Distance: 12.5 km
Time: 1.5 hours approx
Grade: Easy along west side, hard on east side
Surface Type: 1% bitumen, 80% gravel maintenance tracks, 19% unformed path
Map reference: Canberra Cycleways Map
Route Map
Features: A ride along mostly well maintained gravel tracks through eucalypt scrub
and woodland, and open grassland. Spectacular views across the Majura Valley along the
eastern side of the ride. A couple of steep, rocky climbs.
Route Description:
This ride starts near the barbeques and picnic tables off Trealor Crescent at the rear of the Australian War Memorial. There is plenty of parking in the Memorial car park, for those transporting their bikes to the start. Alternatively, there is easy access from the bike path network.
Wheeling your bikes up the stone steps and across a wooden bridge behind the picnic area will bring you onto a narrow gravel footpath leading directly up the mountain. Follow this track for about 100m and turn left onto a wider vehicle track, which heads north aro und the edge of the mountain adjacent to the suburb of Ainslie. At the second intersection after about 400m, the track splits into two roughly parallel tracks, one heading off to the right higher up the mountain along an electric power easement, while the more attractive lower path meanders straight ahead through bushes and small eucalypts closer to the houses.
The ride passes an intersection at 1.1km and then to the left of an electricity transformer complex and large concrete water reservoir tank about 1.7km from the start, rejoining the upper track at 2.1km. The track turns downhill towards the houses, passing through more mature eucalypt woodland, until it emerges at 3.3km through a squeeze and right onto Phillip avenue, close to one of the proliferating squat telecommunications towers.
Crossing Phillip Avenue the ride re enters the bushland on the right at another squeeze point next. Follow the smooth track up a short rise until it forks at 3.7km. Taking the left fork leads along a gently undulating track through open woodland (which attracts millions of drumming cicadas around December) close to the h ouses of Hackett, until it emerges at 4.7km onto a well made vehicle track. Turning right onto this track takes the rider east up a steady climb past a couple of pretty water dams up to the saddle (5.8km) which divides Mount Majura from Mount Ainslie. A very steep path leads off to the left towards the summit of Mt Majura. Straight ahead leads across a Cavaletti in the fence line and plunges down into Majura Pines, well known among mountain bikers as the site where many of the MTB competitions are held.
We turn right and head south to the left of a large and smaller water tank onto an steep unformed path strewn with rocks, which leads to the summit of the ridge. Superb views across the Majura Valley make the lungbursting climb worthwhile. The clouds of bushflies along this part of the ride indicate the proximity of cattle over the ridge in the Majura Valley. The path follows to the right of a fenceline down a steep incline and back up an equally steep climb to another summit at 6.8km, where a faint path heads off to the right back down the hill. At this point the rider has views west towards Black Mountain with its landmark Telstra Tower, the old suburbs of North Canberra, and the expanding new town of Gungahlin to the north west. Follow the fenceline along the ridge until it plunges steeply down towards a second saddle and well formed vehicle track at 7.7km.
Continuing south the track follows a small electric power line in a straight line along the open east side of Mt Ainslie, which is carpeted in early summer with drifts of golden everlasting daisies (helichrysum sp) and the local weed St John’s Wort. A couple of quite steep gullies are encountered along this section requiring some effort to climb, but lead to good views down the Majura Valley towards Canberra Airport. The track leaves the power lines at a small knoll overlooking the toytown village of the Australian Defence Forces Academy , and plunges right in a series of tight bends through the woodland to pass to the left of a huge water storage tank, emerging at a gate (10.2km) onto Mount Ainslie Drive.
Those with energy to spare should not miss riding up this road about 3km to the summit, where one of the best views of Canberra can be had.
Turning left the ride heads down the road for about 700m to a Cavaletti and gate on the right, leading back into the Mt Ainslie woodland. From here its is a gentle ride along a pleasant track for about 1.4km along the edge of the mountain close to the suburb of Campbell until the path off to the left at 12.1km leads 400m back down the hill to the War Memorial picnic ground, and a snack or icecream at Poppies Cafe.
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