OPENING day at Thredbo’s Mountain Bike Park arrived, and riders put all thoughts of November snow behind them as they lapped the gravity trails throughout the day, not letting any inclement weather interrupt their day.
Heavy rain in the days before opening turned out to be a blessing, creating unbelievably tacky conditions across the trail network.
With new trail additions to test, and spent up energy to disperse, the day was led by Jack Moir’s Mega Train, leading the charge down the mountain.
The new link-up on everyone’s radar – Wombat Walk into Bobshred – became the unofficial hot lap of the weekend, especially for the groms who lapped it relentlessly from first chair to last.
With over 550 mountain bikers taking first laps in the MTB park, and plenty of hikers heading out to explore, the energy was buzzing from first lifts to last.
With over 40km of connected trails, including the famous Cannonball downhill run, Thredbo visitors have choices galore from introductory beginner trails and skills park, extensive intermediate and high intermediate trails across the mountain, and advanced technical runs to test your mettle.
The beauty of the MTB Park is its variety, length of trail, 600 plus metres of vertical, and four lifts whisking you back to the top of your favourite runs. Viewing their trail map gives you a great indication of the vast trail and lift network.
For new riders to Thredbo, spend a few minutes perusing the website, which offers guides to different trails for each level, plus details on improving your riding through their MTB School and experienced instructors. From introduction to fundamentals and working on the essentials, your technique will improve, allowing you to progress to more challenging trails across the mountain.
Looking ahead, Thredbo will come alive in February with $120 thousand of cash and prizes up for grabs in the biggest gravity mountain bike festival in Australia.
The Cannonball MTB Festival will be firing on all wheels when up to 2500 riders descend on Thredbo Village for what is a spectacle to behold. To put it mildly, it will be a thumping week of high-octane action, live music and an unbeatable festival atmosphere.