Saturday Morning, Climby AF megatech

Saturday morning, before the rain came, Nelsie and me met at Fosters Tce and headed up into the Urumau.  Climbing the 4wd steep pig section bumped into James and Caro, had a good old catch up and was fresher for the rest of the climb.  Then, remembered to turn on the MMR at the junction point (thereby missing 60odd? m of climb).  Up around, dropping into the usual down the steeps and yumpies, then off down Stormer for a refresher course in Urumau.  Down into Grommies, which has been smoothed and honed.  I dropped the log drop first pop this time making me smoother and quicker.  At the 'bottom' we continued on down all the way to the road, just to check out for any new lines...  Climbed back up, walking a bit here and there.  From the 'bottom' we got back into the climb with the first switchbacks tidied for easier climbing (but not so much the slightly later sections).  Around the front and up the open zigs for round two.  

Dropped down Jackosaurus this time, trying to session the rock step part way down.  No matter how much I told myself I'd be fine, I kept baulking.  Meantime, Nelson rode it like 3 or 4 times.  I ended up carrying down.  The rest of it was sweet, and we bailed out eventually into the bottom of Stormer and on down Grommies, this time trying out the new line to the right which is intimidatingly steep dropping over these solid rock slabs ("slabstacles" as coined by dude we met at top after this).  Mint!  climbed back up to the main bit and on up the climbing mode again.  Around the front and up the open, catching a couple of dudes and a young son up here, chatting and checking out a mega tech drop line over the left.  ugh, no way.  

This time, all the way from the top, down Jack ridge then into Zombie, blazing this (carefully dodging onga-onga galore).  I bailed on the jump at the bottom, and then we rode the wooden feature out and climbed out again.  

Back to the top and checked out a drop over from off the side top here.  Nelson did it a couple times and I took Sunnyside, meeting him eventually lower down.  Took a call in here from T and realised it was 12pm, so time to get rolling home.  Dropped down the overgrown steepline exit and out.

Over 500m of climbing in a little over 7kms... High climbing to distance ratio. 

Tech too, and how, Urumau.

Friday Morning, More Steep Tech

An annual leave surplus had me take the day off so ducked out for a short local. Up the usual grind of Vic Park, clamber clamber, using Worm across then back to top, down the Thomsons both, nicely nicely, then across the Dyer's and up Summit for Worsleys-top.  In the shade on the Nun climb I stopped and adjusted my seat, slid it forward and tilted it slightly more, thereby giving me much better climbing capabilities.  At the top the entrance to the Gnarly Nun looked pretty good, so I figured why not...  Metres in and I discovered nuh uh, not good, overgrown as hell, barely able to see the dirt (and therefore rocks and drops...).  A very nerve wracking descent ensued, with me cleaning everything, but awkwardly.  Finally out the bottom into the blasting fast lower Nun, bombing down and out, back across the Pass and up the road, good pace, feeling fine.  

Top of Vic, dropped down around over the jumpies, and see-saw, then back up the trail to top of Pedalfine for another go.  Dropped down this, cleaning nicely, and went to enter the one bit I missed a couple times but just couldn't bring myself to it, so detoured around and down the next section, bailing out at the climbing track, back up the steeps and over Skidder into all the singletrack.  From 19th, below the road and dropped into that new drop, down to Harry Ell where a very grumpy looking walker gave me evils for the 10 m of that track I passed him on, then climbing again, up around and back on the road.  Fanging into 235 for a good bomb, good jumps lower down, and then all the way down and out the bottom, carrying up onto the Vic Park Rd again and home.

Doubled the distance and height from yesterday, 10.7 kms, with 407 m climbed

Thursday Short Tech

Only back from Waitutu on Tuesday and a band practice last night, I needed to be a family man, so popped up the hill briefly with Nelson and we rode some trichnical goodness.  Climbed up and through and around to top of Pedalfine.  Bombed down this, skidding like mad again, and then continued on down all the way to the bottom.  One little section I didn't do in the middle.  Climbed back up through to skidder site and he was gonna meet Craig, whereas I bailed home, bombing the singletrack, road, and 235 as far as Harry Ell, and bailing out there to home, much to the pleasure of T who thought I'd gone and was grumpy.

A measly 5 kms with 214 m climbed...

Sunday MacBritten's Pleasantly Green Captain

Met Nelson at McCormack's Bay and we headed up thru the lush spring growth - amazing how much the green veg has returned to the previously scorched earth of February (first time up here since then too). A lot of breathing heavily up the steeps and zigs, but cleaning it all (bar one over steer on the upper hairpins that let him get past me), and then we got it the top on Craigieburn Place and on up Mt Pleasant Rd. Up thru the little reserve then up the road to the Britten entrance, gate kindly held open for us by one of a massive group of riders... Up, back and forth on Britten, feeling quite good and leading the whole way, a few riders coming down.  Around the front and pedal-strikey rocks to the cutting, over the fence and climbing around and up to Mt Pleasant aerials.  Riding up the 4wd road was a couple of guys, one with a blanket draped over his bars.  I had no idea what that was about.  We got up to the top and there was a cluster of a few people.  I didn't really click was was going on, but there was one very sorry looking guy and they were (I realised later) clustered around him.  As we came down through the gate we held it open for a guy who was walking 2 bikes up.  He told us the sorry looking guy had fallen, and suspected broken arm, possibly compound, elbow...  yikes.  He'd got his weight wrong, dislodged a rock and fallen a ways down.

Ride from here was (now, slightly more careful but still) a blast.  Nice descent, bombing ever bombing, through all the way and down.  Through some runners on the tussocks run (one of whom works here and said he recognised me but I was gone in a flash).  We stopped eventually a little before the Gloomy Gulch, and it was nice to have a different lookout view for a change.  Once recovered from the rapid descent, we got going, and this time was a lot fresher through the tricknical rocks at the gulch, and a good pump through before the fast rocky descent.  Nice pop off the rock drop and around cruising then accelerating through and around.  For the first time in, I think, forever, I pedalled through the first rocky up, juuust maintaining enough torque and balance to get through it no dabs!  Amazing. Helps that I'd only done it a couple days before. Finishing touches out to the road with an audience at Evans quarry overlook.

Into the Captain.  Leading again, and flowing well, all familiar from having only ridden it also 2 days before, cleaning all the usual rocks with aplomb and EVEN cleaning the techy tricky wee climb, for the first time in forever as well.  Woohoo, that's a first for many many years.  Smooth roll around to the first hairpin and straight through it to the gate (minding out for the big hidden hole on the right! immediately before).  Great riding this old section again, second time in 3 days after >10 years off.  What a blast.  Even the smells are familiar.  Nelson was rapt with it too.  Good flow through, tho they've put a couple of bits of fencepost across the top of one rocky overdrop feature, making it a definite get off.  Lower sections, flowing nicely, grass felt as if it'd grown even since Thursday night, and definitely fun riding down through the pines again and out the bottom.  The stretch behind the gabions felt like the grass had grown there too...  Finally, out the fence gap and onto the road for a smooth cruise, still with plenty of power, back to the cars.  

Good circuit, 17 and a quarter kms, with 672 m climbed.

Off to Waitutu on Tuesday, so an enforced week off the bike, walking in the bush.  Looks like it might be a bit wet.  Yay.

Thursday Night Captain Pleasant Green Captain

Surprise exit this evening. Glorious it were too.

Took a while to get going and was really tempted to just not ride, but got round to Sumnervale and riding by about 7.  Headed up, good pace, and managed to stay on top of the wheeze.  Good going pretty much all the way up, feeling strong.  Cleaned out the top, the whole time pondering where was I gonna go...??  The tops were in cloud so I thought it'd be interesting to get up in it, so, turned right and headed up the road.  Good grind up here too, steady as she went.  Plod plod plod, watching the clock, 7.43 was at the Richmond Pines, 7.59 at the top of Mt Pleasant aerials in the cloud ready to drop in.

Excellent run down through the fog, no visibility except the metres of track ahead.  

It's been buffed, looked like an Enduro had been through it, everything a bit worn, but was riding really good.  I was well down the tussocks pretty much at the ruins by the time any view came in.  Then lower, in Gloomy Gulch the light was fricking spectacular.  Total glow.  Good bomb down from here down the swoopy rocks, cleared the drop and on round, speed off to build back up back and forth, weaving up the banks down into the next valley then blast down (juuuust about cleaned the first rocky up, single dab) the last stretch to the back and forth at the end.  Nice.

Next down, Capt Thomas.  Usual fluff, nice bomb.  Cleaned everything nicely the way I always do, even the wee climb has been chipped away at and would just about be cleanable now.  Then across the face to the first hairpin, I'd heard the old route was opened up again (woman I was on a course with had done it on Tuesday) and I was interested to see how low down it went.  More than 10 years since I'd been in there.  Wasn't expecting what I found, that's for sure.  Awesome riding around the old techy rocks lines that used to be a bit of a challenge, and around the gulch and below the cliffs, through.  

(Looking back up there:

Some work's been done to make it more rideable, and boy it's good.  Further across, above the pony club, there's some big rock movements that are worked with, it's all done really well.  Swoopy flowy bombing, total joy.  Nice and narrow track, and with enough wee ups to keep you on your toes.  Further down it was IN forest, which I dont remember at all, and the walking track heads down but the bike track just keeps going around all the way to where it drops down at the end, where it always was!  Then you're down behind the gabion walls separating you from the road, only metres away, but you could be in this bucolic wilderness as you file back up valley to get out via the gap at the end of the fence against the cliff.  Then out to the road and up to the car.  

Awesomesauce.  Just about 15 kms, with just over 600 m climbed.

Saturday Arvo Local Blitz

Convoluted and interesting ride today. I was really tired and nearly didn't go but sure am glad I did... Lots of steep ups and some wicked downs.

Up road as per usual, over the 19th, up the gutser, through Brakefree and up through to top of Vic.  Popped down through the jumpies, flying both nicely, then peeled around over the See Saw.  Here, I hung a right across the fenceline up to the end, over the fence and I was at the top of Pedalfine.  Straight into this, rolling nicely, but then just couldnt seem to control my rear-wheel lock-up.  Kept skidding, sliding, which was weird (- rear tire so worn by the quartz of Paparoa?)  Anywho, it baulked me a bit, but I got a handle on it and managed to ride the rocky steepness that tricked me out last time.  Definitely a new go-to, methinks.  Next: to explore the rest of it!  At the Nats Traverse line I went left (as per last time) and climbed up to the inbetweener (between Dazza's and Rad^sick).  Dropped and popped down this, enjoying the steepness and techness, then into Rad for a baulk on the jump and out across to Sneaky Ridge.  Good blop down this, rolling around and through, jumping onto NewBridges, taking this all the way out and down the bottom.  Hit up the Hidden Valley Bowenvale Bonus link track clambering on up and around finally having a rest at the high point where the mmr photos were taken.  

Time for the descent.  Bomb bomb, gravity adding speed to my roll, cruising around feeling good on all the fun bits.  Blippidy blip, cruising good, popping and weaving my away to the bottom, and straight back into the climb.  Grind grind up the valley, then up K2, ugh, gasping for air and having a break a the usual spot before continuing around Pono's sidling climb to the 23ftr.  Here, I followed up the fenceline for an explore, eventually walking, and then carrying the bike up the steep hill.  I heard voices and glimpsed a rider over on a piece of hill there shouldn't have been a track on so I left my bike and sidled across the slope to there to check it out.  I didn't find an unknown track leading down from above, but one used for pushing up to the top of a vertical red-rock-volcanic face with a catch berm at the bottom of that people have been riding...  Far. Out!.  Wandered back to my bike and carried a bit more before the final narrow push to the gate (No mtbs beyond this point) and rode my way up the access/4wd track that led to the skidder site.  

From here, back up over the 19th, dropping down to the road, then around this coasting coasting down to the 235 trail, blasting into this and having a great roll out and through, jumping the jumps (first landing dry enough again) and all the way out to the bottom of all the new trail onto Harry Ell, onto the road and rolling this down to the wee corner park, up through the lamp-post gap and back up the road and drive to home.

9.8 kms with just under 450m climbed.

Tuesday Night Across the Tops and Back Again

Keep on pushin' on.  Out on my own tonight; only chance this week.  On the Rocky, headed up through Vic the usual route, pushing quite hard, and overtaking a group of 4 on the road (who, granted, were taking it pretty easy), then up through the usual grunter and around onto Worm leading me to the Traverse.  Good push across here with quite a few tail-winds helping me along.  Clambered up onto Vernon and had a nice blast around and down to Rapaki-top, feeling smooth and flowy.  Popped across here and straight into the Witch, cleaning all the way around to where I stopped to have my first break and a small snack I hadn't realised I needed.  Interestingly, the Summit Rd Society has bulldozed some tracks into that Avoca Valley block, scarring the land big-time.  I wonder what their intentions for those are?

On the road now, climbing around up to top of the Castle, passing a group of youth out walking, just before the top.  Dropped in and flowingly bombed it all the way, warp-speed in the lower reaches before the first hairpin.  Around this and picking up speed again, then easing off after the next corner on the last bit before the climb, which proved quite jolly.  Over and down to the Bridle Saddle, and back into the climbing, back up the road towards the Tors.

The youth walkers were climbing up onto the peak above Castle and Tors track as I climbed, and were in residence as I pushed then rode up to the track.  There were also a group of 3 Gravellers (one on a Krampus) at the Castletop donning jackets for their ensuing descent (of the road!).  I had a bit of a stretch, then into the groove of the Tors track, clipping the odd pedal in the tussockzone but flowing better down into the rocktech.  ONE spot got me this time.  I've gotten over all the older baulkers, but cant seem to get my head around this last one.  Good bomb down the last rocks as an E-biker cruised under me on the road...  Across onto the wee-singletrack-above-the-road.  Chucked on my jacket (which I'd had strapped to the frame), the breeze just getting a tad too chilly.  Got riding and had a nice tool around this tight wee trail.  Across onto Witch, still climbing really strongly, and feeling good.  A breather at the high point then another fun blast around and down to the Rapaki. 

Straight through and into Vernon singletrack climb, pushing, ever pushing and managing to hold onto the pace.  Up around, blitzy blitz down the last and then dropped the (newish) rock gappy drop thing down for the first time.  Kinda clipped the pedals, so need to pop more air next time...  Around the Traverse, rolling nicely on the downs and still with the power on the climbs; feeling surprisingly good.  Into Vic top and all the jumps, then See Saw, first section BrakeFree and out, down Rabbit into Rocks, Gums, flowy flowy bomb bomb bomb all the way out to 19th, then below the road, this time all the way down to try out that drop-off and down a couple of wee guts to the Harry Ell, then climbed back up to the road on the Corner where Tawhairanui starts, still coping well with the climbing!  Coasty coast down the seal to Dogpark Carpark and straight in - under the tree, then one of my fastest down here.  Wetspots still greasy, especially the Oaks.  Across into the last bit, then took the walking track exit out to VicParkDrive and final bomb home.

Just shy of 20 kms, and over 750 climbed...  Not Bad At All.