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Mt Barrow

5 Star Route / Launceston, Tasmania / Published: Mar 2019 / Directions
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Park along the shoulder of the road, just in from A3 / Tasman Highway
There is a short, flat warm-up before the climbing begins.
The "goal" of the ride, just topped by clouds
Climbing ...
.... and more climbing, with some peekaboo views to the left
Cool trees!
And other types of cool trees!
The road is about to get smaller and the climbing is about to get real, 10% +
Switchbacks in the forest to begin with
Then switchbacks through the rocky / bouldering terrain
Moving along from one switchback to the the next
Near the top, some trees re-appear
Descending!
The primitive road section. Cobblestone at first ...
... then, it narrows and gets lumpy and chunky
Onto better gravel ...
... and better gravel ...
... and better gravel
Then pavement for a bit
After crossing A3/Tasman Highway
The second section of pavement that trends downhill
Riding through farm lands
The last of the gravel and the last big downhill
*
Route:
Loop | 31 mi
*
Gain:
4,500 ft
*
Surface:
85% gravel, 15% paved
*
Technical Difficulty:
Very Demanding
*
Navigation:
Straightforward
*
Locale:
Remote
*
Tire Suggestion:
40mm +
*
Options:
---

Mt Barrow is one of the most difficult and rewarding climbs in the Launceston area. And, this “loop with a dogleg” route turns the incredible climb into quite the adventure.

Read More
Map
Brown = gravel / dirt road
Blue = single track
Red = paved road
Purple = paved bike path
GPX Download   Version 1.0
Ride Details

When We Like to Ride This

This route is good to ride Spring through Fall.

Terrain & Riding

The ride starts with a few warm up rollers … through small sheep and cow farms and forest.

When you reach the entrance for the reserve, take a good sip of water and be ready to climb. Our GPS popped as high as 24%, but we think the steepest grade is 20%, with an overall average above 10%.

Near the top, you encounter maze of switchbacks. Seemingly the pitches feel steeper the higher up you go (or maybe it was just us getting knackered from the climb). It’s one of those climbs where you try to focus on the sweet views along the way and not the burn in your legs. **Click to Read Less

If it’s a nice day you will enjoy big views from the top, but there’s a good chance you have climbed into the clouds.

Make a U-turn at the summit and enjoy the sweet downhill to the turnoff, which is about half way back down the climb. This is where you continue on the loop. The next two miles are primitive… it’s a rocky section where you will. be thrilled to be going downhill and not uphill. Don’t get worried, it takes you to a smooth B road soon enough.

As you hit the B road, you do a few rolling downhills through more farmland with horse farms added to the mix.

The route then serves up a rewarding downhill on smooth roads. You then jump on A3 for two blinks … then pop on Targa Hill Road which climbs with fun rollers on beautiful surfaces.

The final 10 miles cuts you through forest, logging areas and small farms. You pop back on to A3 for another two blinks and are back at the start.

The Start

Lat / Long: -41.342102, 147.3466484

At the end intersection of the Tasman highway (A3) and Barrow road. Park on the shoulder of Barrow road, about .2 miles in from the Tasman highway.

Food & Water

  • None
Notes & Options

Route Notes

  1. This route is advanced due to a 4 mile section of gravel with an average grade in excess of 10% (some pitches as steep as 15%) as the route nears the top of Mt. Barrow. There is also a 1.5 mile section of primitive road starting at about mile 14.5.

  2. We recommend a red blinky light with rear looking radar detector (i.e. Garmin Varia)

Route Options

This route can be combined with the Jacob’s Ladder route to create a really big day! Or you can do Mt. Barrow as a simple out and back from the same starting location as described here for a total of 20 miles (32 Km) and 3600 feet (1097 meters) of gain.

Comments

Have you ridden this route? Got a question? Join the discussion!

Ridden and Reviewed by:

KevinE

KevinE / Team Dirty Freehub

He should have “Never Stop Exploring” tattooed on his chest! He loves adventures on bikes and is a Co-Founder of Dirty Freehub.

LindaE (aka Gravel Girl)

LindaE (aka Gravel Girl) / Team Dirty Freehub

She loves a good day of gravel, like most people like a good book. She’s always amused by the outdoors and the wild adventures. Gravel Girl is a Co-Founder of Dirty Freehub.

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