Beginner Bikepacking Overnighter - Kalamunda to Carinya Hut
What to expect
This is a beginner-friendly bikepacking overnighter along parts of the Munda Biddi Trail, riding out from Kalamunda to Carinya Hut and back.
Expect rolling gravel fire trails, a relaxed pace, and a full group of new and experienced riders riding together - no one gets dropped. If you’ve never bikepacked before, this is your opportunity to try it, find riding buddies and get the confidence to go out by yourself.
We'll set up camp at the hut, have dinner, share a laugh, and ride back the next morning. Day one runs via Pickering Brook cafe and Core Cidery, so there is plenty of opportunity to stop, chat and have a beverage or two. Day two passes via the Karagullen Store and then Pickering Brook cafe again.
It's a modest ride, but it's still a night out in the bush on unsealed trails, a fair way from help. You need to be set up to look after yourself. Please read "Very important" below before you register.
The details
Date & time: Sat 5th Dec, 12:00pm - Sun 6th Dec, mid-late afternoon
Route type: there and back
Meet point: Kalamunda - EV charging carpark - Spring Road corner Railway Road
Ready to ride time (bike in order, gear packed): 12:30 PM
Minimum age: 18
Camping: Carinya Hut on the Munda Biddi Trail - toilet, untreated water, hut shelter, tent spots
Tent / shelter recommended. The hut is shared with other trail users, and groups are asked not to set up in huts before 6pm. Plan to sleep in your own tent or bivy.
GPS route:
Resupply points:
Day 1: Pickering Brook Store and Core Cidery
Day 2: Karagullen Store and Pickering Brook Store
Distance and elevation gain:
Day 1: 23.4km with 183m of climbing
Day 2: 24.5km with 208m of climbing
Physical difficulty: 3-4/10 (Fair) - Regular rolling terrain with sustained climbing (ascent / distance: 8-13 m/km)
Technical difficulty: 3-4/10 - Track has occasional obstacles and steep sections (e.g., maintained forest roads, mellow singletrack); suitable for beginner riders with some off-road experience
Surface: Rough gravel - Unpaved roads or paths characterized by coarse gravel, washboards, or softer sections for which >50mm (2”) tires are most suitable (some riders may prefer MTB over gravel bikes)
Minimum sustainable pace: 10 km/h including rest and regroup breaks
Very important
Registration is required. Places are limited to 8 riders and we can't take more.
You must be 18 or over.
There is no insurance of any kind for this event. Bikepacking WA holds no public liability insurance, and there is no personal accident, medical, ambulance or equipment cover. You're not covered for injury to yourself or for injury or loss you cause to someone else, and you're responsible for any ambulance, evacuation or treatment costs. Ambulance cover is strongly recommended.
The mandatory gear list is mandatory. Read "What should I bring?" in the FAQs.
We review bikes and helmets at the start - brakes, tyres, drivetrain, helmet condition and fit, lights. Please arrive with your bike in good working order.
Lights are mandatory. We're starting during the day and finishing in the dark isn't the plan, but it happens.
You must attend the safety briefing before departure. You can't start without it.
Follow the directions of the ride leaders. They're there for your safety. Behaviour that puts you or others at risk may mean we ask you to leave the ride - if that happens on the trail, we'll get you back to a safe road access, and from there you make your own way home.
Check the weather a few days out and prepare accordingly.
If this is your first overnighter, practise loading your bike with the full kit and do a shake-down ride first, so you know it all stays put.
If you can no longer come, please email us to cancel your ticket and free up a place: bikepackingwa@gmail.com
Notes
The hut gets genuinely cold at night. Bring a sleeping bag rated for it and enough warm clothing - a warm layer and a waterproof jacket are on the mandatory list for a reason.
Phone reception is very limited at the hut and patchy along the trail. In an emergency, help may be hours away. Your ride leader carries a PLB / satellite messenger.
No campfires at the hut. Stoves only, and only if there's no total fire ban.
We may change the route, shorten the ride or cancel if the weather, trail conditions or a fire restriction make it unsafe. If we do, there's no compensation for travel or gear you've already paid for in preparation for this event.
An online pre-ride briefing and Q&A session will be held a few days before the ride.
Ride leaders: Jamie, Colin and Keri
FAQs
- Can minors participate?
Unfortunately not. This event is open to riders aged 18 and over. We are not able to accept registrations from anyone under 18.
- What should I bring?
MANDATORY
Mechanically sound bike
Helmet
Lighting (front and rear lights for riding; headtorch around camp)
Navigation (bike computer or mobile phone with the route downloaded for offline use and installed to your favourite app (e.g. RideWithGPS, Komoot, Strava, etc.))
First aid kit including emergency blanket
Personal medications
Bike tool kit and spare tube
Bike pump
Riding glasses
Sleeping system (e.g. mat, sleeping bag, pillow, etc.)
Waterproof jacket
Suitable clothing for riding, sitting around camp and sleeping
Water treatment method (e.g. filter, boiling, tablets, Steripen, etc.)
Sufficient food and water for the ride (see route lengths and resupply points above)
Spare battery for electronic shifters
Essential
Shelter (e.g. tent, tarp, bivvy, etc.)
Electrolytes
Toiletries and toilet paper
Hand sanitizer
Sunscreen
Hat
Small rubbish bag (you need to carry all your trash out)
Optional
Camping stove and cookware
Insect repellentnet
Insect head net
Energy supplements
Anti-chafing cream
Battery pack(s)
- What does 'no-drop' mean?
It means we ride as a group, at the group's pace. Nobody is expected to chase a fast bunch disappearing over the horizon, and you won't be dropped for being the slowest rider on the day.
How it works on the ride
There is always someone riding last. On smaller rides that's the ride leader, who rides at the back so nobody is behind them. On bigger rides the leader is at the front and a designated sweep rides at the back.
Either way, the rules are the same:
Don't ride ahead of the front rider, or behind the last rider.
Stopping for anything - a puncture, a photo, a nature break - tell the last rider first. They'll stop with you.
We regroup at junctions, at the top of climbs and at rest stops, and we count heads each time.
If you do get separated, stop at the next junction and wait rather than pressing on. We cover the separation procedure at the departure briefing.
What no-drop doesn't mean
It isn't a guarantee that you'll never be on your own. Groups do get separated - a mechanical on a descent, a missed turn, or an incident where someone has to ride ahead for help. Depending on where we are, help can be hours away, and that's exactly why the mandatory kit list exists.
It doesn't mean any pace is fine, either. Every ride has a minimum sustainable pace on the event page. Have a look before you book, and if you're unsure, ask at the pre-ride briefing - we'd much rather talk it through than have you find out halfway up the first climb. If it's clearly beyond you on the day, we may ask you not to start.
And if you can't continue - mechanical, injury, or you've simply had enough - we'll get you to the nearest safe road access or town. From there, getting home is up to you.
So: ride at your own pace and you won't be dropped for being slow. But pack like someone who might spend an hour or two on their own, because occasionally that's how it goes.
- Are ebikes allowed?
Yes, legal ebikes are allowed. Just make sure you have enough battery capacity for the route and additional weight carried.
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