This is a beautiful ride through soaring Otways eucalypts and the dense rainforest undergrowth is rich with bird life if you can hear it over your breathing! Two 6km sections of steady climbing are broken in the middle by a short downhill stretch which is a chance to rest your legs. Then you’re into the last 1.5 km which gets noticeably steeper, with an average 5% gradient and spots considerably more than that.