Distance: 12.6 km
Time: One and a half hour
Grade: Difficult (low gears and knobby tyres recommended)
Surface Type: 10% suburban streets, 20% bike paths, 70% dirt tracks
Map reference: Canberra Cycleways Map
Route Map
Features: A ride through pine forests and affluent suburbs, with steep hills, rough
tracks and stunning views.
Route Description:
The ride starts at a rough gravel turnout on Long Gully Road about 200 metres from its intersection with Erindale Drive, almost opposite the access to Wanniassa Hills Nature Park. The turnout leads through a gate onto a rough gravel track, formerly the old Long Gully Road which was used until Erindale Drive was constructed.
Ride north along the old road for 300 metres until another gate is reached near the southern end of the suburb of Isaacs. A bike path leads off to the left towards the Erindale Drive underpass, providing a convenient connection with the Farrer Ridge Ride. The disused Long Gully Road leads straight ahead, with the bike path curving off to the right into the suburb. The ride takes a sharp right on a dirt track which leads across the end of a stormwater drainage structure and onto a smooth dirt track into the pine forest.
Follow the dirt track as it snakes through the forest adjacent to a smallish cutoff drain, until a track enters at an acute angle from the right (0.9km). Turn right across the cutoff drain and uphill onto this track, which climbs steadily uphill. The track intersects with another track from the right (1.6km), and continues to climb through the open stands of mature pinus radiata trees until a fence is reached (1.9km). It is here that the track swings sharply to the left and starts a very steep and rocky climb for about 300 metres. After a short level stretch the track deteriorate s further as it climbs steeply through eucalypt woodland to the ridge (2.7km).
Turn right onto the ridge track which leads to a number of telecommunications towers placed at intervals along the ridge line. Just past the southernmost tower the track peters out at a lone pine tree standing next to an incongruous peach tree (2.9km). Unfortunately the peaches never get a chance to ripen before being eaten by birds. Standing in the shade of the pine tree the short yellow pegs which identify the summit (841 metres) stand about 50 metres to the south. The views from next to the pine tree are quite stunning. The suburbs of Tuggeranong with glimpses of Lake Tuggeranong and the town centre lie spread out in the valley to the s outh. In the distance the Namadgi National Park can be seen, with the Brindabella Range framing the view to the west. Closer in the bald Mt Taylor stands out between Tuggeranong and Woden town centre. Over the ridge to the east lie the small industrial blocks of Hume, with the Jerrabomberra Estate across into New South Wales. The treeless Jerrabomberra Valley spreading to the east of Isaacs Ridge may become the next area in the ACT to be developed for housing. Immediately to the east over the ridge lies the huge Mugga Tip, where much of Canberra's waste and recycling takes place.
The ride returns north along the ridge track past four of the five telecommunications towers, with Telstra Tower in the far distance, until the track divides (3.2 km). Taking the left fork, the track plunges downhill and out of the brilliant sunshine back into the dark pine forest. A fast ride along the wide track ends back at the forest edge (3.8km), where a rough dirt track leads off to the north following the ridge line. Take this track which climbs steeply for 100 metres until it emerges on the crest with views to the east of two granite quarries which supply much of the region's road and concrete aggregate.
Passing another track off to the left (4.2km), the rocky and heavily eroded ridge track makes another steep climb until it passes tower number 6 (4.8km), and a short track off to the left to tower number 7 (5.0km). A final short, rough climb brings the ride to the large steel trig marker which indicates the northern summit of the Isaacs Ridge (810 metres). From this point the views to the north open up - Woden town centre in the valley below, with the tile roofs of O'Malley houses in the foreground. The brown bulk of Woden Valley hospital stands out from the suburbs. Over to the north west the offices of the city centre can just be glimpsed, with a sliver of Lake Burley Griffin. The ever present landmark of the Telstra Towerjuts above Black Mountain to the north.
It's downhill all the way from this point as the track winds through the open grassland to the head of the ridge (5.5km). A sharp left turn leads the ride on an ever steepening route back down off the ridge and into the pine forest. This is the steepest part of the ride which will test the traction of the best tyres, so a slow, controlled descent is recommended. At the first intersection (6.0km) take a right turn leading onto a flat, smooth dirt track leading north along the edge of a stormwater channel.
The track emerges from the pines at the edge of the Isaacs Ridge Nature Park and close to the houses at the edge of O'Malley (6.4km). Following the Canberra Cycleways Map, the track continues along the contour at the edge of the houses for a further 700 metres until the houses end (7.1km). Continue along the track for another 600 metres until the ride meets a huge water reservoir tank perched above the suburb (7.8km). Ride around the tank and downhill into a cul de sac (Callemonda Rise) which emerges left into Culgoa Circuit, opposite the Embassy of Peru.
A short ride along Culgoa Circuit, right into Kareela Vista, right into Numeralla Street and left into Cobbedah Street leads to a magnificent suspended bicycle and pedestrian bridge over Yamba Drive (9.3km). Do not cross the bridge but continue on the bike path to the south as it heads back towards the start of the ride. A small shopping centre close to the path (10.4km) can supply drinks and ice cream. A final pleasant gentle climb along the bike path leads to the start back on Long Gully Road (12.6km).
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