Mt Buller - All you need to know

[---Matt---]

Klingsporn is now closed to bikes, unless someone can someone confirm otherwise?

Is delatite a one way trail? I presumed it was two as its shared with walkers and horses. I'd be inclined, if allowed to, climb delatite, but knowing that after the box corner turn off its going to get very steep in a few spots. And descending wise delatites always fun, or if you want to add another 30+ km going to epic instead.

Yep Klingsporn is closed to bikes now by DEPI. It sucks! You wouldn't have much luck riding up Klingsporn anyway. Its difficult to walk in parts let alone ride.

They are all big climbs on your list. I've ridden up the road from Mirimbah on the MTB and it's definitely the easiest way to the top. If I were to try doing it off road then Delatite would be the next easiest.

If you've got the stamina I'd say doing the Stirling circuit road to TBJ would be the most interesting but keep your eyes open for cars in both directions.

 

[gnarly_rider]

Yep Klingsporn is closed to bikes now by DEPI. It sucks! You wouldn't have much luck riding up Klingsporn anyway. Its difficult to walk in parts let alone ride.

That really does suck. I loved descending that beast at the end of the weekend a couple of times.

Confirmation here if you are looking for it:

http://www.bike.mtbuller.com.au/trail_report.php

Both under the Trail Status section, and the Trail Closures section further down.

LOL: my avatar shot is in fact on Klingsporn many many years ago...

 

[dunndog]

Klingsporn is now closed to bikes, unless someone can someone confirm otherwise?

Pfft, I can't see that sticking.. I definitely can't see no one riding it. Buller seem almost bullish in biting the hand that feeds them! I understand this was not solely their decision, but every year despite whatever great trail work gets done they just seem to come up with some way to take a dump on the sport and the riders.. Watch your step up there, Falls is creeping up steadily, the network is growing and the support is miles ahead...

 

[Mywifesirrational]

Pfft, I can't see that sticking.. I definitely can't see no one riding it. Buller seem almost bullish in biting the hand that feeds them! I understand this was not solely their decision, but every year despite whatever great trail work gets done they just seem to come up with some way to take a dump on the sport and the riders.. Watch your step up there, Falls is creeping up steadily, the network is growing and the support is miles ahead...

Our riding group is broadening our horizons this summer, and going elsewhere with our money - falls, thredbo, bright, as these places have a far more progressive mentality in regards to making high quality trails.

I really like buller, the XC network is great, the DH stuff is tokenism.

 

[mymasseur]

Yep a grippy of us was looking at heading down from Townsville in January. We wanted to do epic, stonfly etc ask the xc, but still like the am side, with flights, van hire and staying for longer to get that moneys worth. Think we are going to opt out as klingsporn was going to be our end of day or beginning saving ritual. Can't ride the epic every day or stonfly fir the week. Shame.

Cake or death?

 

[Nautonier]

Our riding group is broadening our horizons this summer, and going elsewhere with our money - falls, thredbo, bright, as these places have a far more progressive mentality in regards to making high quality trails.

I really like buller, the XC network is great, the DH stuff is tokenism.

Yep, Buller really aren't making the most of that chairlift with the same 2 tracks that have been there for eternity (I don't even count the travesty that is Copperhead). I like International and Abom, but am thoroughly sick of riding them year after year. This year I'll be heading to the new bike park in Christchurch NZ instead, where they have a bike specific high-speed quad and more trails than you can poke a stick at. They plan to add several new trails every year and will be regularly maintaining all of them. As it should be.

As winters get warmer and the snow at Buller gets steadily worse (worse than it already is) and they lose more and more money, hopefully one day they will see that it's possibly to make money out of mountain biking, but you need to offer a quality experience that is world class.

 

[mymasseur]

Agree been to rota last 3 years. Missed it this year, which is why Buller was our target. We will save and go to Christchurch also next year

Cake or death?

 

[waldog]

Cake or death?

Death please.

 

[gnarly_rider]

I really like buller, the XC network is great, the DH stuff is tokenism.

I'm guessing a (significant?) part of the problem is that the DH trails are handled by the ski lift company, whilst the XC trails are managed by the resort.

So two different management groups, with likely differing agendas, etc....

 

[mymasseur]

Death please.

Sweet no one has asked for death! You said death!

Cake or death?

 

[John U]

Yep Klingsporn is closed to bikes now by DEPI. It sucks! You wouldn't have much luck riding up Klingsporn anyway. Its difficult to walk in parts let alone ride.

They are all big climbs on your list. I've ridden up the road from Mirimbah on the MTB and it's definitely the easiest way to the top. If I were to try doing it off road then Delatite would be the next easiest.

If you've got the stamina I'd say doing the Stirling circuit road to TBJ would be the most interesting but keep your eyes open for cars in both directions.

Rode the Stirling circuit road one year (before the trails started to open up). If you enjoy 40kms of gravel road with a fair bit of climbing go for it. I won't be doing it again. It was shit. There are much better rides up there. I'd suggest doing the epic twice if you want that sort of work out.

 

[---Matt---]

Rode the Stirling circuit road one year (before the trails started to open up). If you enjoy 40kms of gravel road with a fair bit of climbing go for it. I won't be doing it again. It was shit. There are much better rides up there. I'd suggest doing the epic twice if you want that sort of work out.

Yeah, I definitely wouldn't recommend the full circuit road loop (its bad enough just driving it), but using it to get to TBJ wouldn't be the worst climb ever. The fire road from TBJ to the top of Stirling would be a challenge in itself but nowhere near as bad as riding up Klingsporn.

 

[John U]

I rode it in the other direction. Fair bit of descent / climb in that bit on the other side. It was shit. Stonefly and epic didn't exist back then though.

 

[dmc]

The thread has jumped off the klingsporn topic but thought i would throw in a bit more info.
Unfortunately the Klingsporn is only inside the Resort Management boundary for a tiny section at the top and the rest falls in DEWLP territory. After they completed an asset audit it was deemed unsafe as a shared use trail by their criteria (up untill now they just turned a blind eye to it). So no mater what Buller RMB say or do the decision is final atleast for the moment and if it was up to the RMB it would still be open for MTB as it was an awsome trail.

 

[Nautonier]

No biggie, it's actually a really shit trail to ride unless you like miles of off-camber skatey shingle that makes it feel like you've got flat tyres... If management/DEWLP had actually put some work into it it could have been one of the best descents in Australia, but obviously that's asking far too much. :behindsofa:

 

[ajay]

So went up to Buller today for a few laps on Abom and International. A fair bit of work has been done since I was there last year.

Abom: Still follows the same route, though it's wider in parts, a few sections have been opened up, the existing jumps have been improved and a few more have been added, generally improving the track.
The jumps on the first section work a lot better than they have in previous years, and the first chicane feels faster. Throughout the middle sections, it feels much the same but a couple of turns have been opened up improving the flow, and after the fast ski run traverse under the chairlift there is a mild kicker/drop off that leads into that super fast right hander. It certainly makes that section fun, but I think the braking bumps will soon be severe as you need to wash off the same amount of speed with a few meters less time to brake... See how that goes. The final few turns at the bottom have been opened up too making that section flow heaps more.
All in all, solid improvements!

International: Rides pretty much the same as last year by memory. A notable addition being a second (and bigger) road gap. It's just after the 1st road gap, and crosses the fire road adjacent to the big wooden berm (which is now the "B" line) before the middle woods. It looks big, although it rides easily at trail pace after hitting the 1st gap, but the run out is still fresh and soft. Awesome addition as the existing section has always been awkward. So its basically: road gap, berm, berm, road gap, berm, berm, middle woods - fun as fuck. The bottom half of International appears more or less unchanged with some general maintenance.
I think it's running better than it has in years, or ever, for that matter.

I rode Outlaw and Copper Head but I don't generally do more than 1 lap a year on those tracks so couldn't really say if anything has changed. Someone else may elaborate on that.


New main lift hut at the top of Spurs, had a decent coffee from the cafe and ended the day with an unscathed bike and body. :biggrin1:

 

[Downhill_Dave]

Hi All,

I am looking to go to Mt Buller for a weekend or a long weekend during Summer and/or Autumn. I ride DH and want to make the most of the DH trails so I'm wondering what tips everyone can offer and what I should look at paying for accomodation/shuttles etc? I'm posting on the end of this thread because the original post was from 2005 and there are over 100 pages on here so if anyone could send me some current info that would be great. I have checked out all of the websites associated with riding Mt Buller and there is just too much info so I'd rather here from people that have done it to hopefully weed out any bad experiences.

Cheers In Advance

Dave

 

[dunndog]

Just get in touch with Andy's Fat Tyre accom, and Blue Dirt for shuttles. That is all you need to know, as there are only 2 dh trails accessed from 1 trailhead.
I would also have recommended Mirimbah Store as they run shuttles from the bottom of the hill and you could have done a run down Klingsporn, but that most awesome of trails has been struck from the riding map.. tragically.

 

[John U]

Chairlift are open for the rest of the year as follows. Weekends until mid Feb.

Actually, all the chairlift info you could want for the remainder of this season. Get up there.

 

[John U]

International: Rides pretty much the same as last year by memory. A notable addition being a second (and bigger) road gap. It's just after the 1st road gap, and crosses the fire road adjacent to the big wooden berm (which is now the "B" line) before the middle woods. It looks big, although it rides easily at trail pace after hitting the 1st gap, but the run out is still fresh and soft. Awesome addition as the existing section has always been awkward. So its basically: road gap, berm, berm, road gap, berm, berm, middle woods - fun as fuck. The bottom half of International appears more or less unchanged with some general maintenance.
I think it's running better than it has in years, or ever, for that matter.

I really need to ride international with you.