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fast track
WELCOME TO THE HURT LOCKER
WORDS WILL SHAW PHOTOS BRAD FISHER
It’s not often you hear about ultra-technical trails getting the tick of approval on publicly managed land. Recently The Hurt Locker at Mount Taylor Bike Park has been sanctioned by the public land manager. This sanctioning represents an exciting case study for land managers around the country to reference. The Hurt Locker is said to be one of Australia’s most technical trails.
The Hurt Locker is less than a kilometre long and drops around 100 vertical metres. Despite its short length, the feedback we’re hearing is that it’s two minutes and thirty seconds of the gnarliest riding you’ll find in Australia. The driving force behind the trail is Mount Taylor local Dave ‘Div’ Tarling, who said the inspiration for the trail came from the granite rock on offer at Mount Taylor.
‘When you walk around Mount Taylor you see plenty of granite. The idea was to utilise the rock that’s there and make The Hurt Locker as difficult as possible while keeping things as natural as possible. Other than adding some timber bridges and a skinny where necessary the whole trail is basically rock with a bit of flow at the very end.’
Brad Fisher is the District Manager for the Tambo area at the Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning (DELWP), who are the land managers for Mount Taylor Bike Park. Brad says he’s highly confident The Hurt Locker will stand the test of time when it comes to sustainability, which is one of the main challenges when it comes to sanctioning steep and
technical trails.
‘Mount Taylor is a site with erodible soils. The great thing about The Hurt
Locker is that it’s a line that’s mostly rock. There are a couple of areas that may cause some issues, but we’ll keep an eye on that. I’d say the trail is ninety nine percent sustainable, as so much of the trail is on granite it will require very little ongoing maintenance. This has been proven through recent high rainfall events that have led to no erosion on the track occurring.’
Many readers may have ridden Mount Taylor DH, which has been used to host national level DH racing. Div says The Hurt Locker is a serious step up from the downhill track, and he’d recommend walking the trail before riding it.
‘The Hurt Locker is a serious step up from the Downhill track, with minimal room for error. The downhill track is closer to a black diamond in my opinion. The Hurt Locker is a double black diamond with a couple of optional pro lines in there. If you can’t ride the first staircase feature, you’re not going to have a good time on the rest of the trail, so it’s a good way for riders to assess their skills and walk away if necessary. Either way I’d suggest walking the trail before you attempt to ride it.’
Want to get the full story on The Hurt Locker and its journey to becoming a sanctioned trail within Mount Taylor Bike Park? You can find the full article on our website.
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