Baw Baw Blog

A couple weeks ago Phil set out to climb Mt Baw Baw again with a couple like-minded (read: crazy) bike friends.  We drove out with Les and met John and Glenda at the primary school in Drouin to start the ride.   The crazies started on their ride while John and I headed off to explore the area by car.

Phil, Glenda, and Les at the start

About 10km in to the ride, as they passed the Drouin West primary school, Phil realised that that was the place he meant to start, and now an already painful 80km ride had become 90km.

John and I stopped at the Noojee Trestle Bridge and took a leisurely walk across.  Then we headed on to the "town" of Noojee and saw the sights - the water wheel that no one knows the origin of.  Then we enjoyed some lamingtons while we waited for the tiers to catch up.  They arrived and took a few minutes' break, then set out again on their adventure.

Noojee Trestle Bridge

Noojee Water Wheel

John and I then drove to Tooronga Falls and had a really nice walk to both Tooronga and Amphitheater Falls.

John on the hike to the falls

Tooronga Falls

John and I at the falls

Amphitheater Falls

We took our time exploring and then drove the very winding roads to The Gantry, 7 km from the top of Mt Baw Baw, where the real Seven Summits bike ride starts for normal people who don't kill themselves adding on the 83 km prior.  The riders met us there for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (or jam if you're an aussie, because jelly is jello and that's just weird on a sandwich).  It was both John and Glenda's first PB&J sandwich and we were quite honoured to share that with them.

Pit stop at The Gantry

After refilling gatorade bottles they set off for the summit.  Though they were all very knackered and ready to be done, the last 7km is at a very steep incline and no easy task.

last stretch to the top

John and I had no problem quickly reaching the top, and then we took a walk around the very deserted ski village.  It was a strange place without snow.  We nearly made it to the peak of the mountain when Glenda called John and Phil texted me.

Snowboarding at the top

John snowboarding

Snow report

View from (almost at) the top of Mt Baw Baw

Duty calls, so close to the top!

We headed back down the hill with the rescue vehicle to attend to their needs.  Meanwhile Les was just finishing his climb.  I ended up picking Phil and and Glenda was able to make it the final stretch.  They were all absolutely exhausted and ready for a celebratory beverage at the top.  They took a unanimous vote that next time they would cut that beginning 83 km out and just do the climb.

The boys