Thursday night Worsley's Nun Worsleys

Out and about so made my way to Nelson's work and awaited his return.  We negotiated traffic in both our cars to Worsley Rd and parked by the poplars on the flat.  5.45 by the time we got rolling, up the damned hill, chuffing and puffing, him powering away from my gasping self.  Rode up Fluffy Sheep and then on up the new 'singletrack' mowed in above the road.  Above here we were passed by a heap of bikes on cars and arrived at the carpark to see shitloads of #enduro groms.  Straight through the gate to the right and on up that singletrack, climbing ever climbing, gasping for air and chuffing.  Nelson disappearing as usual, and me plodding away, legs burning.  Caught up to him chatting to some blokes, and we rolled on ahead on and up.  Where the exit climb out of the bottom of Braille turns up we caught some girls who'd come up from there, and a dude.  We both overtook the girls and the dude followed on my tail all the rest of the way up to the main track.  Chatted a bit with him here, and then we all headed up the BodyBag.  Puke making, kinda.  Got nearly all the way up there, but me and the new dude walked the top section. 

Then, up into the Nun.  We were gonna show him the corner where the link from Nun to Goat peels off, so he followed us down.  Nelson set a searing pace.  We followed and our new friend sat on my tail.  I pointed out the corner then said "you wanna pass me?" but he was okay.  Then, before we got to the carpark exit he'd backed right off, with a flat we found later.  On down the lower Nun we were flying, first time down here for me since September.  Burning forearms and hands and feet and calves at the bottom. 

Back up the road where we met our new friend finishing off fixing his flat, then the three of us headed up the old 4wd track that bisects the Nun, grunting up the climb, to the corner where Ghost track cuts out.  Ice Cream container lid for a sign post.  Over the fence and a little riding then climbing over logs, then walking and then a bit more riding and a couple dabs and walks and more riding out to Throw the Goat.  Nice.  Our friend was planning on heading the other way from here so we said catchyalater and headed off down the Goat.  Nice descent, dusty as hell.  Jumped the first log no worries, and rolled on down, then second log, pulled up.  Nelson went back up a bit and rolled/jumped it while I watched.  Then we poked our noses down Yoda.  Nelson decided he could ride it, and did.  I scrambled down, struggling to get the bike down, but then rode lower sections no problem at all.  Got to a sign Chutes'n'Ladders, and off to the right Raiders of the Lost Rockface.  Bloody Hell!  Vertical rockface, we walked down to look, no way.  Chutes was almost but not quite rideable for me.  Nelson struggled too.  But the lower section was fine, and wham, we were at the bottom of all the trails - goat, t2, alice's, fightclub etc... 

Climbed out of here and headed up the guts, ugh, but I cleaned it all nicely and survived and we met again on the cliff top.  From here we headed down old Waynes World line, jumping to an audience with much whooping, then cut across to the old line into Fight Club and then fanged it down here, awesome blast down.  Back up the exit climb and then across the main track and into the trees for the jumpy trail.  Nelson showed off how he does all these gap jumps now and I popped a couple of the easier ones.  Then he showed me how the fence gap is done, and I rolled in several times and nearly did it but bailed each time getting the fear more and more each time.  I'll do it one day.  Down the rest, jumping many, nearly taking out a clusterfuck of groms in the lower section, then out onto the descent track we'd climbed up to start with.  Then up for Epitaph for a final blast down to the carpark.  Caught up with our friend here and actually introduced ourselves, Quetty, or something, was his name. 

Down the road, over 50kph, and onto the 'singletrack' then down to the Farside trails, choosing 1 Trick Lucy (second left) for a change.  It's changed slightly, but is still tight as anything in the trees lower down.  Madcore.  Then out and down the road back to the cars.

18 kms, over 700m alt.  followed by yummy burger and beer at burgers'n'beers...

Early Saturday morning Worsley steeps

Left home a bit before 7 and parked up top of Worsley, no other cars in sight, with Jet, headed off pretty much dead on 7, up the main drag and into the forest to ride up the Guts.  Chuff chuff chuff up here, climbing into mist and low cloud.  Up top of the Original B-Line trees were even dripping.  Up the bonus climb to the very top and off down Throw The Goat (aka Hangloose aka Goat).  Just as I was re-entering the trees after the cleared gap, I noticed a trail coming in from the right.  It piqued my interest and so I headed up it.  Followed and rode much of it, but it's obviously in the early stages of development.  Little bit of descending, little bit of climbing and then through a fence and some BIG fallen trees to clamber over, left my bike here and walked the rest of the newly cleared bush, to pop out on one of the corners on Flying Nun.  Right where I'd always thought it'd be great to have a linking trail from.  Nice.  Headed back to Goat and we continued our merry way down.  Cleared the first log jump, not baulking like last time, and rolled on down the hill.  At the second log I rolled right up it but stopped at top and examined.  It's got a gap you wouldn't want to fail, but the drop to the transition is small, so with any speed I think it'd be fine.  Rolled around and on down.  Then rode the beginning of Yoda and had a look down the filter.  wooooo...  Nup.  not today (maybe not ever).  Found an old line back to the main descent and fanged on downwards.  When it met Tommy2's I took that rather than continuing on Goat cos it's less intimidating and I'm used to it.  Rambled out the bottom and onto the exit track.

Up the access to the Junction, and back up the Guts.  Slowly catching up to a couple of very old walking ladies; me sounding like a steam train.  On up, wondering what to do next.  Via the clifftop this time, trundled all the back up to the top, again, and went up the bonus climb, again, and stopped at the top of the 'new' entrance (made by Nick) down to Debbie's.  First time not walking down this and it was MINT.  REally cool descent, steep and sweet.  Joins the old Debbies just where you ride over a log, then across the open, and into the dark trees - past the ruins and into the really dark fir forest, ball-bearing cones, and then on down parallel to Moose Knuckle and around to the right, down into Alice's Restaurant.  Across this, all good, and then was really close to succeeding the stuff I never ride, but didn't quite.  Cleaned the first really steep bit, but then had to get off next to the big rock wall walked the couple of corners next to it.  Back on, and rode out the rest of it, all good, and lots of fun.

Up the access again and left up the Guts for the 3rd and final time.  This time only going as far as Fight Club, and bombing down here and blasting through to the bottom no problem.  Stopped and walked back up a little to check out the jumps down here, but still didn't have a go on the one I was hoping to, but did the next one and rolled on out.

Final trip up the exit and then just hung a right and off down the oldskool descent to the end, then across the way and into Epitaph for the final jaunt to the car for 9am.  Happy Jet showing off his drinking-from-my-camelbak skills to the chick in the car parked behind mine.  She laughed.  As I departed, half of Chch's mtnbiking community seemed to be arriving.  Good timing!

10 and a half kms, 574 m climbed...