Leg 2- 35km Mountain Bike
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The first land course starts at the grassy bank near the barbeque area beside the car park at the eastern end of Diddams Close. Follow the cycle path north-east, almost immediately taking a left-hand fork to bring you onto the Ginninderra Dr bridge crossing the lake. Continue following the cycle path around the shoreline. Just after John Knight Memorial Park, turn left at a fork in the cycle path, travelling under Aikman Drive and into the University of Canberra.
Follow the pathways through the University, crossing over College St at the pedestrian traffic lights. Proceed on the cycle path to the left, around the side of Radford College. Turn right, climbing over the wooden access gate into the Nature Reserve on Gossan Hill.
Follow the fire road with a fence on your right for a few hundred metres. Head uphill to the left at a fork in the road. Turn right at the next crossroads. Take the left of the two 'straight ahead' options at the 5-way intersection when you reach the top of the crest. You are now heading along the crest of Gossan Hill, through eucalyptus forest. Veer right at the fork in this track, then left onto the bitumen road (thus avoiding the deep kerb), and left again off this road onto the footpath leading towards the Belconnen Way overpass.
Across the overpass, follow the cycle path through the Aranda District Playing Fields. There is a very short dirt section, before linking up with a footpath leading under Bandjalong Cres, straight up past the (empty) Aranda shops on your left and uphill. Turn onto the dirt track to the right just before crossing Walu St, then follow the dirt track on the other side, eventually rejoining the footpath, still heading up. At the top, go through the walkers' gap in the fence, then immediately left. With Telstra Tower and Black Mountain looming straight ahead, the track dips. Take the first available sharp right, immediately before the power lines. Follow this track in line with the power lines through a dog-leg left-right, down a long hill. Turn left onto another track at the bottom of the descent, immediately after a large power line pylon. Follow this track around the base of Aranda Hill as far as it goes, eventually turning to your right onto the road at the base of the Gungahlin Drive Extension, leading up to the underpass under the GDE. Pass under the road.
You are now in Black Mountain Reserve. Take the first right hand fork in the track. There are no turns for a few kilometres as you enjoy a pleasant ride around the base of Black Mountain, through natural gum forest and open spaces. At the end of this section, veer left back into the bush, heading uphill. Go right at the T-junction, down a sharp rocky slope and through a dry creek bed. Upon rising out of the creek bed, the track swings to the left and you are confronted with the infamous, though now graded "Push-Bike Hill." ...
Just before the gate at the top, take a tiny trail veering to the left, which leads out onto the road without having to climb a gate. Be alert for traffic, as you turn left (uphill), and follow the road to the summit of Black Mountain, where the road loops around before descending. There is an aid station at the top.
On the way down, turn left off the road into the picnic ground car park, then left again out of the central part of the car park onto an almost-invisible track. Take great care as this track heads downhill through the bush, becoming very steep and rocky. It passes a fenced reservoir to the left, before turning left at the T-junction (quite close to the bitumen road), heading once more downhill. This track winds around the flank of the mountain, and after a few gradual rises and a descent comes to a metal gate with a walkers' entrance beside it
. Passing through this entrance, follow the track a short way, then veer left onto a lower track, and almost immediately take a hairpin left-hand turn, heading back towards the mountain.
Pass through the walkers' entrance beside the gate at the "summit trail" sign, and proceed uphill. Take the next right hand turn, away from the main mountain. At the next fork, veer right (uphill), leading to a favourite section of the course - a scenic, fast loop around the northern spur of "Little Black Mountain". Beware of one very sharp left hand switchback! Ignore the first track to the right, proceed up a few short rises, before taking the next main track to the right, named "Link Trail". This heads down, before flattening out in open bushland. Turn right at the T-junction underneath the big power lines, then over the gate leading towards Belconnen Way.
Cross both carriageways of Belconnen Way, and over the gate on the other side. Soon after this gate, turn left up a steep hill, then left at the T-junction, heading uphill. Turn right at the first power line adjacent to a concrete structure, heading further uphill.
At the top of this rise, turn right in front of the reservoir, following the track around with the reservoir on your left. Go left where this track forks, leading you into a sweeping descent. At the bottom of this descent, you will come to a fence at the Gungahlin Drive Extension. Turn right at the fenceline, and almost immediately you will come across a single track.
You are now entering a labyrinth of serpentine single tracks. Follow the painted arrows! Remain alert for and give way to any pedestrians. After a short rise, turn left at the T- junction in front of the second reservoir. Ignore the first sharp left downhill, and look out for the second single track heading down to your left. Follow this single track, turning right at the next main track. Follow this track as it bends to the right. Turn left onto another track that leads down to wooden gate in the fence. Pass through the gate, cross over the cycle path, pass between some boulders by a metal gate, then follow the track that veers up to the right.
At the top of the rise, swing to the left along O'Connor Ridge, then turn right at the next small signpost onto a "Multiple Use Track". This smaller track brings you around the side of O'Connor Ridge, then along the top of a small levee, eventually veering to the right, leading you to a gate. Climb the gate, and head left onto Dryandra St, which then turns right and becomes Archibald St. Pass the Ukrainian Catholic Centre, Ursula College Lyneham Centre, St Joseph's House of Studies, and the Sakyamuni Buddhist Centre. Turn left onto the footpath leading alongside the Buddhist Centre, which overpasses Ginninderra Dr and brings you into North Lyneham.
After the overpass, turn immediately left into Cossington Smith Cres, then left again into Fred Williams Cres, left into Duterrau Cres, and left into Lewers Close. Continue straight onto the track at the end of Lewers Close, which climbs and then flattens out. Look for a small gap in the fence on your right. Go through here, then turn left onto a main dirt track. This track first heads down, then veers twice to the right while climbing, then once to the left before starting to descend. Turn left at the next T-junction, then right again after 20 metres. When this track comes to a gateless gate, turn to your left, then go right over a locked gate. Follow a small track onto the Kaleen cycle path, which you follow to the right.
After a few hundred metres, turn a hairpin left, down onto the cycle path heading in the reverse direction. This leads you across Ellenborough St, and brings you to the Barton Highway. Continue along this cycle path under the Barton Highway, and parallel with the highway on the other side. At the Gungahlin Dr fly-over, this cycle path follows Gungahlin Dr around to the right. After several hundred metres, turn right off the cycle path, over the grass to head through an opening in the fence and onto Bellenden St. Pass the cemetery and crematorium on your left. Cross over Bellenden St at the bottom of the hill, turning right onto a gravel road leading to a City Parks Depot. Before you reach the gate, turn left onto a dirt road, alongside a stand of gum trees. This section is notoriously muddy after rain. Take the next right turn (though the equestrian trail continues straight), through a large parking lot, turning left onto Randwick Rd at the Give Way sign.
Cross over Flemington Rd, then follow the cycle path to the right, past EPIC on your left. Cross over the Federal Hwy at the lights. Go straight ahead on the other side of the highway, then turn left onto the narrow dirt track beside the line of trees. This veers to the right as you approach Stirling Ave. Cross over Knox St at the junction of Stirling Ave, straight through the gap next to the gate, then veer immediately right onto the trail leading through the trees towards the finish at the bus stop on Antill St.
