Biiiiig day. Nelson got to mine about 7.30 or so and had a coffee then we were off. Got out to Lake Lyndon after just after 9am and hit the trail. Across the lake edge and into the the climb... What a climb. I carried from the get-go, but Nelson pushed his heaps. I pushed a bit, but then carried more. We carried for a good hour or more,
(zoom in, I'm down there pushing somewhere)
eventually riding bits of the ridge, and pushing a bit more towards the top.
(Nelsie riding the wrong way!!! overlooking the Castle Hill Basin)
Fantastic views off the top, 360 degree magnificence. Gorgeous day, no wind at 1500m, calm as calm.
(Lake Coleridge, Rakaia River, and various icefields in the distance).
Then it was into the down... Explored bits around the top a bit and found the trail, jumps, drops, weaving back and forth, steepness, looseness, sketchiness, fun, exposure... all good. Kinda not hard to lose your way, but kinda loads of options you wonder if you should have taken. We stuck to the main route all the way but where we ended up we weren't 100% sure where to go next. Took a slight wrong turn following our noses across to an exit track, but that was fine and a nice blast out. Looking back up, we could see several options we could have chosen. Oh well.
On the flat, and gravel road, back around the most of the kms back to the car.
Over 760m climbed, in less than 9 kms.
Then bikes back up on top of car, and off round the road to Broken River carpark. Straight into the Sidle73, climb puffing me up as usually, then down around to the Craigieburn Rd and up this to the Anti-Luge, clambering on up this. Nelson cleaned the whole damned thing, whereas I was so toasted I walked more than I've ever walked before. I just had nothing left in the tank for the climbing...
(me looking stuffed)
Eventually we made the saddle. Phew. What a wreck.
Into the Luge, what a trip. Awesome blast. I held onto Nelson's tail most of the way, until that seat half-ish way down, and then he just vanished. I tried to speed up but couldn't. A slight moisture on the roots kept them bloody interesting. Passed a girl, and then a guy, nearer to the bottom, and we blazed out the end and hung around til they arrived. They'd bitten off more than she could chew, and so were heading back down to their car.
We headed off up the road, a slow grind for me, but not too bad. Along above the Envt Ctr and then up around the new(ish) sidling trail climbing onto Bridge Hill and into the new Dixon's entrance.
(me looking stuff'der)
Cool.
Awesome blast down this, jumping jumpies, or not, and then I lost my chain just before the one little uphilly bit, putting a bigger gap between us. He'd stopped in the bush part for me to catch up, and from here we had an excellent run down to the finish, roosting and railing and wailing. Singletrack along the fence to the 4wd climb track, and we hopped the gate and headed back along the road to the car... Me? Toasted.
Total 13.2 kms loop, with 490 m climbed.
Grand total, 1250 m climbed for the day.
(zoom in, I'm down there pushing somewhere)
(Nelsie riding the wrong way!!! overlooking the Castle Hill Basin)
Fantastic views off the top, 360 degree magnificence. Gorgeous day, no wind at 1500m, calm as calm.
(Lake Coleridge, Rakaia River, and various icefields in the distance).
Then it was into the down... Explored bits around the top a bit and found the trail, jumps, drops, weaving back and forth, steepness, looseness, sketchiness, fun, exposure... all good. Kinda not hard to lose your way, but kinda loads of options you wonder if you should have taken. We stuck to the main route all the way but where we ended up we weren't 100% sure where to go next. Took a slight wrong turn following our noses across to an exit track, but that was fine and a nice blast out. Looking back up, we could see several options we could have chosen. Oh well.
On the flat, and gravel road, back around the most of the kms back to the car.
Over 760m climbed, in less than 9 kms.
Then bikes back up on top of car, and off round the road to Broken River carpark. Straight into the Sidle73, climb puffing me up as usually, then down around to the Craigieburn Rd and up this to the Anti-Luge, clambering on up this. Nelson cleaned the whole damned thing, whereas I was so toasted I walked more than I've ever walked before. I just had nothing left in the tank for the climbing...
(me looking stuffed)
Eventually we made the saddle. Phew. What a wreck.
Into the Luge, what a trip. Awesome blast. I held onto Nelson's tail most of the way, until that seat half-ish way down, and then he just vanished. I tried to speed up but couldn't. A slight moisture on the roots kept them bloody interesting. Passed a girl, and then a guy, nearer to the bottom, and we blazed out the end and hung around til they arrived. They'd bitten off more than she could chew, and so were heading back down to their car.
We headed off up the road, a slow grind for me, but not too bad. Along above the Envt Ctr and then up around the new(ish) sidling trail climbing onto Bridge Hill and into the new Dixon's entrance.
(me looking stuff'der)
Awesome blast down this, jumping jumpies, or not, and then I lost my chain just before the one little uphilly bit, putting a bigger gap between us. He'd stopped in the bush part for me to catch up, and from here we had an excellent run down to the finish, roosting and railing and wailing. Singletrack along the fence to the 4wd climb track, and we hopped the gate and headed back along the road to the car... Me? Toasted.
Total 13.2 kms loop, with 490 m climbed.
Grand total, 1250 m climbed for the day.
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