kunanyi – “The Mountain”

kunanyi (“ku/’na/ni”) is the palawa name for the hulking mass of Delorite also known as Mount Wellington (both names are accepted). She lies on the western edge of nipaluna/Hobart. With an altitude of 1271m, her bulbous mass visible for many kilometres to the north, east and south.

The physical attraction, the lure if you like, is as tangent now as it would have been to the traditional landowners of lutruwita/Tasmania.

With a barren, sub-artic, plateau at the summit and with lush temperate rainforests with fern filled gullies on her lower slopes, experiencing this place can be special, whether by bike, foot or even car.

On her eastern slopes, nestled under the iconic “Organ Pipes” are a litter of trails for bushwalking/trail running and mountain biking, with Pinnacle Road providing access to the summit for those feeling less adventurous.

To the west of the summit, the country is largely untamed and a true sense of wilderness is quickly experienced. On a clear day, the land to the west is laid down before you. Distant peaks such as Mount Field, Fitzroy Peak and even Precipitous Bluff all visible on the skyline from the summit of kunanyi/Mount Wellington.

While there is a route* associated with this article, the subject of these words is more focused on the experience that spending time up here can provide. 

*the route provided briefly passes through private land, just off Lenah Valley Road. Access over this parcel is accepted by the landowner. Please be respectful of their rights.

Lenah Valley and Beyond

It’s a mid-spring morning; I’m supposed to be racing the Bothwell “Roubaix”, a 70km road race with approximately 25km of the route being gravel (hence the Roubaix reference). Though Tasmania, parts of at least, are flooded. The race is off. 

With a loose Sunday at hand and low motivation for a road ride, I figured an “adventure” ride up kunanyi/Mount Wellington via some single track and questionable fire trails would clear the mind and reignite the desire for riding. Something different, something refreshing.

Living in Lenah Valley (a northern suburb of nipaluna/Hobart) we have easy access to the lower slopes of kunanyi/Mount Wellington. Literally five minutes of riding leads to single track, from here you could ride to Maydena without touching much, if any, tarmac. 

Single track intermixed with fire trail leads us to the outer edge of Glenorchy – a town to the north of nipaluna/Hobart. It is possible to reach the saddle between Goat Hills and Mount Hull without my suburban detour, however the chosen route is easier (while being “easier” it’s by no means easy, it’s ride-able).

Into the Hills

The climb up Zig Zag fire trail from Glenorchy is steep and with power lines overhead it may not be the most pleasing trail to take to the saddle, however, elevation is gained quickly and once the saddle is reached, expansive views are enjoyed of nipaluna/Hobart. Power lines aside, the ride up to Goat Hills is probably one of my favorite local gravel rides, whether it’s a quick post-work sunset ride via Collinsvale or a longer excursion. 

From here to Pinnacle Road, and the summit of kunanyi/Mount Wellington is via fire trails – East West and Big Bend respectively. While these are fire trails, the surface is not to be scoffed at. A wide range of surfaces can be experienced here, from dreamy smooth gravel (not in an abundance, don’t get your hopes up) to fist sized rocks to boggy clay that sticks to your tires, bike and shoes when the inevitable hike-a-bike ensues…

Past Mount Hull the vegetation starts to change – stunted trees and sparse undergrowth, an indication that the climate we’re travelling through is changing, the threshold of the mountain environment. Rainy showers turn into snow squalls, the decision to push-on or bail down a side trail is pondered for a fleeting moment. Though tempting, I was determined to keep moving on to the summit (still some distance away).

The Top

Once the intersection of Big Bend fire trail and Pinnacle Road is gained it’s an easy 2km push to the summit on tarmac. Gathering shelter in the observation (overlooking the sprawl of nipaluna/Hobart and surrounds) the usual comments are presented by bystanders – “Did you ride up here?” or the like. There’s often a wonderment that someone, with a bit of time, and physical will, can reach the summit without driving up in a motor vehicle. 

I didn’t hang around long on the summit today, it was cold, I was damp and looking forward to a mug of hot chocolate at Lost Freight Café at the Springs.

The Descent and Home 

Dropping down Pinnacle Road on a warm sunny afternoon at 50km/h is a blast. On a cold, mid-spring, day it’s not ideal. Cold feet and hands quickly become freezing useless blobs. About halfway down there’s a small shelter at the Sprigs. Arriving here I could see the Ranger had the fire on, an added bonus – a warm place to hide while drinking the aforementioned hot choc.

Following a brief stop and feeling warmer it was time to push on, head home. There are many route choices from here. North South track is single track all the way back to Glenorchy. Though there are an abundance of fire trails that are more suited to a rigid bike. 

Moist, damp, cold rainforest covers the lower slopes of kunanyi/Mount Wellington in this area. The riding on single track here feels adventurous harking back to a time when mounting biking wasn’t all about kickers, berms and carpet-like trails. 

Single track followed by fire trail quickly leads us to the outskirts of South Hobart where the climate appears to change again. Gone is the rainforest, were now travelling through cleared meadows surrounded by tinder dry bush with the odd fleeting glimpse of the omnipresent Organ Pipes visible through the tree canopy. If time permits this is my favorite commute home.

Flowing down though the bush dropping in to steep gullies and climbing (or pushing) my way back up it wasn’t long until the final descent is reached and a realisation that the ride was nearly over came to fruition.

The Mountain

This ride had done what it needed to do. Riding on kunanyi/Mount Wellington feels special to me – I often semi-jokingly say I feel “cleansed” after riding to the top, whether by road or by trail. 

There’s no easy way up – she humbles all.

I spent a lot of time in the mountains in my home country; something I felt I’d lost a connection to since leaving Scotland in 2011. That time, spent in the hills at home, made me gain a respect for higher places in terms of what they can give, and what they can take – always on their terms. 

Being able to explore in the hills takes me back to those adventures in the hills I’d once enjoyed in Scotland. In a sense, it feels as if I’ve returned home – to a place of belonging.