A guide to Fainters Track | All the gear and no idea riding from Falls Creek to Mt Beauty

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If a group of downhill, enduro and xc mountain bikers with no prior bikepacking experience were sent on an overnight trip together, I know what I would be thinking: all the gear and no idea. But confidence plays an interesting role in these kinds of situations. So, when four flashy new bike racks turned up on Flow’s doorstep a few months ago, our motley crew of bikepacking amateurs miraculously turned into seasoned veterans of the sport.

Before we knew it, we were locked into a two day bikepacking adventure along the Fainters Track in Falls Creek.

This mountain bike trail winds its way from the top of Falls Creek to the valley below, presenting 40km of rugged climbs and rapid descents. All of the websites about the Fainters Track warn of its technical, rocky and fast nature, but we were all professional bikepackers now, remember, so what could possibly go wrong?

Come along for a Fainters Track bikepacking adventure with Murray, Tom, Campbell and Lia 

Confidence levels through the roof, we were in for the ride of a lifetime. Two days in the bush featuring spectacular views, a very robust taco seasoning bottle – and a not-so-robust water filtering system – at least one of us lived to tell the tale.

Here it is: the action-packed saga of Flow’s Aeroe Overnighter, featuring Murray, Tom, Campbell and Lia: the band of riders with a whole lot of gear and no idea.

Related:

• Keeping Keppel Warm | A Lake Mountain bikepacking adventure
• Preparing for your first overnighter | How to start bikepacking
• Bikepacking on an enduro bike? An overnight adventure on the Narrow Neck trail

Fainters at Falls

Falls Creek in winter is a paradise of pearly white snow. When temperatures rise and the ice caps melt, a hidden haven of rugged mountain biking trails come out to play.

The riding scene in this part of the Victorian High Country has a mix of fast and technical XC and enduro tracks to its name. Many will say that the main mountain bike network of Falls Creek is the highlight of the area, but locals of the park who have ridden the Fainters Track will beg to differ.

The long Fainters trek takes riders along the ridgeline overlooking the Kiewa Valley, up past the Fainters Lookout and down to Mt Beauty. Originally an access trail for firefighters, the fireroad was once used to put out blazes sparked by lightning around the area. Now, it is more commonly used as a hiking and riding track, with aerial views and the remains of old cattlemen’s huts attracting many adventurers to the spot.

To the Tawonga Huts | 5km, 215m Elevation Gain

Beginning from the carpark next to Pretty Valley Pondage, our journey was fairly straightforward: we were to complete our first climb onto an exposed traverse across the ridgeline, dropping next into a speedy descent to the Tawonga Huts cattleyard area.

With a simple ride ahead of us, Fainters wasn’t going to sit around and let us off with such an easy first day, and it was in the carpark where we encountered our first hurdle of the trip: packing. Squishing all the essentials – like my Birkenstocks and Murray’s jumbo tortilla chip packet – into two rear bags and one front rack quickly became an issue.

We were not going to let off that easily, however, and thanks to a nifty bit of teamwork and a large roll of Gaffer Tape which Murray whipped out of nowhere, all of our worldly possessions found themselves strapped securely to bike or rider for the pedalling to begin.

Starting the journey, we found the ride to the Tawonga Huts a pleasantly short one. The trail along the ridgeline and down to the hut area presents some pretty spectacular views back over Falls Creek and surrounds, and the downhill to the Tawonga Huts is the perfect adrenaline spike to end the day.

A chilly night in the hills | Camping at the Tawonga Huts

The Tawonga Huts are made up of four squat, metal-panelled buildings. Barrelling into the area at top-speed, our first impression of these huts was a blur. Once recovered from our windswept state, we found that these cattle huts had a lot to offer, including fireplaces, emergency sleeping areas and very respectable toilet facilities for the weary adventurer.

The cattle huts sit on an open grassy flat. From here, you are able to see through a parting in the mountain ranges, all the way to their base.

Although the huts were first established in 1888, it is believed that the Kelly Gang may have hidden in the Tawonga Hut area around 1878 while on the run from the law. Unlike Ned Kelly and his associates, we were no outcasts, but Murray’s accidental smashing of half of our canned beverages during the first day of riding did almost cause his forced exile from the group.

Soon after we arrived, the temperature at the site dropped rapidly. Prepared for a cold night, we set up camp early, also welcoming hurdle number two into our story: Campbell’s missing sleeping mat. Unpacking fully, Campbell quickly realised that although he had a tent, change of clothes and riding gear, he had forgotten his sleeping mat. I don’t believe in shapeshifters, but I do know that were Campbell to have slept in his tent that night, he would have turned into an icicle.

Luckily, one of the huts had a built-in fireplace and, in the face of the emergency, Campbell spent the night huddled up next to the crackling embers.

Day 2 | 32km, 424m elevation gain, 1692m elevation drop

Up and at ‘em early in the morning, the mountains were not going to let us forget that they were capable of some very chilly temperatures. If the weather report says it’s going to be cold in Falls Creek, it is not lying.

Our saving grace that morning was Tom’s Aeropress. Thawing off nicely with a warm cup of coffee, we left the campsite a lot livelier than when we woke.

From the Tawonga Huts, there is a lot of climbing to push through to the Fainters Lookout. The uphill is by no means easy, either; there are many rock steps and roots to ride over, and we were forced to tap out many times, dragging our bikes alongside us up the hill.

Riding along the trail, there are plenty of streams crossing the path. This is handy for water refills on the go. Unfortunately for us, this is where we reached hurdle number three (and counting); this time, it was a faulty water filter. However much we pushed and pulled, our filter had given up the ghost and refused to filter so much as a drop of clean liquid. This was not ideal, but we had just enough water to spare to make it safely to the end of our trip.

Ready for the down | Descending into Big Hill

The saddle between Mt Fainter South and Mt Fainters North marks the highest point of the trail. The 360-degree views from this spot are spectacular, and the ridge overlooks the Kiewa Valley, where you can see all the way into the town of Mt Beauty and its surrounds.

This last section winds past Bogong Jack Hut and the ruins of Spring Saddle Hut to the top of Big Hill Mountain Bike Park and into Mt Beauty. From here on out there is a lot of downhill and the white knuckles on everyone’s hands proved this to be no joke.

It is a teeth-chattering experience bombing down the fire road, with gravelly turns and rocks the whole way down. Tom was the only rider on a hardtail and his bike and bags were rattling along like a tin can full of ball bearings. Stuffing a pair of old socks into a few well-chosen areas, the noise subsided a little, and he was able to smash it down the hill with the rest of us. That being said, he may still have to go in for concussion testing from the amount of teeth chattering that was going on through those bumps.

Nearing the bottom of our descent, we passed two people riding in the other direction to the Tawonga Huts. This is definitely an option for hardcore riders out there who want a challenge, but boy will there be a lot of climbing. If you are game to try it, you are a braver rider than me.

The last leg on our last limb

Picture this: three out of four water bottles only holding a few droplets, empty stomachs rumbling, watches saying it’s 2:30pm and the Mt Beauty Bakery closes at 3; all things considered, we were ready to reach the bottom. But this was no time to get distracted, because we were about to hit Big Hill Mountain Bike Park.

If you have ever ridden Mt Beauty’s local trails at Big Hill, you will know of their rustic, hand-cut nature. The Fainters Track does not waste any of these rapid descents, spitting you out right at the very top of the hill.

The bike racks had put on a strong face so far, but we were keen to test them on some singletrack. The full extent of the trail network at our fingertips, we launched ourselves into the first double black trail in sight. A few bags did go flying, accompanied by some yells of fear from the guy who decided to bring the hardtail, but no human casualties to note.

Our goal was to get to Mt Beauty before bakery closing time; spinning out into town at 2:50pm, we made it just in time to catch the last beverage and meal of the day. After the long journey, our cravings filled our lunch table with foamy chocolate milkshakes, flaky sausage rolls and many bottles of water to curb death-by-dehydration.

Refueled and restocked, it was time to fetch the cars from the top of the mountain and make our way home.

Fainters Track bikepacking tips and tricks

As a group of self-proclaimed high-class bikepackers, we learnt a lot about the bike-hiker lifestyle from our weekend away. For your benefit (or just so you can get a chuckle out of our many shortfalls), here are some of our bikepacking tricks and tips we took away from the Flow Overnighter from Falls Creek to Mt Beauty:

Bring a functioning Water Filter

Water. Apparently you can go three days without it before you meet your demise. We found out the hard way, however, that even just a few kilometres on the bike without it can make you feel as though you are on death’s door.

So, you are going to need lots of it. Not only for drinking, but also for cooking and washing all that dirt off your face from a few hard days of riding – your pores will thank you, I promise.  So, make sure you have a functioning water filter before heading out!

On top of this, checking access to water sources along the trip is also important before pedalling away from civilisation. The Fainters Track in Falls Creek has your back in this regard: it crosses many running streams where you can easily refill water bladders and bottles for the journey ahead.

Warm clothes, make sure they make the packing list

It is commonly known that the mountains don’t always play fair with the weather reporting systems; in other words, a blisteringly hot day can turn bitterly cold in an instant.

Falls Creek is no outlier to this alpine reputation. On our journey, the first balmy day of pedalling was replaced by a particularly chilly night. Because of this, making sure to bring the necessary gear for any turn of the weather is very important.

Light food choices

Packing light is always a struggle and food can be heavy business.

We chose to take ingredients and cook up on the hill for the fun and games of it. In hindsight, a little less weight in our bags wouldn’t have gone amiss, so using dehydrated food options would be a good option if prioritising weight is in your best interests. But, please, never forget the coffee.

Key info for tackling Fainters Track

The Fainters Track; not for the faint of heart. If you are ready for the challenge, here are some key points to take into the two-day grind:

When attempt a Fainters Track ride

Falls Creek is an Alpine Resort, and the mountain, along with Fainters, is prone to full snow coverage during the Winter months. This season usually lasts from June to late-September, so tackling this trail in the Summer months around this time will be the best plan of attack.

Note that sporadic snow flurries are possible outside of these months, so it is always best to check the weather report coming up to the date.

Fainters Track Itinerary

• Start point – Begin your ride from Falls Creek Village or, alternatively, from Pretty Valley Pondage Carpark if you are on the lookout for a shorter ride.
• Day 1 – 12km from Falls Creek Village, 5km from Pretty Valley Pondage Carpark; 215m elevation gain, 216m elevation drop.
• Stay – Tawonga Huts, Falls Creek.
• Day 2 – 32km distance; 424m elevation gain; 1692m elevation drop
• End point – Mt. Beauty township