vehicle width bridge across Georges creek, and then cruises along the soft creek bank for a few hundred metres.
Continue for a few kilometres along the boundary trail which becomes rocky in places with a couple of short steep climbs, then be rewarded with a beautiful rolling trail carpeted with soft pine needles and grass.
You then have a steep descent into Gully 4 (approx 500m length, 55m drop), with a vehicle width bridge at the bottom, and then 3km of gentle climb on lightly gravelled tracks up to Vinicombes Road (80m rise).
From here it is 8km back to base on dirt roads, with one last climb (approx 300m length, 30m rise) part-way along.
Optional 2nd Leg (20km)
This is the same as the 20km Introductory Ride described above.
80km Endurance Ride – 2 legs
1st Leg (41km)
This is the same as the first (41km) leg of the Training Ride described above.
2nd Leg (39km)
A picturesque roller coaster. This leg is undulating, without the big gully crossings of Leg 1, but with a whole lot of twisting and turning.
The first 2km are on flat to undulating forestry roads with some gravel, until you turn onto a minor trail through young pine forest towards the Scary Cow.
After passing the cow, the track starts to wind around through The Maze with a hairpin turn here and there. The trails are alternately soft or gravelly. Keep watch for the arrows! After three dips each with a climb out approximately 750m in length, 50m rise (The Maze, a ferny gully, Bayliss), you take a short trip along the magnificent Fern Lane, and then have 2km of flat open sandy trail to stretch out on.
You then have another dip and climb through native woodland on soft trails, with the climb out approximately 1km in length (50m rise), before approaching one of the features of the leg, Fern Gully. You wind down into Fern Gully, and then climb out over approx 800m (50m rise). From here, you are back on fairly flat to gently undulating forestry trails for approximately 10km.
Then follow The Serpentine along the boundary of the forest, with pines on one side and native forest on the other. This trail is undulating and has some rocky sections.
There is a short climb up the side of a small hill (50m rise), then the small but steep Little Dipper, and then the last 4.5km are almost flat back to base.