Leg 2: end of Waldock St, Mount Taylor to Kirkpatrick St, Weston (next to RSPCA), 26.6 km
NOTE THIS COURSE HAS BEEN AMENDED FOR 2022. AMENDMENTS APPEAR IN BOLD

Download the complete navigable leg 2 route map, and leg 2 gpx file.

From the transition at the picnic table above the end of the car park at the end of Waldock St, following the small track along the fenceline parallel with the road, then veer left 45 degrees to a dirt path about 50m short of the gate. Continue straight ahead 80m later to cross Nth Taylor Fire Trail (FT) and head down into the gully on the narrow single track (ST). Cross the West Powerline FT and continue straight ahead (W) down onto the Old Kambah FT. After passing a dam on your right the trail swings left (S) and heads down to a climb-through gate. Continue straight to cross Colquhoun St and follow the dirt track on the LHS of the houses for about 150m before turning left onto a bitumen path which heads under Sulwood Dr.

Immediately after exiting the underpass turn right to follow a dirt track between the houses and the road. At the end of the house fences do not follow the fence line to the left but instead continue another 30m straight into a watercourse (Village Creek) and then turn left to follow the grassy ST between the trees that runs parallel to Drakeford Dr. Turn right at the first footpath you come to head under Drakeford Dr. and upon exiting the tunnel continue straight ahead on the path that heads between the houses, taking care to cross Bacchus Cct and continuing straight until the path ends at Attiwell Cct.
Continue straight to follow the RHS verge of Attiwell Cct for approx. 250m before turning right at the T-jn onto Bacchus Cct and then immediately left into Lunn Pl. At the footpath 20m past the end of Lunn Pl take the faint ST at 10’o clock heading which merges with a footpath which leads up to a bus stop at Kambah Pool Rd.

Cross the road according to the marshal’s instructions and head straight up onto the footpath heading up the hill. After 80m turn right at the fence line to leave the path and head around a gate uphill (N) onto a dirt track. Turn right after approx. 300m (where the track flattens out near the houses) to climb through a wooden gate towards Mt Arawang. Follow the ST for 110m to climb through another wooden gate. Cross over the gravel road here and continue straight ahead on the Centenary Trail (CT) over a footbridge onto the Mt Arawang Summit Trail – the steepest section of this leg. Climb for 670m to the Mt Arawang summit trig. Turn back the way you came, and immediately take the small track that heads steeply downhill to your right, heading towards Cooleman Ridge and Mt Stromlo.
After descending through trees for 380m, continue straight ahead at the 4-way intersection, rejoining the CT along Cooleman Ridge.

Veer right (R) at the fork after 50m, continuing on the CT for another 450m, then turn L at the T-junction with the Guinness Fire Trail (FT), then R again after 90m at the CT sign onto a foot track in front of a water storage tank. You are now heading NW along the ridgeline of Cooleman Ridge. The track dips and after 600mcontinues straight at a 4-way intersection and through an open gate. 170m further on, cross straight over the Darrell Place FT, alongside another larger water storage tank. The CT track rises and veers left at the fork after 170m, through a stand of trees and beyond, with sweeping vistas to the E across the Bullen Range to the Brindabellas, then following a lovely fast trail along the W of the ridgeline through woodland.
The course now departs the CT, turning L (heading downhill) at the 4-way intersection onto the Dam FT (at about 7km elapsed of this leg).

After descending for 300m, climb through the gate and turn R at the Cooleman Ridge Bicentennial National Trail (BNT), heading N. Climb through another gate after 620m, and immediately turn L onto a foot track heading W, keeping the fenceline to your left for a further 640m. Alongside a house on your left (the best situated house in Canberra?), rejoin the Cooleman Ridge BNT, heading L and continuing NE. The CT rejoins your route as you continue to the W of a small (sometimes dry) dam, continuing for another 340 as you swing around the N end of Cooleman Ridge, crossing a cavaletti (horse logs) to reach the intersection of Kathner St with Percy Crescent, Chapman.

Follow the track along the W side of Kathner St, which turns to the L, parallel with Darwinia Terrace. Keep the fence line on your left and after 130m turn left once again, staying next to the fence, to head W towards the Mountains.
Stay L at the fork at the track, where the CT continues to the R. You will come to the 1st drink/aid station (approx. 9.7K elapsed) just before crossing the equestrian centre access road. Climb across the stile over the fence and follow the track W along the fenceline, which passes a dam after about 400m and then curves to the right to bring you to a gate (may be open or closed) and a T-junction, at which you turn left.
Follow the main wide FT which heads N and then NW heading gently uphill. Follow this for 440m until the first 4-way track junction, at which you will turn right uphill, into the pines. After a steady climb the track temporarily flattens out (after 560m) at a T-junction, where you will turn left to head uphill towards the Narrabundah Hill Trig. About 250m later you will see the faint track to the Trig on your left (you do not need to go to the Trig) – continue straight ahead and 70m later turn right to take the track heading downhill (with Telstra Tower and Black Mountain straight ahead of you in the distance).
This track continues down towards the road,passing two metal climb-through gates that may or may not be open on the day. As the trail approaches Eucumbene Drive keep right along the fence line to reach a pedestrian stile that you will climb over (approx. 12K elapsed). From here turn left (N) to follow the dirt path which becomes a small dirt ST that runs downhill alongside Eucumbene Dr to Cotter Rd.

Cross Cotter Rd according to the marshal’s instructions and enter a ST that soon merges with a larger track and 100m later passes the Canberra Bushfire Memorial where you take the bike path to your left (about 13K elapsed), heading towards Mt Stromlo. After 350m or so the path climbs to a paved road at which you will briefly turn right and then immediately left onto a major dirt road heading uphill. After approx 500m continue straight at the road junction to continue climbing uphill towards Mt Stromlo. After another 400m or so the road enters the blue gums and then swings left to climb up to a track intersection. Turn right at this intersection onto the Ridge Trail to head another 500m as the road swings right to the N, climbing steadily to a T-junction with a view of the Stromlo MTB course tunnel where you will turn left (uphill, heading SE, away from tunnel). This dirt road heads for approx 500m W and then SW to join Mt Stromlo Rd, where you turn right to follow the road all the way straight up to the top of the hill (no turns) and run a semi-circle around Mt Stromlo Trig (about 16.4K) before taking the white concrete footpath down heading W.
Continue down the path to the first metal gate and then bear left (S) to pass a 2nd metal gate and follow a steep descent down a dirt road that heads SW/W for a little over 400m before it reaches a T-junction where you will turn right onto a dirt road that soon swings further right to the North to run parallel with the ridgeline above. After 400m this road has a short climb and then descends (NNW) for approximately 300m to bring you to a major track intersection, where you will turn right (NE) onto the Forest Trail (approx. 18K).
Follow the Forrest Trail winding around the base of Mt Stromlo for about 2.3km, avoiding all potential turn-offs, until you turn L onto the Carpark Trail (about 20.5K), which then 270m later merges into the Ridge Trail (do not take the Pool Link trail to your left), and soon after descends past the Stromlo Leisure Centre, to a T-junction with the Pipeline Trail (approx. 21.2K).

DEVIATION AROUND WORKS FOR 2022 – At approx. 2 o'clock bearing head slightly right to take a faint path towards the Criterium Cycling Track and cross the Dave McInnes Road (marshal and drink station), then head about 40m North to enter the Crit Track via the closed swinging access gates (about 21.5K). Follow the top end of the Crit Track in a clockwise direction for about 120m (staying on the grass verge) and on the first bend veer left off the Crit Track to follow cones or ribbons that will lead you towards the wattle tree that sits at a 3-way intersection of the Stromlo grass X-country track. COntinue straight ahead on the Main Loop and only about 70m later turn left at the "Creek Loop" sign (approx 21.8K elapsed). Follow the grass X-country track for about 600m to its lowest point where you will exit the track (22.4K) to head down towards the apartment complexes and the road.

Turn left at the T-junction with with Swallowtail Rd and follow the cycle lane then the gravel shoulder on the LHS of the road. Just before John Gorton Dr, take a hairpin L turn onto the cycle path which loops under John Gorton Drive and continues aorund the LHS of Holden's Creek Pond. Turn L at the T-junction at the end of the pond (about 23.3K) and soon after (about 50m) turn R onto the Grasslands Track, which you follow as a single track past two Picnic Shelters before it merges with the main dirt fire trail. This fire trail follow a big bend in the river before swinging back towards the Coombs houses, where it eventually becomes the bike path.

After 400m veer left to leave the bike path (basketball net on your right) to take the grey gravel path through the brown entrance poles. After another 500m or so the track swings left and heads up a gently hill. Just after the top of the hill, you will reach a junction at which you bear left to continue downhill back towards the Molonglo River. After only 150m make sure that you turn right (before the large cement bridge across the river) and take the small footbridge and rocky dirt single track that takes you E and uphill for 100m until you reach a junction with a bicycle path. Turn right at the path and follow the fencing (path turns from paved to dirt) and head uphill on the larger fire trail on your right, which takes up to CP2, which is approx 30m NW of the bike path/end of Fitzpatrick St, Weston intersection.