Zero to hero: Mountain biking the Thredbo Valley track

We all know the Snowies have a rep for snow sports, but amongst those in the know it’s always been a hotspot for mountain bike riding too; especially in November when its time to dust off the bike, grab your crew and hit the tracks for the first laps of the season.

Got a mountain bike? Perfect. If not, bike, gear and helmet hire is available from local resorts or cycling and ski stores in Jindabyne. To find the bike track, head to Thredbo village, 5 hours drive from Sydney or 30 minutes from Jindabyne. The Thredbo Valley track starts from Friday Drive, in Thredbo, on your right, before the roundabout.

The full track weaves 37km (one-way) mostly downhill through the incredible sub-alpine landscape, between huge granite boulders, snowgum woodland and towering eucalyptus forest. Starting at the top, you’ll spend most of the ride curving down the sides of the valley, rolling down hills, zig-zagging your way to the Old Ranger Station and passing through Ngarigo and Thredbo Diggings campgrounds (pro tip: they make great pit stops). Riding the hard-packed rocky path will test your thighs and backside (saddle soreness is real), but the gravel offers a great surface to test your mad skills, and custom-built suspension bridges (spoiler: there’s six) will take you over the river running below you.

How you tackle the track is completely up to you and your crew. With shorter, easier ride or adventurous, technical ride options the track can be completed in sections that suit you (or your crew’s) level of experience. 

Just remember it’s a shared use track, so take care and expect to pass the occasional trout-carrying fisherman, enthusiastic hiker or riders coming the other way.

Fancy yourself a gravity junkie? Get your fix on Thredbo Mountain Bike Park’s gravity trails.