Monday, Rameka Projections, Phat Packing Klicky Expectations

Early start from Totaranui to drop H and Summer in Takaka for the bus.  Did a wee shop and then headed up Rameka valley to park for the ride up around and back in the Rameka Project. 

Before I left the car a woman came flying through, GSP in bounding tow.  "Gudday."  Climbed up the 'Historic' track, zigging and zagging up, similar to last time I was up here last year.  Chatted to a couple of local dads on their way down who'd been enjoying the view from a bench near one of the corners.  Up top of Great Expectations and up the road, around, grinding into the grovelly climb.  I stupidly took the "Start of Pack Track" signposted what I thought was most of the way up and bombed down this to the track, only to find I was miles down it, so, I proceeded to ride up it, steep as fuck, to the top (ie, the end of the Rameka-proper).  Rest and snack, then in...  funtimes!  bomb bomb bomb, sketch from rain overnight, dropping and popping down and crossing the road then up around and down, cross again and into Great Expectations,

which delivered an excellent blast, downhill forever, back and forth, around and down.  Lovely views, fun trail.  finally in the bottom and left into the Klicks, lots of fun, road for a bit and Klicks to the bottom and back to the car.  Not long after a dad and son arrived behind me, having just been up the zigs and down Odyssey and Klicks.  They must have been climbing up to Klick 1 when I was on my way down...

Funtime 13 kms and 500 meterage points

Monday Rameka Pack Expectation Klicks

Great ride yesterday with Tony, father of H's gf Holly. We parked at the bottom of Rameka valley and rode up the Historic Pack Track (one I'd only ever ridden down once before). Great climb, out the top of the Project and up the gravel road to bottom end of the Rameka proper. Into the Packtrack, me on Tony's tail for a start, thinking I might be slower on the fatty, but no.  Asked if maybe I could take the lead and then took off, hauling. Great hoon down, then over into Great Expectations for a switchback city wunder-ride. Loads of fun. At the bottom, into the Klicks for some good times and eventually back to the car.

Hot stuff, 13kms with 526m clambered

Saturday 2nd Trip Ride - Rameka

A bunch of vehicle shuffling resulted in us dropping off the boys at the cafe at the start of Canaan Rd and Nelson and me driving down to Takaka and back up, then chasing them in the Canaan Rd. They'd stopped for a while at the cafe before heading in and so were waiting (patiently) for us at the Roller Coaster and we proceeded from there. Fun downs, sucky ups, and wet as hell through the last bit tot he Harwoods Hole carpark.  Then into the climb up to the Rameka.

Quite a splecky and messy but fun trail through the forest, with the final downhills an absolute blast.  Nice break just after the rocky ledge climb near the end.  Then into the Pack Track, for a much funnerer downward blast, and over the hill into Great Expectations, which was also as fun as a fun thing on a fun day.  At the bottom of this, over the nice new bridge, and missing the Klicks, we headed up onto the road, and back up it to the top of Great Hexpectations again. Ugh what a dastardly climb that was.  Back into the top of Great Exp's, and then left into the new one, the mighty Historic Rameka Track.  It was nice.  Bit of climbing at the start, but nothing major, and once you start down it's all down, very high up, amazing views out over the valley, you seem to ride for ages and the valley is still miles below you.  Then suddenly you look out and it's looming nearer.  Great blast down, tho there's another (Odyssey) that we're yet to try.  If we'd had more legs we might have ridden it, then back up, and down this, but no.  Next time.  anyway.  ... Nice.

Anyway, a worthy 36 kms, with a mere 572 m climbed, plus the 680 or so we started from making for a whopping 1300 or so descended.