The Anderson Trail

First bikepacking trip | Leura → Ingar → (kind of) Glenbrook

This was my first bikepacking trip. I didn’t want epic - I wanted something that felt doable, with a few bail-out options if I hated it (or if everything went wrong). 

Day 1

Before even touching dirt, we stopped for hot chocolates and scones in Leura. It felt more like a cute day trip than the start of something that would end with me pushing my bike up a hill questioning my life choices.

Rolling out of town, everything felt easy. Light. Fun. Even with bags strapped everywhere.

Then we got onto the fire trail. It lived up to the expectations - loose in bits, fast in others, and just enough pinchy climbs to remind you that you’re not just out for a spin anymore. But honestly, it was super fun. We stopped at a few spots where our Blue Lug Puff Matts came in so handy- I’m obsessed with mine, it’s so light and looks so cute and makes me forget that I’m sitting on the ground eating a banana.

Then came the descent. Fast, a little sketchy in spots, and straight into a river crossing that felt like a reward. Shoes off? Shoes on? Dan went the balance on rocks method and I just committed to shoes off (very refreshing, would recommend).

After that, you get a choice of going left up to Ingar Campground or right across another creek. We went left. And yeah… this is where things got real.

I’m not going to pretend I rode it. No one should.

It’s steep in a way that makes you laugh at first, and then very quickly stop laughing. Fully loaded, it’s a full-on hike-a-bike. Slow steps, stopping a lot, pretending you’re “just taking in the view.” I had Mini Eggs in my handlebar bag and honestly, they were doing a lot of emotional heavy lifting. The worst part? You think you’re close to the top… and you’re not. Not until you see the sign. That’s the only thing that counts. The techy side- the climb was 1.7km, with 175m elevation gain.

And almost instantly, it flips. You’re rolling again, dropping into camp, legs cooked and you can start to hear the little waterfall. First thing we did at Ingar Campground? Straight into the water. No hesitation.

We set up camp, got a fire going, and cooked dinner as it got dark. Also: food tastes unreal when you’ve carried it in on your bike. We went with hammocks for this trip and they were actually comfy to sleep in, and pretty light weight. 

Day 2

Day two started gently with a little climb, then dropped into a long descent. The last section gets properly steep and the gravel was pretty loose, so I got off and walked. One thing I learned quickly: there’s zero shame in walking your bike.

At the bottom, we crossed the creek again and started the climb out. There’s a few switch backs and you think you’re done, but not till you get to the gate. Again the techy side of it- the climb was 2.5km and 150m elevation.

By this point, between the two of us, we were feeling it. Proper tired. And with a hard deadline to get back to Sydney by 3pm, we made the call to bail at the end of the Anderson trail instead of pushing all the way through.

We jumped onto the highway and boosted it down to Glenbrook - a surprisingly fun (and very fast) 23km spin.

We parked up at the café for a juice and a muffin at a café that absolutely hit the spot. From there, we rolled to the station,  just like that - back to normal life.

If you’re thinking about it

You don’t need to look like a “bikepacker” to go bikepacking.

You can bring snacks you actually like. You can walk the hills. You can change the plan halfway through.

Pick a route with a few bail-out options, go with someone you trust, and just see how it feels.