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Blue Mountains mtb rides
The Oaks - Woodford to Glenbrook

Introduction

I live in Woodford, so this has long been one of my regular rides, and a favourite. The Oaks is rightfully considered a classic Blue Mountains ride. I went through a period of hardly ever riding the Oaks, but have rediscovered its joys all over again, and try to get out there at least once a month. During May, 2008, NPWS were hard at work clearing the trail edges from the Woodford end. They also graded and smoothed some of the rough stuff but I found the grading inconsistent in spots and was nearly caught out by the still rough Crash Corner. As at 1 June, work stopped just before the descent down Redwire Saddle, which was still very hairy. Is it Ok for beginners now? I'm still not confident with recommending it for beginners, unless they're prepared to walk down as well as up hills, but the firetrail is less technical now.

There's lots of tracks running off or just nearby that you can join with the Oaks for a full day out. NPWS have done a lot of work since the severe fires of 2001/2002, extending the singletrack, adding signage, and officially declaring the track as "shared use" for cyclists and bushwalkers. This means you're now much more likely to encounter walkers than in the past. Be careful, slow down and say g'day when you encounter walkers - make certain we can continue to use the track.

The Oaks (and St Helena) were voted as NSW's most popular tracks by readers of Australian Mountain Bike magazine in 2004, probably making them the most popular tracks in Oz! You can see a lot of riders out there on the weekend, but midweek can be quite peaceful.

Nowadays, the devastation of the 2001/2 fires is only a memory, and fields of flowers cover the ground in spring. There may still be a long way to go before the bush fully recovers, and the ongoing drought certainly hasn't helped, but there's still beauty to be seen. Late October, and there's lots of flannel flowers (the floral emblem of NSW) out there.

flannel flowers line the track in late spring

The firetrail section of the track was bulldozed for fire vehicles during the crisis, and the heavy rains immediately after the fire caused bad erosion in spots. Since then, NSW has been in the grip of severe drought, and the track suffered further, becoming sandy, dusty and loose. Heavy rain during storms since has loved these conditions, leaving some sections badly eroded.

I'm no longer comfortable recommending this track as a good beginner ride. Although there's sections beginners will love, some of the descents are now so eroded they're quite dangerous for the inexperienced. Some of the uphills are long and steep, particularly at the start and finish of the ride, but the long middle section is largely easy downhill. Beginners will find most of the early, steeper downhill sections a bit scary due to erosion, and should be sure to take it slow and steady (or walk) if at all worried. Although some hills may be big, and some bits might be a bit scary, don't forget that all bikes come with a very low gear - it's called get off and push! There's still good news for beginners. If beginners can get past the section to the helipad the long fast downhill after the helipad is in generally good condition. The singletrack varies from smooth and easy to sandy, rocky and technical, but the most technical is towards the end, after a bail out point.

the photo doesn't do justice to the roughness!

While the ride can be done from either end, it is much easier from the Woodford end. The big downhills become huge up hills on the way back - most of us can expect to walk! I know some fit buggers zoom up, but I find it takes me around twice as long to ride up as it takes to ride down.

Getting There

If catching the train, you'll need to use an interurban service (timetable) (they start from the Country platforms at Central Station) - look for trains going to Mt Victoria or Katoomba (Blue Mountains Line). Some trains don't stop at Woodford, although most do, be certain or you'll face some road riding! When you get off the train, go to the Southern (high) side. Go down the stairs and turn left, admire the mural, then head up the stairs and ramp. Don't go down to the highway, unless you are going to the shop - a general store. 2008: Bugger! The shop has closed again. You may be able to get some very basic munchies and drinks at the post office, but they're not open nearly as often as the shop used to be.

The station ramp takes you to Railway Parade which you follow towards Sydney, until it ends in a "T" intersection (about 300 metres from the station). Turn right here into the Appian Way, then left into Parker Street, after about 100 metres and left into Taylor Road at the "T" intersection (after about 80 metres). After another 50 metres, you'll see a dirt road off to the right, with a locked gate. There are signs here to identify the National Park. Lift your bike over the low fence and you're away! NPWS have thoughtfully installed a fresh water tap just inside the gate - don't steal water from the neighbours!

larger map for printing

If coming by road, head west towards Katoomba on the Great Western Highway. About 11 - 12 kms past Springwood, you'll need to take the Appian Way turnoff from the highway. This is well signposted as "Railway Station" on a large blue sign. Turn left over the railway line at the top of the hill (the first "T" intersection mentioned above) and then follow the directions for train travellers.

You could combine the two and drive to Glenbrook - turn left just after the information centre and before the lights, turn left again and immediately right (if you miss this turn, just take the next one).  These roads run to the station - where there's a parking area and street parking available. Don't leave valuables in your car - thieves have worked out they have plenty of time before riders return.

I'm not telling you exactly where this is - but it is along the Oaks.

Ride Description

Despite my comments about erosion, most of the track's in good condition - it's still open firetrail and singletrack, but not as smooth and clean as it was before the fires. Apart from the last sections of singletrack, and the steep downhills, it's not technically difficult at all. The steeper downhills can be nasty at speed - these can be badly eroded or have an unexpectedly sharp corner. Whenever you see signs warning of "humps", you'll see a waterbar, but there's usually a nasty corner nearby - not all corners have a hump or a sign.

Although the track is closed to vehicles for the first 20 km or so, keep your ears open. Occasionally motorbikes go round the gates and I've seen 4WD tourist operators, NPWS, police, ambo's and firies out there over the years. Riders have been hit by motor vehicles on this track. Keep your eyes and ears wide open!! They may be uncommon, but I often see fresh tyre tracks. You also need to watch for bushwalkers and other cyclists - especially in view of the speeds that can be reached in some sections!

The first three kilometres are easy, mainly flat or downhill, with a few small climbs. Watch out for some eroded corners that can catch you unawares - the aptly named Crash Corner in particular... Due to summer storms after long drought, many of the downhill sections are quite eroded - loose and rutted, and beginners will get nervous. From three to 11 kilometres, the track climbs up and flies down several steep hills, cruising along ridgetops in between - great views over the bush and to the city can be seen. Before the fires you could always see and smell lots of boronias along here in spring. The views are still good, and in fact more of the terrain and city can be seen, but there won't be many boronias for a while. Fires have brought the flannel flowers out in their thousands - literally acres of these beautiful white flowers in spring and early summer.

At around the three kilometre mark, you'll climb a short steep hill to the "BMX track" - a small clearing with some dropoffs - before heading down a steep, loose and rutted downhill. Watch out for the loose corner halfway down the hill, and the sharp loose sandy left at the bottom. High speeds can be reached on this hill without trying - be careful, it's easy to lose it here.

The very next climb takes you to "The Circles" - an Aboriginal engraving carved on a rock shelf to the right.  You can also find some axe grinding grooves on this rockshelf. Since the fires, you can see Sydney from here on a clear day .

The Circles are visible from the track

About a kilometre past The Circles you'll see a track to the left, this is the St Helena track, a fun, technical alternative for experienced riders, but not really suitable for newbies.

A few kilometres later, at the top of the next major hill, you'll see some big rock shelves to the left, which offer great views to the city on a clear day. Shortly after this section is the steep and loose descent into Deadman's Corner and down Redwire Saddle. All of Redwire is rutted at present, but Deadman's Corner is the nastiest hairpin corner on the track (complete with a "hump" sign). If you miss this corner and run ahead over the lookout... well, it was nice knowing you... Seriously, be careful, this corner is the scene of many a crash. Redwire itself is seriously eroded after recent summer storms, and novices often choose to walk down.

panther country?

The track to the left at the bottom of the saddle goes to Toby's Glen. I also know this spot as Panther Crossing, after a large black cat ran across the track in front of me. One of the infamous panthers supposedly roaming the mountains? Pfffft. I don't believe that rubbish, but I'm sure it was a cat, and big <cue Twilight Zone theme>. Finish the climb out of Redwire and the worst of the climbs are behind you, as the hills mellow and the ride gets ready to shift into downhill mode.

The downhill stretch actually starts at "The Wheel".  First you'll come to a large clearing on the track (the helipad), and then a short downhill and small climb where you'll see an old blue wheel stuck in the trunk of a tree - it's been there so long the tree has grown around it and it's marked on the topo maps.  The Wheel was originally mounted by bushwalkers to mark the hub of the Blue Labyrinth's ridges, which radiate spoke-like from this point. As soon as you ride up Underpants (the hill past the wheel), you're off!!  Watch out for the nasty right/right/hard loose left corner after the hump! Now this section has been graded, it's very easy to get into these corners waaaay too fast - the number of skidmarks left on the track provide ample evidence of riders leaving skidmarks in their pants...

the helipad is a popular spot for a break and signals the downhill's about to start

_{despite the claim in a recent email to me, the wheel is still very much there}

_YE^EH_AA^A!!

The next five kilometres are all smooth and fast downhill!! (well, there are some short flats and uphills, but nothing much!). The downhill section isn't steep, but speeds of over 50 kmh can be hit and maintained easily, higher speeds with some work. After riding about 18 kms from the start, you reach the second locked gate, ending Stage One, or the firetrail section of the ride.

Since the fires, NPWS have been in and done a great bit of work for us. What was a short stretch of singletrack taking you round the gate and back onto the main track, has been extended to run all the way to the Oaks picnic ground, removing the need for riders to share the corrugations with cars. You can still ride the main firetrail rather than the singletrack, but why would you bother? The singletrack's much more fun! This stretch of singletrack saddens me, because it reminds me of how good the rest used to be before it was largely straightened. Nice flow, great surface, sigh...

The new singletrack ends at the road to Red Hands Cave - cross over to the picnic ground (watch for cars at the stop sign), and a long, fast stretch of gently downhill singletrack begins. If you want a break, The Oaks picnic ground has a shelter shed available - and a brand new long drop toilet. Fresh water is no longer available at the picnic ground.

The fast "Twitter trail" (which we sometimes call "Pinchflat", for reasons which may become obvious...), runs roughly parallel with the main firetrail until you rejoin the road.  This isn't a very steep singletrack, but it can be rough - don't forget you have a number of bail out points at cross tracks - turn right to get on the main road and turn left when you hit it. It's quite sandy in spots, with plenty of loose and rocky sections.

get the flow happening

Sadly the singletrack has been slowly straightened since the fires. I don't know if it's been riders, walkers, NPWS, or just someone who scored a chainsaw for Christmas. Whatever, it's clear they don't "get" mountain bike riding. Sections that were beautiful flowing singletrack, swinging from side to side, are now almost straight - nowhere near as much fun! Trail gnomes tried to arrest the changes, but have been beaten by the sheer doggedness/foolishness of the straightening crew. I used to say "don't shortcut the twists and turns - they really do up the enjoyment factor, and we don't need a mess of straight tracks", but it doesn't seem that anyone paid attention. I really don't understand why anyone would prefer to ride in a straight line, but it seems many do.

But wait, there's more. NPWS have been at work again. Instead of running through to the tar before the Little Moab singletrack, we now turn left just before the tar, and follow a twisting singletrack up and downhill,connecting with Little Moab just below the big dropoff. That's right, sadly we've lost access to the dropoff and its lead in, which I always found a heart thumping challenge. However, we've gained a fun stretch of new singletrack. Heavy rains after drought have left this section of singletrack with some quite technical sections (badly eroded, loose, rocky and sandy), which will probably prove beyond most beginners, especially the final Little Moab rock garden. If you've found the previous section a bit hard, I recommend heading to the tar, and turning left before rejoining other riders at the carpark.

sweet singletrack

Ross takes in Little Moab in smoother times

Alternatively, confident beginners might choose to keep going, and just walk the harder sections. Little Moab finishes in the carpark above the creek, which you reach by heading down the tar.  With all the changes made by NPWS, we can now ride all the way from the gate to the Little Moab carpark on completely motor vehicle free tracks, with all bar a few hundred metres of that being singletrack. Cool.   <-- this stretch looks nothing like this now, MUCH rougher!

DON'T make new tracks if you can't ride what's there - walk instead - or learn how!

After you cross the creek, there's a final huge uphill to the top of the ridge, which sees you out of the National Park.  Stay on this road to run straight to the station and carpark.

Beware! After heavy rain the creek crossing may be impassable - it's a long ride back to Woodford!

sometimes there's a lot of water over the causeway

Traditionally the ride finishes with something nice and fattening from the Glenbrook cakeshop. Good riding, a few mates, and cakes. What more could you want?

An excellent and really different option for this track is to ride it at night, great fun!

Night really adds an extra element of

Woohoo! The race now has it's own page as well! Results and pix at Careflight. If you were there in 2005, your pic may also be at Pixelpics - mine is!