Ben Annear is our resident Bike Buller guru, and is here to help with any queries you may have on biking at Buller. Feel free to drop Ben a line!
BEN'S BIKE BULLER BLOG
WEDNESDAY 21ST DECEMBER 2011
Summer Gets Cranking!
Wow,
the first few weeks of summer have blown past at such a pace. Better catch up
with all that’s been happening across the BIKE BULLER desk before the Fat Man tries
to get down the chimney.
Copperhead Trail Launch.
December the 3rd
was a date a lot of us here at Mt Buller were looking forward to, possibly more
so than Christmas, dare I say more than a powder day in the depths of winter.
The opening of Copperhead, Mt Buller's newest MTB trail, loomed as the perfect
way to kick off the bike season here in the resort. Australia’s first “Flow Down”
trail and another master piece from Glen Jacobs and the World Trail crew.
Located alongside the resorts other downhill trails, Copperhead is the first
new gravity trail in close to ten years here at Mt Buller and a trail that is
sure to be enjoyed by all types of riders who visit Mt Buller.
Bluebird
conditions greeted the crowd who had assembled at the trail head for the
official opening ceremony, champagne was flowing as close to 100 riders cheered
the ribbon cutting, conducted by Resort Management CEO John Huber and Glen Jacobs. Shannon Rademaker,
local MTB rock star and ATC operator was given the task of first run on the new
trail and was closely followed by the masses, descending the 2.7 km track to
the shuttle pick up in Lower Tyrol car park. As the buses returned riders to
the trail head for another lap, nothing other than praises and smiles all round
were being shared, all the way down the trail hoots and hollers of bike riders
hitting what is sure to become another iconic Mt Buller MTB trail could be
heard. Copperhead is OPEN and heralds a big step forward in trail development
in Australia, it will be lift serviced through the Horse Hill chairlifts
operations from Boxing Day till the end of January, and then by the Bike Buller
Shuttle (more on this a little later) on weekends from February till the end of
April.
Later
in the evening guests attended the VIP trail launch function in the Snake Pit
themed surrounds of Cattleman’s’ Café. A slideshow of Copperheads design and construction
was screened on a very impressive indoor screen, (thanks to Jacqui from
Melbourne Open Air Cinema) , John Huber, CEO of Mt Buller Resort Management,
and Jennifer Hutchison Chairman of the Mt Buller and Mt Stirling Alpine Resort
Management Board spoke of the recent developments within the MTB product here
at Mt Buller, and also highlighted some of the other major developments for the
coming summer season in the resort, notably the Bike Buller Shuttle and the
Bike Buller Crank Club. Following official proceedings the crowded café was
treated to the Victorian premiere of From The Inside Out, the latest MTB flick
to hit our shores from the Coastal Crew out of British Columbia, Canada.
With
attendees from across the spectrum of the mountain bike industry in resort for
the weekend, expect to see and hear a lot about Copperhead and its opening in the
next few months. With the likes of Australian Mountain Biking and Revolution
magazines lining the trail with their camera jockeys deeper than a Fashion Week
catwalk, expect to see plenty of hot shots and images in the pages of our
finest mountain bike publications.
Introducing the Bike Buller Crank Crew.
Here at Mt Buller we have a deep
understanding of just how far some of you travel, from all parts of Australia,
to hit up our trail network, so we are trying to make your time here all that
more enjoyable.
The Bike Buller Crank Crew is for
you the rider. Linked in with the Bike Buller Lodge, Merrijig Ski Lodge on Mt
Buller, here is a place where members can wash their bikes and themselves
before heading for home, this beats a stinky car load of sweaty riders all the
way back to town. Members will also benefit from bike servicing facilities and
discounts on accommodation offered by the Bike Buller Lodge.
Members receive access to a
lounge area to relax in whilst off the trails, loaded with the latest MTB
magazines and DVD’s. Plus Bike Buller will be sending Crank Crew members bike
news ahead of the rest, so you will be the first to know, part of the inner
circle. Stickers, Crank Crew t-shirts and a Repeat Offender visitor cards are a
few other Crank Crew member benefits.
For all the fine details on the
Crank Crew, or to sign up right now, head to the Bike Buller website here.
Bike Buller Shuttle lifts off.
As N.A.S.A. brings to a close
their Space Shuttle operations, here at Bike Buller we are very excited to be
launching our new Bike Buller Shuttle. By the way, our Shuttle program has
nothing to do with space exploration; it’s all about extending the downhill MTB
season here at Mt Buller.
For many years Mt Buller’s
downhill trails have traditionally only been available during the operation of
the Horse Hill Chairlift, from Boxing Day to the end of January. Frustrating to
many keen and dedicated Buller riders, this relatively short window for gravity
riders is about to get a big shot in the arm.
Operating every weekend,
10am-4pm, from February 4th till the end of April (weather
permitting) effectively extending our “lifted” downhill season from one month
to four! Shuttle tickets will be available from the Clock Tower in the village
square, priced at $48 for a day pass and $86 for a two-day pass.
Combine this new shuttle service
with Copperhead, and our network of existing gravity trails like Abom and
International and you have the most extensive downhill network in Australia, serviced
by convenient means to get all your ride buddies back to the top, ready to tear
it up again and again. Find all details here.
Leading the way at Mt Buller.
So you’ve arrived at Mt Buller,
you’re all decked out, bike is off the rack and you’re ready to ride……………now if
I could only find those bike trails everyone keeps banging on about!
In previous seasons it was common
place to find riders wandering aimlessly around the village, bike map in-hand,
madly pointing, spinning the map around and around, then finally jumping on
their bikes and pedaling away in the opposite direction of our trail network.
Release the Lead Out Logo’s.
Unlike a number of other popular
MTB destinations, Mt Buller’s MTB network does not begin right from the car
park, in fact the trail heads are tucked away at either end of the Mt Buller
village. So in order to make navigation to these points a whole lot easier we
have introduced Lead Out Logos to guide riders to these common start points of
our trails.
Stenciled onto the road surface,
every 100 metres or so, are a series of either green or purple Bike Buller
logos, see photo. Open up your Bike Buller trail map and in the enlarged village
section, bottom left-hand corner, you will notice that the dotted green line
will lead you along The Avenue and to the trail head of The Village family
Trail, directly alongside Mitre Ski lodge, simply follow the green logos from
behind Cow Camp to take you there.
In a similar fashion you will
find that the series of purple Lead Out Logos will direct you left along
Stirling Road and then left onto Goal Post Rd to Gang Gangs trail. A simple,
easy and foolproof method to get riders onto the trails and having fun on the
dirt, rather than aimlessly stumbling around the village.
Retailer Ride Days.
Held in conjunction with the launch of
Copperhead, Mt Buller played host to a number of retail bike stores, all in the
name of spreading the Bike Buller love. Held over two days these groups of
owners and staff were shown the full gamut of MTB product on offer here at Mt
Buller. With guided rides out over Corn Hill, along trails like Misty Twist,
Gang Gangs, the Delatite River Trail and the legendary Klingsporn.
Also included in the mix were a
few shuttles from Mirimbah store, a look through the Bike Buller Lodge, and of
course a few laps down Copperhead.
Attendees were from the following
stores; I Ride Bikes in Kew, Jones Cycles Frankston, Bicycle Superstore in
Sunbry, Berretas Bike Hub in Geelong, Bendigo Cycles in Bendigo, and Cyclery
Northside in Chatswood NSW. So if you are in need of some real Mt Buller
feedback whilst you hit the shops, head along to any one of these fine purveyors
of bikes and ask them what they thought of Buller.
We know they loved it!
Bringing out the Big Guns.
I bet you all thought I was
about to show you a photo of my biceps? Well No!
During
January 2012 Mt Buller plays host to the very best mountain bike riders this
country has on offer.
Firstly holding the 4th round of
the Victorian DH Series on the 14th and 15th of January. Racing
will take place on the newly improved International track, and is sure to
provide competitors and spectators with a super challenging course. With
competition tight at the top in the Elite Men’s division, will we witness
Connor Fearon extend his 8 point lead over Tim Eaton? For full details and
entries head on over to the Vic DH Series website here.
Then from
Friday the 20th till Sunday the 22nd of January, Mt
Buller will hold rounds of both the MTBA Nationals All Mountain Cup and Gravity
Cup. Competitors in the All Mountain Cup will race three disciplines, Super D
on the Friday down the Delatite River Trail to Mirimbah Park, Cross Country
Olympic format around and over Corn Hill on the Saturday and Cross Country
Enduro on the Sunday, taking in both Corn Hill and the iconic Stonefly loop
from Howqua Gap and over Mt Stirling.
It will
be during these three events that we see firsthand how our top Australian XC
riders are fairing as they compete through our Summer, will both Andrew Blair
and Jenni King maintain their overall leads from the Nationals first round in
Perth?
During
the same weekend the Gravity Cup will play out to the Nations and without doubt
some of the Worlds, best downhillers. Official practice will begin on the
Friday, with seeding runs on Saturday and competition scheduled for all of
Sunday. Expect to see Troy Brosnan, recently crowned 2011 Junior World Champion
and 2011 Junior World Cup Overall winner, joust it out with three times World
Champion and 2009 World Cup Overall champion Sam Hill, and Jared Graves three times
World Cup 4 Cross Champion from 2009, 10 and 11. It doesn’t get more ‘World Cup’
than that!
I don’t
know about you but we’re pretty stoked to be able to have all these elite MTB
riders in our own back yard during January 2012. And we would love for as many
spectators to be heading our way to cheer them on as they smash the trails here
at Mt Buller. All details can be found through the MTBA website here.
So to
each and every one of you, thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings,
and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, be safe and
Ride On!
Ben
PS. Horse Hill Chairlift begins summer operations Boxing
Day, Monday 26th December. YEEEWWW!
Wednesday 20th September 2011
Save the dates.
29th - 31st October official opening of XC trail network 30th October Halloween bike event and season opening party 3rd December Copperhead official opening weekend 26th December official opening of lift accessed DH trails
Having itchy feet is an understatement right now, as we begin the countdown to our summer operations opening here at Mt Buller for 2011/12. On the back of a less than desirable ski season everyone is champing at the bit to get up to Mt Buller and hit the bikes.
Opening Weekend 29th - 31st October
Cup weekend will see us swing into summer operations. This weekend will see the Mirimbah Shuttle begin their weekend shuttle service, allowing riders access to the Delatite River trail and the Klingsporn track. All Terrain Cycles open their doors for on-mountain bike rentals, guiding services, sales and repairs. Jess Douglas brings the MTBSkills.com.au Buller Retreat back for their third year in a row, showing 40 MTB riders how to up their skills in our MTB playground. Combined with these, we will be holding an official opening party, complete with a Halloween themed bike event, on Sunday the 30th of October, open to all riders who will be on Buller for this weekend, and followed by a post event dinner held at a secret venue. Dress up will be compulsory for this event.
Ice Ice Baby.......
Fuelled with the anticipation of a busy calendar of events, we now begin the time and labor intensive work of clearing and opening our trail network. With close to 100km of trails, our trail crew has their work cut out for them over the next few weeks. This year's clearing is going to be extra difficult as a result of an ice storm that blanketed our mountains in a thick, dense layer of ice between the 5th and 8th of July. The resulting ice layer plastered to the foliage resulted in complete collapse of what were otherwise healthy, mature trees. And in huge numbers they came crashing down. Below are some images of the tree-fall within the Mt Buller village, and one recent image out on Stonefly.
Over on Mt Stirling the outside trail crew hastily began to attempt to re-open parts of the XC skiing terrain and found that it was taking as long as four hours, with two chainsaws running, to clear 100 metres of trail. Needless to say crews will be facing some challenges in attempting to open all of our trails for our opening weekend, October 29th - 31st, Melbourne Cup weekend.
If you would like to lend a hand in the windfall removal please email me on ben.annear@mtbuller.com.au .
Cup weekend we expect to see bike riders jump at the chance to ride Mt Buller's trail network, a mere four weeks after the official close of the ski season. This will be the earliest opening of our trails I can remember. And over the past few weeks we have been fending off a staggering amount of bike riders wanting to know when they can come and ride. It is important to the sustainability of our trail network that trails are only opened once cleared of all snowpack, areas of water drained and any seasonal maintenance carried out and windfall removed. Sending riders out onto un-prepared trails is a fast track method of destroying a trail in no time as well as exposing riders to unnecessary risks. We are also very proud of our trails and only want riders to have the best experience possible when they come to ride at Mt Buller.
Copperhead..."It's like Stonefly on steroids."......Glen Jacobs.
Get out your diaries; put a big red circle around Saturday, December the 3rd. This is Buller's launch date for Copperhead, Australia's first lift-serviced ‘Flow Down' trail. Designed by World Trails' "guru of flow" Glen Jacobs, and funded by the Resort Management Board (as opposed to the lift company who has traditionally looked after the downhill trails), Copperhead is a 2.7 kilometre trail that is a long overdue addition to the gravity fed trail component serviced by the Horsehill chairlift. Aimed at the novice and beginner rider with a manicured surface, this will allow for a safe and fun introduction of our sport. However, in saying that expert riders too, are set for a blast on the new trail, with plenty of bermalicious corners to be spat out of and hidden launch sites to get away from Terra Firma for a while.
And just to get you a little more excited check it out in our Copperhead teaser...................you like?
The official opening will be open to the public, with a shuttle service provided back to the top of Copperhead - December 3rd 2011, lock it in! Oh and if you're looking for me on my lunch breaks this summer, guess where I'll be?
Bike Buller Ambassadors.
Over the past few months two of our Bike Buller ambassadors have been cranking away racing in the Mountain Challenge Enduro Series. Hjalmar "Yully" Arnold and Tina McDonnell have been flying the Buller colours and are half way through the four race series. They've been posting some great results, finishing second in both races in the Mixed Pairs division. Winter racing is never a walk in the park and the pair havs seen their fair share of mechanical breakdowns - one race had the pair sharing the only good bike between the two of them. And then there is the mud, mud that somehow has the ability to get into every part of your bike and person. After completion of the first event, Yully decided the best way to clean up was simply to ride straight into a nearby dam, kind of like a drive through car wash, for bike and rider! Keep up the good results Tina and Yully, and pedal, pedal, pedal in the last two events in the series.
Ausbike Expo 2011.
Bike Buller attended the Ausbike Expo over the weekend of the 20th and 21st of August in Melbourne to a great reception. This event was used as a launch of the first vision of Copperhead and also a great kick off to the coming summer bike season. Mt Buller Resort Management staff were supported on the stand by Shannon Rademaker from All Terrain Cycles in Mansfield, Bruce Halkett director of the High Country Cycle Challenge and Stuart Wadsworth from the Mirimbah store and shuttle service. Over the course of the weekend we were given the chance to spread the word on Mt Buller's bike infrastructure and trail network, using an oversized trail map to show off our bike area. Not only did we chat with a bunch of Buller converts but the chance to attract new riders to our trails was great, and we hope to see them up our way over the next few months.
Packed Bike Buller stand at AusbikeStu, Shannon and Bruce @ Ausbike
lending a hand. Thanks guys!
Altitude Tours in Summer....Hot off the press!!
As I punch out the last few words of this blog, I'm excited by the arrival into my inbox of confirmation of Altitude Tours summer operations to Mt Buller. Allowing easy access to the mountains for those wishing to hit our MTB trails and other adventure activities. Check out their website here.
Included in Altitude Tour's offerings are a "Down Hill Rush Day Tour", and a combo deal comprising a two hour horse ride and two hour mountain bike ride called the "Double Action Duo". Or bring your own bike and jump on board their dedicated coach service for an action packed day at Mt Buller.
Dates confirmed for Altitude Tours are the 20th and 27th of November 2011, and the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th of January 2012.
Right, enough of this I'm off to find my bike. See you on the trails, Ben.
Wednesday 25th May 2011
Well it won't be long now and our wonderful trail network goes into hibernation for the winter months. With snow on the ground as I punch out this blog, the ski season is fast approaching.
Bike Buller's victorious Team of 4 at Beechworths' Six Hours in the Saddle.
The grinning faces above are our winning team of Bike Buller riders: myself, Dave Moore, David Empey and Hjalmar Arnold aka "Yully", coming home with the goods from Beehworths' Six Hours in the Saddle event held on Saturday the 14th of May. In what turned out to be an intense battle over the closing stages of the race, we came out in front by three minutes thanks to a smashing final lap ridden by Yully. The day was intended as a chance to put the Bike Buller brand in front of a couple of hundred fellow bike riders and spread the Bike Buller love, but after four hours we realised that we had a chance to take it out.
A great turn out from the crew from Mansfield - Mt Buller Cycle Club along with the Buller boys made for a fun bunch of bike riders to hang with for the day. Great performances also came from Tom Mc Munn and Foley Lachal in the Male pairs division finishing 12th in their division and 22nd overall, and also the "Mud, Sweat and Bruisers" team of Tina McDonnell, Katie Moore and Michelle Goodley taking second place in the women's team of three division.
Trail work for the time being has ground to a halt as the mountain prepares for winter. In the final few weeks however, the World Trail crew have been seen on the upper sections of Copperhead, our soon to be completed "Flow-down" trail. An astonishing amount of rock work by the team has seen an amazing section of trail emerge from below the Arlberg Hotel. This trail will be groundbreaking in its form and flow and is going to have riders champing at the bit to ride. With World Trail set to return in mid-October we should be rolling on this one by December. And once again it is only appropriate that we give a big shout out and pat on the back to Glen Jacobs and his team of hard working trail builders for another summer of trail progression here at Mt Buller.
Rock number 4,576 goes into place. Berm-alicious!
Signage here at Buller has been a topic of some contention for riders visiting the mountain. Well I am happy to say that progress has been made with new trail totems and bollards in place on both Gang Gangs and Stonefly trails. We still have a number of areas to address, especially with signage within the Village area out to trail heads and this is to be a priority on the flip side of winter. We also need to be patient here and wait for all our trail components to be completed so our signage can be a seamless and coherent system. And I'd just like to put it out there the hard, and snowy work put in by our environment team over a few days after 10 to 15 centimetres of snow fell in order to get these signs seated before the depths of winter. Chilly yet satisfying work.
New Trail Totem at the Howqua Gap. Two photos taken a week apart. Spot the difference?
So as we start to think about waxing those boards and planks up for the first turns of the snowy variety, here are a few things to put in the back of the memory bank come summer 2011-12. All Terrain Cycles from Mansfield is putting together a full schedule of Trail Rider Clinics, Gravity Camps and women-only clinics. Get all the info from www.allterraincycles.com.au. Also Jess and Norm Douglas are already filling spots on their Mt Buller Retreat, held over Cup Weekend in late October, judging by the photos and reports from last year's event this is sure to fill up fast. And to Jess a massive congratulations on winning Rapid Ascent's Ingkerreke Commercial MTB Enduro in Alice Springs. For more info head to www.mtbskills.com.au.
So cross your fingers and pray to Ullr for a great winter, and may all your turns be face shots. Keep an eye out for the Bike Buller crew and I'll see you on Copperhead come summer.
Cheers, Ben.
Ben's Buller Blog Monday 18th April 2011
So it got a little snowy up here last week, and a few mountain folk got a little excited about winter 2011. Well just hang on a minute because we're not quite done with riding our bikes thanks very much!
Over the last few weeks Mt Buller has seen no let up in the number of mountain bikers hitting the trails, taking advantage of some truly glorious days and ride trails that are in perfect riding condition. With crystal clear days, although a little chilly in the mornings, riders have been able to take in the amazing vistas of Victoria's High Country from their saddles.
Most recently the crew from Goldcross Cycles teamed up with MERIDA for a ride weekend and lucked out, after a week that saw ten centimetres of snow fall, with both days providing perfect weather. The crew systematically checked out every part of the Corn Hill trail network, The Delatite River trail, Klingsporn and of course Stonefly. Big thanks go out to Daniel from Goldcross and to Rob from MERIDA. Riders took advantage of free bike demos from the MERIDA van, including the latest road and MTB bikes on offer. Rob....did you find your keys??
Jess and Norm Douglas from MTBSkills.com.au returned to Buller with their final Mt Buller Escape for the season. Again introducing our trails to a keen bunch of riders and at the same time providing them with new skills and thrills. With no less than five trips in total over our riding season Jess and Norm have just about earnt "local" status here at Buller in a short space of time. Plans are already in place for an expanded range of Buller based ride clinics for Summer 2011/12.
Grahame Huxley from mtbpicsonline.com was invited to Mt Buller and help shoot a bunch of images for our future Bike Buller promotions and marketing campaigns. On-bike talent was provided by Tracy Picton, Nadine Le Mescam, Lewis Winton and World Trails own Hjalmar Arnold. Keep your eyes peeled next summer for the fantastic images captured by Grahame.
And finally Mt Buller held its first bike "famil", inviting retailers from Victoria and NSW to experience our ever expanding trail network. Staff from Ride On Bikes in Kew and Cowes, Jones Cycles Frankston and The Full Cycle in Albury were given the royal treatment for a two-day bike extravaganza. Guided by Shannon Rademaker from All Terrain Cycles the group was shown our entire XC network including Stonefly and the Delatite River trail on day one. They were then lucky to attend a BBQ dinner at the magnificent Black Cockatoo restaurant and shared an entertaining evening with Glen Jacobs and the crew from World Trail.
Day two and the morning Klingsporn run had the adrenaline flowing quite rapidly, all of the guests departed from their bikes at some point on this ride, therefore enjoying a very complete Klingsporn experience. Coffee and chocky brownies from the Mirimbah Store (thanks Stu) were followed by a quick blast down the Abom DH track and then a very special preview of Mt Buller's soon to be complete Copperhead trail, with World Trail guru Glen Jacobs as our guide. All guests for this famil left Buller with huge respect for the mountains and trails here at Mt Buller.
So whilst the mornings might be a little chilly, there are still a few weeks to sneak a ride or two in here at Buller before it all turns white. With our trails well ridden in for the summer there is no excuse for not heading for the hills and checking out Mt Buller. You will easily see what all the fuss is about.
Oh and please watch out for the Easter Bunny this weekend, we've heard he's been doing laps of Misty Twist in a Cadburys team jersey.
