Galston Gorge - Berowra Waters - Galston Gorge
- Group:
- A
- Distance:
- 85km
- Route Description:
- On leaving Lane Cove, turn left onto Burns Bay road, follow the road and turn left onto Longueville Rd. Turn right onto Epping Road at the lights, and take the exit ramp to the Pacific Highway and turn left.
Follow the Pacific Highway through Chatswood, Lindfield, Killara, Gordon, Pymble, Turrarmurra and Wahroonga. At Pearce's Corner turn right and continue along the Pacific Highway. At the intersection of College Crescent, again turn right to continue along the Pacific Highway. In Hornsby, follow the road to the left to cross over the railway bridge, and then follow the road to the right.
At Galston Rd, turn left and then follow Galston Road through Galston Gorge, and out the western side. At the roundabout, turn right onto Arcadia Road.
Follow the twists and turns of Arcadia Rd as it passes through Arcadia. Arcadia Rd becomes Bay Rd and then passes through Berilee, descend down the hill into Berowra Waters, turn at the bottom and return up the hill.
Follow Bay Rd as it becomes Arcadia Rd. Follow Arcadia Rd as it turns to the Right at the Primary School, and then left past the Monastery. Keep on Arcadia Rd through it's twists and turns until it meets the roundabout at Galston Rd.
Turn left onto Galston Rd, and then follow Galston Rd as it turns left to the Galston Gorge Descent. Climb out of Galston Gorge, and regroup at the bus shelter. From there, continue along Galston Rd until it rejoins the Pacific Highway. Turn right, and then at Bridge Rd, turn left. Turn right where Bridge Rd meets George St (just over the railway bridge).
Follow George St into the Old Pacific Highway, and following it to the left, and again Pearces Corner. Stay on the Pacific Highway through Wahroonga, Warrawee, Turrarmurra, Pymble, Gordon, Killara, Lindfield and Chatswood. At Epping Rd, turn right, and then left into Longueville Rd. Take the first right into Birdwood Ave and follow this back to Renegade and the Cafe.
- Ride Description:
- This is one of the variants on the Three Gorges, and is a bit of the mirror of Bobbin Head, Berowra Waters, Bobbin Head. This iteration takes in the other side, doing both sides of Galston and the western side of Berowra. Like any variation of the Three Gorges, this ride is testing, but it is possible to omit the Berowra Waters Climb, or to turn around early while riding through Arcadia.
As with any ride past Mona Vale Rd on the Pacific Highway, you get the enjoyment of the hill in Pymble, you're usually warmed up and still fresh, so it shouldn't be too hard, but we all have off days. Once past Hornsby, the group will turn down Galston Rd, before the first descent of the ride into Galston Gorge.
If doing this ride in winter, make sure that you're wrapped up, as it can get pretty cool down there in the middle of the year, and not being able to apply sufficient braking pressure through a hairpin bend isn't a fun experience. Overall, the descent is a good one but knowing where the hairpins are does increase it's enjoyment. The bridge at the bottom is a single lane planked bridge, and right of way is given to the motorists going the other way. Make sure that it's clear before crossing.
Next up is the Glaston Gorge Climb, and then a regroup at the Retirement Village. The ride then gets very scenic through Galston, Arcadia and Berrilee. The road is generally in good condition, but as always, communication is necessary to avoid some of the bad patches. The road is also single lane each way, but because of the quieter traffic the group can normally ride 2 abreast.
Once into Berrilee, the group descends and and then climbs the west side of Berowra Waters. This has recently been resurfaced, and is now a very fast descent, definitely one for the dare-devils. If you don't wish to do this climb, wait at Charltons Creek Rd for the other riders.
The group will then route via the same route back through Berrilee, Arcadia and Galston before descending back down into Galston Gorge, for the final climb of the ride up the eastern side of the Gorge.
Once out of the Gorge, the group will head back to Lane Cove and the cafe. Depending on the weather, the group may stop at a service station along Galston Rd to fill up water bottles before the trip back down the highway.
