The Australian Alps region is popular for skiing AND mountain biking; one Jindabyne local told me that during summer holidays every vehicle has MTBs in tow. There are three main track options: Lake Jindabyne tracks, Thredbo chairlift-downhill tracks, and the iconic Thredbo Valley Track (TVT).

The summer chairlifts have a bracket for carrying your bike to the top and the tracks are slalom-style based on the winter snow runs. The good news is the lifts accept E bikes, as long as they are under 30kg and are pedal assisted only (no throttle). This would cover most ebikes. I didn’t try them but it was fun watching from above.

You can take the TVT as an undulating descent from Thredbo or up from the Ski Tube carpark near Crackenback. Many riders get a lift to Thredbo and just enjoy the descent. It has short bits that are steep-ish, but it’s safe and well-worn so is suitable for most riders. In my case, I started from the Crackenback end, 18km from Jindabyne.

This is a beautiful track, nestled in a valley with mountain backdrops, the lovely Thredbo River close by, varied bushland, and constant birdsong. I did the ride late March, starting in 8 degrees at 9am. It started snowing on top the day we left, so watch the weather forecasts.

A feature of the TVT is the number of suspension bridges and suspended tracks which are fun and scenic to ride over.

The track comes out after about two hours in the middle of Thredbo Village not far from an excellent bakery café with great coffee.

The return ride is quicker at just over an hour, and stunning all the way. With a couple of diversions, the ride covered just over 40kms and three + hours.

The TVT is currently being extended all the way down to Lake Jindabyne. Nine kms of the 18km gap between Crackenback and the Lake is already built but there is no exit point. The new 36 kms one-way TVT is expected to be completed later this year. When it’s done, I’m going back for an epic ride.

A more detailed Strava map for this route can be found at: https://strava.app.link/ILAVis0f2X