www.Muggaccinos.com     The Bullsheet

Australia Day long w'end  Muggaccinos' "2007 Tour de Victorian Alps" to ride 312km over 3 days preceding Audax Alpine Classic which is on Saturday, 27 Jan '07.   
Drive down from Sydney early Tues 23 January '07 and drive back on Monday 29th

Stop Press: As noted down below, 7 regular Muggs' cyclists are attending Bright later this month for the AAC.  Four other erstwhile Muggs, Navigator, Kaza, Seniorita and Colin will also be down there.  In addition, Sig and PapaBear will be making their annual pilgrimage to Mecca.  So plenty of friends to ride with in the lead-up to Sat.

Hardcopy this Bullsheet and these street directions from Sydney Harbour Bridge to Bright - 700.63km taking 8hr 3min

Muggaccinos’ Sunday rides during Dec/Jan roll out at sparrow fart/cock’s crow to beat the heat and ensure adequate daylight to complete requisite long training rides in preparation for the prima endurance event on the annual cycling calendar in the Mecca of road cycling country, the Vic. Alps.

The Alpine Classic evidences endurance cyclists from across Aust flock to the pristine town of Bright in the foothills of the Vic Alps twds the end of Jan for the annual pilgrimage where the splendid mountainous terrain proffers entrants in 3 ride distances from Howitt Park, Bright with 4 starting times. 

The pre-eminent 200km event contains 4 tough ascents:
*        NEE up Towonga Gap 11km,
*        NNE up Falls Creek 29km,
*        SWW up Towonga Gap 8km (from the steeper side); and
*        W up Mt. Buffalo 22km.

These four marvellous climbs aggregate 3,700m of pedal pumping, quad draining, elevation.

Bank Teller has attempted the "200km Audax" thrice with two finishes (best 10hrs 50m in '97) and a DNF after he blew-up, not 'cause he'd gone out too hard, but 'cause he'd under-prepared.  These days he spends 3 days in Bright preceding the event cycling all the nearby marvellous climbs in the Victorian Alps, and climbs Tawonga Gap on ride day after the competitors have finished it: 
 

Wed 24     112km out 'n back ride SSW to Mt. Hotham initially along a pleasant, flattish SEE 25km route to friendly Harrietville, whereupon an immediate hard left up a steepish 31km memorable climb across the spectacular Razorback Ridge to Mt Hotham (Hotham Heights) known as "The Giant" - (1,862m above sea level) in the heart of the Bogong National Park.  After 4.95km of steady climbing you meet The MEG.  Don't let the name frighten you as it is merely a very steep 60m switchback.  From 10.05km to 19.25km you hardly think you are climbing.  After 20.85km you reach Mt St. Bernard and at 23.35km Renee's Lookout where you then ride across the ridge feeling as though you are on top of the world, because all the adjoining mountains to your left and right are clearly visible, and they all appear smaller - 31km climbing.
 

Thurs 25   35km out 'n back ride = 70km due West to Mt Buffalo "The Horn" (1,330m) - 22km climbing.

Fri 26        65km out 'n back ride = 130km heading SW to Falls Creek (1,580m) via Mt Beauty and Tawonga Gap (885m) with views across Rocky Valley reservoir and back down the length of the Ovens Valley   - 48km climbing.                                                                        

Sat 27       Watch start from town, then have a coffee and then climb Tawonga Gap and back (30km ride with 8km climb).  We return well before competitors are climbing the other side of Tawonga Gap after they have climbed Falls Creek, whereupon we watch the conclusion of the three different distances, with lots to soak-up.
                                         

The above four days' cycling -                               View from Bright twds Mt Buffalo

(i)         elevate 5,052m (1,562m+1,030m+585m+1,280m+585m) from Bright which is 300m above sea level;

(ii)        aggregate 342km (112+70+130+30);

(iii)       require 109km (31+22+48+8) of gut wrenching, pedal pushing, quad snapping climbing on sections such as Tawonga Gap to Mt Beauty and early in the 31km climb to "The Giant" (Mt. Hotham).                                       
 

Bank Teller has booked with Pip at below listed Bright Caravan Park a large camp site "up the back" of the camp ground which can accommodate 10 people even if they are all in single tents.  The booking costs $31 per night for the site which includes 2 people, and $10 per head extra.  In order to defray the fixed $31 per night, Bank Teller is charging $12 per night per head, where he will cover any shortfall.

As the Bright motels are usually booked chockers by late November, below are 3 camp grounds in Bright with prices for pitching your trusty tent:

• Bright Caravan Park (03) 5755.1141 - centre of town / turn Left at BP garage 100m before bridge - $31 per night for 2 persons on unpowered site with $10 extra for each extra person within that designated camp site

• Bright Accommodation Park (03) 5750.1001 formerly Green Hills Caravan Park - 3½km East of town centre - $10 per head per night on unpowered site.

• Bright Riverside Holiday Park (03) 5755.1118  4-10 Toorak Ave Bright.  300m from town.  $32 per night for 2 people.

If you are making the annual pilgrimage to Bright to -

*        climb all the marvellous mountains in the Vic Alps between Wed and Sat as listed above, and/or to compete on Saturday; and

*        suck some Reds at night,

e-mail ScribePJ@bigpond.com or 'phone him (02) 9513.9532.  Thus far, Todd aka I.T. Nerd, Laurence aka Tyro, Tony aka Samurai, Arno aka The Kaiser, Terry aka Navigator, Kerry H. Bank Teller, and Jean aka DishPig have snavelled a spot each from amongst the 8 tent site that Scribe has booked.  Kerry H is also camping with his family.  Gracinda/Colin, Kaza, Glenn, Sig, PapaBear are also attending.

Below are directions to Bright (provided by Pacific Pete):

Drive 680km SSW from Sydney thru Liverpool along Hume Highway to Albury on the Victorian border on an uninteresting freeway route in 7½ hrs.  Thence it is another 90/110 mins to Bright depending whether you take Route1. 2. or 3. below. 

Recommend you pull in at the Holbrook Bakery (300m Sth of the big black submarine) which is the first major town Nth of Albury.

    Route 1.    Simplest albeit longest route is:

    Follow Hume Hwy to Wangaratta, then Left onto Ovens Hwy leads to Myrtleford, then Bright.

    Route 2.    Or 107km (about 30km less) and more scenic:

    Route 3.    Or about 10km more than 2. above and equally scenic as 2. above:

What does the above map show you?  Not a lot. It is as boring as batshit driving 680km to the Vic. border and onto Wodonga.  However, voila the landscape and scenic beauty increase exponentially the more you drive Sth. into Vic. 

Au milieu de this map is the quaint, pristine township of Bright in the foothills of the Vic. Alps.  Falls Creek is SE.  "The Giant" Mt Hotham is Sth.  Mt Buffalo is due West.

Scribe (02) 9513.9532  last updated 2 Jan '07