Mt Buller and Mt Stirling are famous for the fantastic bike trails that exist on both mountains. The Australian Alpine Epic route is described as ‘one of only a handful of IMBA Epic accredited trails in the world, the Australian Alpine Epic is a unique, tough and exhilarating journey’. It climbs onto Mt Stirling from the Delatite Valley before heading north past Mt Winstanley.

Sadly, now sections of the Epic ride will be directly impacted by logging operations on Mt Stirling – unless we stop it.

A large area around Mt Stirling is expected to be clear fell logged soon (starting any week now), including several coupes that will directly impact the Alpine Epic ride.

It is not yet clear how the track will be managed during the logging operations, but the visual impacts will be long lasting. While MTB riders are used to a range of conditions – open country, pine plantations, state forests and so on, the Epic track is unusual because of it’s long distance riding through an intact mountain environment. Now logging threatens to directly impact on the experience of riding in this special mountain environment.

The key impacts will be in two areas to the north of Mt Stirling:

  • The Bus Loop coupe will cut right to the edge of the Epic trail as it leaves the No 3 road towards Pinnacle Track
  • The ‘upgrade’ of the Pinnacle Track. Where the Epic track joins the Pinnacle Track, this will be converted into a logging road for several kilometres. A patch of older Alpine Ash will be logged around the Pinnacle track, as well as coupes above the track

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MAP: showing the areas to be impacted by logging operations. Full trail map is available here.

You can find out more about the Epic ride here.

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ABOVE: this section of the Epic ride will be made into a logging road.

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ABOVE: forest alongside the Epic track that will be logged.

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ABOVE: the top section of the Pinnacle track will become a logging road.

You can find out more about the proposed logging at Mt Stirling here.

 

Get active!

1/ Please share this info with your MTB mates.

2/ Tell Mt Buller resort management you oppose this logging because it will impact on the famous Epic Trail.

info@mtbuller.com.au

Or post an image from your ride on the Epic Trail, calling on the government to #SaveMtStirling and tag in

@Bikebuller

3/ If you’re short for time, please sign this letter to the Victorian Environment Minister, urging her to protect these forests.