Tumut to Canberra via Wee Jasper

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Update: December 2023
If travelling Friday, Saturday or Sunday, the excellent Wee Jasper Distillery is an option for a stop – actually you’d be crazy to miss it.

So, you’ve made it to Tumut. Well done! Not quite fancying that return climb from Brindabella to Piccadilly Circus? I don’t blame you. Whilst the climb from Tumut and then descent to Brindabella is not easy, it is the climb up from Brindabella that is quite steep and challenging. With this in mind, you may want to consider the longer, but less steep, return via Wee Jasper.

Leaving Tumut

After crossing the river leaving Tumut, there is a short flat ride past the airport before the climb starts. Marked for a roadies KOM of 2.7km, this scenic climb offers great views – particularly around sunrise.

At the top of the climb, the gravel starts, and the road between here and Billapaloola Road is in really good condition. Undulating between farms and with infrequent traffic, the route provides some tremendous scenery as well as modestly sloped climbs. Overall this provides something quite different to the pine forests passed on Brindabella Road.

Billapaloola Road to Wee Jasper

After the short dog leg at Billapaloola Road, there are a number of parts of the road that are sealed – adding to the safety of the descents and the speed at which it is possible to travel. Having said that, the gravel remains in good condition most of the way to Wee Jasper.

Final climbing heading towards Wee Jasper

The final climbs return to forest, offering shade on a warmer day before the descent. Overall the descent is on a narrower road, with tight turns and occasional rutting from water run off. None of this is particularly challenging unless you are seeking to set a speed record. Multiple trips on this road confirm it is regularly graded.

Soon, the road widens again with views through the valley, followed by some further switchbacks as you make the final part of the trip to Wee Jasper. This final 5km or so is well graded but does have a lot of loose rock after grading – so taking a little caution is worthwhile.

Wee Jasper to Canberra

Being the adventurous type, I decided to try a return that included Sawyers Gully Road, instead of simply staying on the sealed Wee Jasper Road to connect with Mountain Creek Road. On the plus side, this route offers some epic views, with great descents. The gravel road is also ok most of the way, but in some parts is loose with very washed out culverts.

Sawyers Gully Road does have great views

The trouble with this route is the climb towards the end of the road. It is well over 10% gradient and very loose – making a safe ascent very difficult. This meant that for some parts my cycling partner and I walked – not something you really want to do having travelled 95km. If travelling in the opposite direction this hill could also be quite treacherous to descend. Overall, if riding to/from Tumut again, I now choose to skip Sawyers Gully Road and stick to the tarmac.

Having reconnected with Mountain Creek Road, the route is quite smooth with light traffic. The only real downside is the three sisters ascent from Uriarra Crossing!

Via Brindabella or via Wee Jasper?

So, when considering a trip, which route to Tumut should you take? My recommendation is that you consider at least one of each. Having said that, here are the pros and cons of each:

Traffic. Both routes have limited traffic, but probably the most is on the Brindabella route. Between Canberra and Wee Jasper there is farm and commuter traffic, but this very modest and the road is sealed. Frankly the most traffic on the Wee Jasper route is sheep and cattle on the road. The most challenging part with vehicles is between Uriarra and Brindabella as this is often 4WDs that create a lot of dust. It is also not fun to have traffic pass on the bluestone gravel near Micalong State Forest as this can force you into the dodgier tracks.

Sheep and cattle on road (this time heading towards Tumut)

Climbing. In total metres, there is limited difference between the two routes. The climbing/descending is steeper via Brindabella, particularly between Piccadilly and Brindabella. Having said that, the long fast descent into Tumut when coming via Brindabella is sealed and very enjoyable. Overall the climbing is gentler on the Wee Jasper route, and does not climb as high – avoiding the winter closures that can arise via Brindabella.
Road surface. I strongly dislike the bluestone gravel on Brindabella Road around Micalong State Forest. It is not so bad when ascending from Tumut, but on the descent makes for slow and cautious travel.
Scenery. Both are nice. More farmland via Wee Jasper, bush and pine forest via Brindabella.
Distance. It is much shorter to go via Brindabella – the extra distance of Wee Jasper means that the ride doesn’t take less time even though the climbing is less significant.
Water. The Brindabella route lacks a decent stop (ie a cafe!), although there is the Goodradigbee River where it is reliably possible to obtain good water for filtering. Wee Jasper does have potable water at the reserves if the Distillery is closed.