Day 1 Canberra June 2008

So the weekend begins and not too soon, as the thought of last years trip is still lingering in the back of my mind…..could it be as good as last year….

We head out on the road at about 7ish and the traffic is non existent which is great, as Liam and I drift down the dual carriageway our attention is drawn towards the weather….its a nice clear day amongst patches of fog along the way.

Within a few hours we are at Mt Stromlo where Tien, Stuart and Co are waiting patiently in the car park…we all get our steeds ready and head out for the long climb, unsure how I would go I decided to start slow and hang back and see how my body holds up from not riding for the last 8 months.

The climb is slow but by no means difficult and fun as all hell, nice tight turns ans some sweeping corners have me realising why I love this sport so much. While riding with Stuart we both realise quickly that you need to look well ahead or you’ll just hit the rocks or other obstacles on the trail….you remember that rock Stu (I’ll never forget it now!).

We stopped a few times on the way to rest and regather our breath only to realise that there was a chilly wind cutting through to the skin….quick back on the bikes! As we ascend to the Observatory the trail seems a little more rocky than it was last year, I guess that expected when so many are riding it daily, nonetheless its still a great trail.

At the top the team splits up as more crew have arrived Stuart and I head to the Beginner Downhill while most hit up the backside of the mountain.

The Downhill is a mixture of slight incline cutting across the hill with switchbacks thrown in for good measure, it can be a very fast trail if you push it. We casually rode down to the crossover with the double black downhill across the bridge and left to keep on our easier descent to avoid the large gap jumps. We are greeted by tight fast switchbacks before opening up at the bas of the mountain and the car park and 4x tracks right in front….we weave around the 4x track and finish in the car park….lap 1 done 

So in the carpark we have a bite to eat and head out for more of the same, we finish with smiles….

Its time to hit the showers and plan for Day Two Majura Pines!

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/5930911