Wots up Doc

Rating: Grade 3. Most of the track is at an easy 8% gradient, but there are some tight switchbacks.

Know before you go: After the first 3km there are no reliable water supplies. Conditions at the higher levels of this track can be cold and windy at any time of the year so carry warm and windproof clothing. Wots up Doc climbs 740 metres through native bush and open sub-alpine grassland to give access to Maitland Ridge and Unhinged tracks. It also makes a good out-and-back intermediate grade ride to the open tops of Beebys Knob. Parts of the track cross private land, so please keep to the track.

Getting there: Head east from St Arnaud on SH63. A the bottom of the hill past Rainbow Skifield turnoff, turn in to the Red Hills carpark 100 metres before a one lane bridge.

The start of the track is signposted from the carpark and leads off into mature red beech forest. After 100 metres the Six Mile Creek is crossed on a ford made from concrete fence strainer posts. It then climbs for another 270 metres to the intersection with the Red Hills track, which is signposted. Continue straight ahead on Wots up Doc track winding through beech forest on an easy grade crossing Upper Six Mile Creek on a ford built of rocks before switchbacking up through dense kanuka scrub to more level terrain in beech forest. After fording another creek it ascends through more kanukas to a flatish area of beech forest. 3.1 km from the start there is a turnoff to the left which is the Lowther Link track. This is currently only a walking track track to Lowther Rd unless you are keen for a bit of bike carrying down and up a steep gully. From this turnoff there are 22 switchbacks up to the Beebys 4wd road 4.7km from the start. The 4wd road can be descended to Tophouse Rd and SH63 for those who would like a shorter loop.

From here there are another 35 switchbacks, some quite tight, that take you up through scrub and grassy clearings with a few sections of the 4wd road thrown in to around the 1100 metre level. From here the track winds through a section of beech forest before emerging again into open tussock areas. At 1240 metres the graded singletrack ends and there are a couple of steeper sections of 4wd road up to the start of Unhinged, Maitland Ridge and the open tussock country of Beebys Knob 11km from the start. The road can be followed for another half hour or so to Beebys Hut.