Trail running at Mt Baw Baw

Snowgum-cloaked sweeping singletrack featuring big Gippsland Valley and backcountry alpine views: Mt Baw Baw offers stunning, unique, accessible trail running routes suitable for novices through to wild country running experts.

The trails are flowy and in parts technical and fun underfoot, journeying runners through pristine sub alpine environments, including along parts of the famous Australian Alpine Walking Track. Yet you’re never far from a cool finishing beverage and a gourmet meal in the Baw Baw Village.

You’ll also be enjoying the same trails used in the iconic Baw Baw Trail Run Festival, a 3-day celebration of the trail running lifestyle held every March www.trailrunfestival.com.au.

Accommodation

To book accommodation at Mt Baw Baw visit mountbawbaw.com.au.

Green Run Blue Run Black Run

Green Run

"An easy loop up and over the summit of Mt Baw Baw, with a pinch of a climb to get there early on, and then downhill fun all the way back to the village. Some great technical singletrack on the final stretch back to the village. "

DISTANCE: 3.5 km

TRAIL TYPE: Loop

COMBINED ASCENT/DESCENT: 131 metres +/-

RUN RATING: 13/45

START: In front of Village Restaurant, Baw Baw Village

FINISH: In front of Village Restaurant, Baw Baw Village

ESTABLISHED TRAIL NAMES: Village Trail, Summit Trail, Maltese Trail, Muellers Trail

GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Mt Baw Baw summit, Five Ways

TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS: Views from Mt Baw Baw across Gippsland Valley and views from Muellers Lookout toward Mt St Phillack. Snowgums. Mueller’s trail.

MAPS AVAILABLE: Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort Map (representative only)

THE RUN

Take on a Piccolo or short black before you trot off from the Village Restaurant in the centre of the Resort. Run down Currawong, headed toward the General Store/Adventure HQ on your left and, further on, the First Aid Centre on your right. Head on down the road, passing the vehicle gate until you get to the bottom of the Summit lifts.

Nip across towards the Skiosk and run up the Village/Summit trail veering up and ahead to your right. Be sure to stay on the trail until on your left you see the Nordic Bowl, a picnic clearing (this is prior to hitting the intersection/s of Vilage/Summit/Latrobe). Cross the clearing on your left until you pick up a singletrail heading up the hill. This singletrack is part of the old-timer network of trails used by the pioneers of Baw Baw. Pace yourself for this uphill section, weaving between stands of snowgum and big rock features.

You will punch out onto the Summit Trail again. Run for approximately 100 metres before taking a left turn up some steps and a gravel path into the Downey Picnic Area. Follow the singletrack on through, until you once again hit Summit Trail. Turn left and follow the single and a half track route (a Winter ski run) up to the summit. On your left there is the summit cairn – a rock pile structure with interpretive signage – and further on there are two sensational viewpoints on your left across the Gippsland Valley and another viewing platform on the right Muellers Lookout.

From here keep following the Summit trail as it drops back down the northern side of Mt Baw Baw, looping around until you hit the Five Ways intersection. Continue across looking for the Maltese Trail/Muellers Track. (Do NOT veer left (Village trail) or double back). About 50-100 metres along Maltese you will see Mueller’s, a singletrack section dropping to the right.

This is the technical downhill section, so watch your footing, but have fun. A great place that is close by the village to return and practice your technical downhill running (try a time trial!).

At the bottom of Muellers, you will come to a small wooden bridge over a creek. Cross and turn left, ahead you will pop out on a village road (Candle Heath Drive). Run up the side of the Toboggan Park area hooking right up a grass incline to pick up a singletrack running left – this will take you the final 100m weaving past some of the chalets to finish opposite the Village Restaurant where you started.

DOWNLOAD KML OF THIS RUN

Blue Run

"A medium-gauge Blue run that knocks off the Mt Baw Baw summit before exploring the backside wilderness of the Alpine Resort. Mixes snow trail with some technical singletrack."

DISTANCE: 6.6 km

TRAIL TYPE: Loop with crossover

COMBINED ASCENT/DESCENT: 215 metres +/-

RUN RATING: 26/45

START: In front of Village Restaurant, Baw Baw Village

FINISH: In front of Village Restaurant, Baw Baw Village

ESTABLISHED TRAIL NAMES: Summit trail, McMillans Trail, Village Trail, Muellers Track

GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Mt Baw Baw; National Park Junction (park boundary); Anthill Lookout

TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS: Views from Mt Baw Baw and across backcountry plateaus, flowing and slightly technical single track sections, rock features amid snowgums.

MAPS AVAILABLE Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort Map (representative only)

THE RUN

Beginning from Resort central in front of the Village Restaurant, follow Currawong Street heading past the Administration on your right and further down the Medical Centre just before hitting the bottom of the main Summit ski runs. Head across towards the Skiosk and up the Village/Summit trail veering up and ahead, scanning for the Nordic Bowl, a picnic clearing on your left (this is prior to hitting the intersection/s of Village/Summit/Latrobe). Cross the picnic area on your left until you pick up a singletrail heading into the bush and up the hill. After a beautiful section amid rock features and gums, you will punch out onto the Summit Trail.

Run approximately 100 metres before taking a left turn up some steps and a gravel path into the Downey Picnic Area. Follow the singletrack on through, until you once again hit Summit Trail.

Turn left and follow the single and a half-track route (a winter ski run) up to the summit. On your left there is the summit cairn and then two sensational viewpoints on your left across the Gippsland Valley plus Muellers Lookout on your right.

Follow the Summit trail as it drops back down the northern side of Mt Baw Baw. Here you need to keep an eye out for a trail darting into the bush on your right, 2.2km into the run. The trailhead is on the apex of a sweeping right hand corner and there is a pole with an orange arrow marker (pointing further on down Summit Trail) opposite the singletrack.

Plunge into this sweet section of singletrack which drops you down, passing big boulder features running over sometimes technical trail including rock drop-offs and log jumps. You will pop out of the bush briefly at a wider crosstrail – take a left and immediate right – a dogleg, if you will – to continue heading through the bush on singletrack.

Once again you will burst from the bush onto a trail called McMillans. Continue straight across, following yet another single track for a short fast downhill stretch before exiting onto ski trails once again.

Turn right and run for approximately 100 metres to the National Park Junction. This is where runners taking a Black Run will split off. Blue runner should continue right, around on Village Trail, with Baragwanath Flat to your left.

You will eventually round a bend to the right, where Village Trail heads to the left, and McMillans hooks right and starts a steep incline. Take McMillans (lest you end up in a bog on Village!). This ski trail will rise up and turn to the right, taking in Anthill Lookout (views back over Bargawanath).

Continue on McMillans, eventually crossing over the singletrack intersection to originally came down. Stay on McMillans climbing back up to eventualy meet up with Village Trail. Turn left towards Five Ways Junction. Here you need to turn right onto Maltese and towards Muellers.

Barely 100 metres in and you will reach the top of Muellers Track, which is some of the best singletrack downhill to be found on the mountain. Watch your ankles, lean forward and see how fast you can go (while staying upright!). Watch for the odd rock poking out or log jump.

As for the Green and Black runs, you will cross a small wooden bridge to then pop out at the bottom of the village. Run up to the Toboggan Park, taking the right hand side past snowmakers until you see a grassy incline on your right, Climb for 20 metres before picking up a singletrack darting to your left that will weave you through the chalets and out back to the starting point in front of the Village Restaurant. Lunch, anyone?

DOWNLOAD KML OF THIS RUN

Black Run

"A tough but stunning course with lots of undulations and small sharp climbs mixed in with flowing but technical singletrack across plateaus and through snowgums. Big views from the top of Mt Baw Baw and Mt St Gwinear plus the chance to run some of the Australian Alpine Walking Track. "

DISTANCE: 12.8 km

TRAIL TYPE: Out and back with loop

COMBINED ASCENT/DESCENT: 519 metres +/-

RUN RATING: 36/45

START: In front of Village Restaurant, Baw Baw Village

FINISH: In front of Village Restaurant, Baw Baw Village

ESTABLISHED TRAIL NAMES: Summit trail, Australian Alpine Walking Track. Village Trail, Muellers Track

GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Mt Baw Baw, National Park Junction, St Phillack Saddle, Mt St Phillack, Camp Junction, Mt St Gwinear

TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS: Views from Mt Baw Baw, flowing and often highly technical trail linking Baw Baw Alpine Resort and Australian Alpine Walking Trail, Mt St Gwinear, and two plateau sections for super varied terrain.

MAPS AVAILABLE: Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort Map (representative only); Park Note Baw Baw National (Parks Victoria, representative).

THE RUN

As for the Green and Blue run, this one sets off from the centre of the Resort outside the Village Restaurant, following the same course down Currawong to the bottom of the Summit lifts, across towards the Skiosk and up the Village/Summit trail veering up and ahead to your right.

Again, be sure to look for the Nordic Bowl, a picnic clearing on your left (this is prior to hitting the intersection/s of Village/Summit/Latrobe). Cross the clearing on your left until you pick up a singletrail heading up the hill. You will punch out onto the Summit Trail. Run approximately 100 metres before taking a left turn up some steps and a gravel path into the Downey Picnic Area. Follow the singletrack on through, until you once again hit Summit Trail.

Turn right and run for approximately 100 metres to the National Park Junction. Here you will find good signage and a singletrack heading left towards Mts St Phillack and Gwinear. This undulating linking trail is fun. Two short uphill pinches, plenty of flowing, twisting trail, some technicality underfoot as you bridge a mountain stream and a larger plateau.

At 4.5km you will reach a T-intersection joining the Australian Alpine Walking Trail. This trail starts at Walhalla and continues on north all the way to Canberra. If you don’t want to go to Canberra and would prefer to remain n this black run, turn right, towards Mt St Phillack. You’ll quickly come across the Phillack Saddle (great views when it is clear), before a very technical climb to the summit (foliage closes in somewhat and underfoot is ankle-threatening stuff with erosion, divots, roots and rocks). At 5km, you reach the summit of St Phillack at 1556m, marked by a stone cairn.

Continuing on you will drop off St Phillack on a technical, fast descent (watch your footing) running 800 metres to Camp Saddle Junction, which is marked by a freestanding rock cave formation.

Turn left, following the signs to Mt St Gwinear summit. The trail descents a short way before hitting some boardwalk across a plateau. It is then a short climb to the peak at 1509m. You are 6.8km into your run and at the turn around point.

After admiring the views, turn back and run the way you came, enuring to turn left off the AAWT just after Phillack Saddle, and all the way back to the National Park Junction on the backside of Mount Baw Baw.

Turn right following Village Trail, which will take you over a hump, then down to a small bridge at McMillans Flat. Hook hard right climbing up and around the corner to be faced with a very sharp, but very short uphill pinch.

You will run into a large intersection with Mc Millans off to the left. Veer right continuing on Village Trail until you get to Five Ways Junction. Here you need to turn right onto Maltese and towards Muellers.

Barely 100 metres in and you will reach the top of Muellers Track which is some of the best singletrack downhill fun on the mountain. Pick your footing well, and fly.

As for the Green and Blue runs, you will pop out at the bottom of the village. Run up to the Toboggan run, taking the right hand side past snowmakers until you see a grassy incline on your right, Climb for 20 metres before picking up a singletrack darting to your left that will weave you through the chalets and out back to the starting point in front of the Village Restaurant. A cold beverage may be in order.