The Creek – with Hamstring Hill

The Creek is Margaret River’s main mountain bike area. We will run around the edge, avoiding the main routes, with the usual berms, rollovers and jumps, and instead stay on the connecting trails. These are mostly closed 4WD tracks and are quite hilly and gravelly.

The stick of the lollipop is at the far end, and stays near the river for extra beauty points. Right at its end there is a steep hill – known locally as Hamstring Hill. You dont have to do it of course, but you should.

This run must have 150m of elevation, sometimes quite steep – often up and down eroded gravel track, so is quite tough and somewhat technical in places. It has two easy to cross creek crossings in winter/spring. The track is always firm.

It should be noted that in several places Mountain Biker riders will enter or even cross the trail – and at speed. So please keep an ear and an eye out.

Getting There

Travel 1km down Carters Road – which is just north of Margaret River off Bussell Highway. Park either at the main trail head carpark, or drive 200m further and park just west of the creek bridge on the right.

The Run

The trail is south of Carters, and west of the creek (shown in slider). Run down this and merge left, avoiding the bike trails (and any riders). At 600m turn left and down a steep gully. Essentally you keep the river to your left. Jump over a tree (2.5km), and at 3km you have a choice.

Do the stick or be a quitter.

Stickers run along the river, now with farm to your right. The track goes single track briefly and then you turn left onto a wider track. Please take note where you are – you are coming back this way.

Follow this track and at about 4.6km it turns away from the river and up a hill. It is bitumen. This is Hamstring Hill and is for fire control access – possibly paved for water tankers. At the end (a gate) turn around and run back to the 3km point (now nearly 7km) remembering the way.

You are back on the loop and joining the quitters.

Run up a steep hill away from the river, and at the top turn right and then left. At 9.2km turn hard right and at 10km turn left at a crossing and downhill. Go through the gate near Carters road and turn right down a single track to the start.

Shortcut

Do not do the stick, or do not do Hamstring Hill to cut 1km or 4km off.

Map

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