Gravel Biking the Australian Snowy Mountains: Routes, Gear, and Logistics

Australian gravel riders mostly ride the Otways, the Strzelecki Ranges, or the Victorian High Country. The Snowy Mountains, across the NSW-Victoria border, remain quieter — not because they're inferior riding, but because the logistics intimidate people. They shouldn't. Four days on Snowy gravel is one of the best bikepacking trips in the country if you plan it properly.

I've ridden the region three separate times across 2023-2026, with gear ranging from a Specialized Diverge STR to a steel Salsa Fargo. The good news: you can ride the area on just about any gravel bike with 40-50mm tyres. The better news: November and December are substantially better than January, and almost no one knows it.

The Four Routes Worth Knowing

Route 1: Jindabyne to Khancoban via Thredbo Valley Track — 3 days, 180 km

The classic starter. Begin at Jindabyne, take the Thredbo Valley Track for the first 35 km of mellow riverside riding, then ascend over Dead Horse Gap (1,580 m) to descend into the Murray River valley. Day two rolls through Tom Groggin, a surprisingly gentle pitch of gravel with the Murray on your left. Day three delivers you to Khancoban, where the bus back to Jindabyne runs three times a week in season.

Total vertical: roughly 2,200 metres over three days. Easy enough for a first bikepacker, interesting enough for experienced riders.

Route 2: The Monaro Loop — 2 days, 160 km

Starting and ending at Cooma, this loop hits the rolling basalt plains of the Monaro before dropping into the Kiandra goldfields region. The gravel here is harder-packed than the western Snowies but includes some of the best long-view riding in Australia — think the American West in miniature. Cold nights above 1,000 metres even in summer: pack for 4°C minimums.

Route 3: Barry Way to Genoa — 4 days, 340 km

The big one. Starting from Jindabyne, the Barry Way descends the Snowy River catchment through Suggan Buggan and into East Gippsland. It's committing — you leave phone reception on day one and don't see it reliably until you're in Mallacoota. The landscape shifts from alpine to temperate rainforest to coastal within 340 km.

Water requires planning. The Snowy is drinkable with filtration in most sections, but there are 60 km stretches without reliable creek crossings. Carry 4-5 litres minimum at transitions.

Route 4: The Kosciuszko Bare Peaks Circuit — 3 days, 195 km

A higher-altitude alternative. Links Charlotte Pass, the Main Range, and Blue Lake on a mix of fire roads, maintenance tracks, and short hike-a-bike sections. The Main Range is technically a national park with restricted biking — check current NPWS regulations before committing, as fire-road access has shifted in recent years.

Gear

The bike: 40-45mm tyres minimum. On the Barry Way and the Monaro, 50mm tyres with file tread give better speed over loose surface. The Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss 47mm is the best single-tyre pick for the region. If you're running a steel bikepacking bike, WTB Venture 50mm is a better match.

The frame: gravel bike or rigid mountain bike both work. Full suspension is overkill and slow. A Salsa Fargo, Kona Sutra LTD, or Specialized Diverge STR all suit the terrain. Drop bars work fine; flat bars are fine too.

Bags: frame bag, seat bag, handlebar roll. A top tube bag for snacks. I don't use panniers in the Snowies — they rattle on corrugated gravel and shift weight badly on steeper climbs. Apidura Expedition series bags are durable and hold up to the abrasion. Salsa Anything cages on the fork hold water bottles or dry bags for extra capacity on day 2 of the Barry Way.

Water Strategy

Two 1-litre bottles on the frame. Two 1-litre soft flasks in the rear bag for top-up capacity. A Sawyer Squeeze filter and Aquatabs. This combination gives you 4 litres carried plus unlimited filtered water at crossings, which covers any stretch in the region.

Be suspicious of tank water at farm houses unless you see the tank being regularly used. Stagnant tanks breed problems that a basic filter won't catch.

Timing

November is the best month. Water is still flowing from winter snowmelt, wildflowers are peak, temperatures are 18-25°C daytime and 3-8°C overnight. December is similar but hotter. January is harsher — 32°C+ daytime on the Monaro is real, water sources dry up, and fire risk increases dramatically.

Avoid February and March for multi-day trips. Fire risk is at its peak and bushfire closures can cancel trips with little warning. If you must ride in this window, stay in the higher alpine sections where fire risk is lower.

The winter window (May-October) is a different story. Snow closes the high routes. Lower-elevation variants (parts of the Barry Way) are ridable but the nights are cold enough that you need a -5°C sleeping bag.

Bailout Points

Thredbo, Khancoban, Tumbarumba, Dalgety, Cooma, Jindabyne, Mallacoota. Knowing where each of these sits on your route and how far you are from the next one is what separates a managed trip from a panicked one.

The Barry Way's trickiest gap is between Suggan Buggan and Wulgulmerang — roughly 55 km of committed terrain. If you can't make that section in a day, camp before you commit.

Sleeping

Free camping is abundant on these routes, but check Crown land designations. Most of the gravel riding touches National Parks, forestry areas, and private land. Stick to established camp spots in Kosciuszko National Park — Wilsons Valley, Geehi, Waste Point. The Barry Way has multiple established camps run by Parks Victoria.

Permits: Kosciuszko National Park requires advance camping permits at some sites, particularly in the Main Range. Check the NSW Parks website before departure.

A Note on Wildlife

You will see brumbies. You will probably see wedge-tailed eagles. You will almost certainly see kangaroos at dusk on the Monaro. None of these are dangerous to a careful rider. Tiger snakes and brown snakes are active in warm months — stomp through brush loudly and carry a pressure bandage for snake bites in your first aid kit.

Dingoes on the Barry Way are real. They won't attack a rider, but they'll steal unsecured food. Hang your food bag from a tree or keep it in a sealed sack inside your tent.

Training for the Trip

A fit rider doing 150-200 km per week can handle any of these routes with normal conditioning. The Barry Way requires a bit more — I'd want 250 km per week for a month beforehand, including at least two 80 km rides with full bikepacking kit.

The two kinds of fitness that matter: sustained climbing at moderate intensity (zone 3), and the ability to ride 4-6 hours three days in a row. Rest-day capacity matters as much as single-ride capacity. Your legs need to recover while still spending 6 hours on a bike.

What I Actually Ride

A 2023 Salsa Fargo, Di2 drivetrain, 50mm WTB Venture tyres, Apidura frame and seat bags, Revelate handlebar roll. Base weight with no food or water: 14.5 kg. Loaded for a 3-day trip: 19 kg. That's not ultralight, but it's solid enough to handle rough descents fully loaded.

A lighter rider on a pure carbon gravel bike could shave 3-4 kg off that number. I find the durability penalty of ultralight gravel gear isn't worth the weight savings for these routes — the corrugated sections on the Barry Way will punish a flimsy frame bag.

Why This Region Is Worth Your Time

Australia has a lot of good gravel. The Snowy Mountains offer something the other regions don't: real alpine terrain, long empty views, a sense of being properly remote. You can ride a full day and not see a car. That's increasingly rare, and it's why I keep coming back.

Do the Jindabyne-Khancoban route first. It's the gateway trip. If you like it, the Barry Way is waiting. If you do the Barry Way and still want more, you're a bikepacker now. Welcome.