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Bungarra Alpine Centre (Snowy Mountains)
Currumbin Border Track (NSW/QLD Border)
Daisy Hill (South Brisbane)
East Kowen (Kowen Pine Forest, Canberra)
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Fred Caterson Reserve (Castle Hill)
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Jackson (Jackson)
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Kiwarrak State Forest (Tarree)
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Manly Dam (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
Mt Joyce (Gold Coast Hinterland)
Mt Kosciuszko (Snowy Mountains)
Nerang State Forest (Gold Coast)
Newnes (Lithgow)
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Ourimbah (Central Coast)
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Sparrow Hill (Kowen Pine Forest, Canberra)
St Ives and Belrose (North Shore, Sydney)
Stromlo Forest Park (Canberra)
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Thredbo Resort (Snowy Mountains)
Thredbo Valley Trail (Snowy Mountains)
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Wingello (Southern Highlands)
Wylde MTB Trail (Cecil Park - Western Sydney)
Heath and Bare Creek Track (4.23km)
St Ives and BelroseLast Update: 24/3/2013
Some trail names are made up, if there is a different name please let us know.
Difficulty - Easy - Intermediate
Slope - Flat - Moderate - Undulating - Steep
Space - Open
Surface - Concrete - Dirt - Eternal Puddles - Loose rocks on dirt - Loose rocks on rock - Rock - Rutted - Sand
Trail type - Firetrail
Notes:
This video was uploaded in HD. For the best results break the player out into a YouTube window and select the largest player and highest resolution setting your connection can handle.
I thought I had ridden trails with a lot of waterbars but the Heath and Bare Creek Tracks are something else, in fact over the 4.2kms there are 65 water bars!
SIXTY FIVE!!
57 of them while descending!
That being said these are some of the most MTB friendly water bars I've ridden. Most have a fairly gentle leading edge and many have long and steep trailing edges which makes them a heap of fun on a dual suspension all mountain bike.
The Heath Track (shown on Google Maps incorrectly as Health) can be accessed from Ralston or Wyatt Ave Belrose. I've chosen to ride and video from Wyatt Ave. A short flat fire trail loops around the north western edge of the Power Substation before taking a right at the rather large power pole. The trail continues for around 100m before forking to the right, which is the official start of the Heath Track.
From here the trail really starts descending but be warned the main gate is only 200m down the trail and has a narrow section to ride through. After clearing the gate the trail continues to drop rapidly through a series of turns and countless water bars.
At the 2.5km mark the Heath Track becomes the Bare Creek Track, while there doesn't appear to be any markings on the trail it just so happens that there is a significant change in the bush. Thicker and greener the deep valley bush provides plenty of leaf cover over the flatter upper section of the Bare Creek Track.
The Quarry Track intersection appears a further 450m on the right and a couple of hundred metres further up the track is a short but steep climb to the intersection of Lower Cambourne. From here the trail starts slowly descending again however some pedal power will probably be required at times.
After dipping through a dark and wet bush area another short but moderately steep climb leads to rough section including some tight, steep and rocky corners before opening up for the final descent. After crossing the concrete creek causeway the Bare Creek Track has one final insult, a long, steep, rough and demoralising climb that leads up to the Cascades Track.
From the intersection you can ride to St Ives or Davidson via the Cascades Track or turn around and climb your way back out - Torture!
The Heath and Bare Creek Track descent holds holds my record for the most water bars in one descent, narrowly eclipsing the Mt Kosciuszko Summit Track, and it's a thoroughly enjoyable ride. It seems to keep descending and descending forever to the point where on my first ride I stopped a number of times to make sure I was still on the right trail. If only it was a single track! Oh wait there is one .. I hope to have this video soon.
Keep an eye out for walkers and other riders, all these trails are well travelled.
Blog articles that mention this trail
- 17/6/2016 - VIDEO: The Fourth 365 Days of Reign - My 4th year of Mountain Biking
- 28/6/2015 - VIDEO: 365 Days of Reign - The Third (year of serious mountain biking)
- 14/12/2013 - Merry Christmas from MTB-TV - What a year its been
- 8/5/2013 - Mountain Biker Airlifted - A timely reminder about safety prep