Thursday Evening Croc of Climbing

Buncha ups and downs out in Halswell tonight. In from the carpark, meandering around all the new-path-fenced-off areas, up to the trees to the start of the trails.  Straight into Download, and up C2, chuffing alllllll the way up to Siberia and over, then back down the lot, across to the right following a family of big cattle beasties and dropped into Off the Cuff, up Upper Crust, down Murph's, back up the OG Croc -v stepper than I remembered it, down Spurious, back up C2 and down Mish Mash... Shitloads of other riders around and everyone seemed to be faster than me going up. 😩

Less than 10kms and only 289 climbed (tho I calculate 360m...), which seems a bit of a rip off, considering.  I gotta ride more.

Tuesday Afternoon End of Holidaze Halswell that Ends Well

Up and down a few times in Halswell.

A couple of girls in the carpark getting ready to ride and leaving before me that I proceeded to encounter multiple times throughout the ride.  Caught them up top of the dog park and I dropped straight into Download, then climbed up C2,  Dropped into Murph's, quite enjoying the flowy descent.  Around and into Upper Crust, a much better climb in my mind than C2.

At the top of this I caught up to the girls again, and headed up the Croc ahead of them, spotting them dropping behind me as I climbed.  Straight into the Low Rd, then through the gate and a drop over through Siberia (new lines...).  Stopped at the Kennedy's gate for a bit to wait for a runner to pass so I could have a much needed leak.  Then back up the 4wd track, to the gate, whereupon the girls were coming up Low Rd.

I dropped into descending trail.  I like how all the tracks are one-way now.  Makes for a better 'less conflict' ride.  Into the Croc proper, swoopy swoopy, and then into Deviation up slightly across then back and forth and whoopdedoo down to the junction.  Dropped into Spurious for a nice couple of technical hardware features, dropping all the way down to Upper Crust.  Clambering up here again, where I encountered a young guy on a 'leckie (grrrrr, lazy f'ck'n f'ck, grrmble).

I bombed down the top half of C2, testing the new bypass down in here, then, scattering a few walkers, dropped into Mish-Mash at a cracking pace, sliding in the dust, then getting confused a little by the drop-overs near the bottom, dropped, jumped, then left, and right, I hit Upload, steep wee grunter (from the top, spotting the two girls again in the valley below), then I climbed up the steep wee grunty corners in the start of the OG Crocodile and on up to the Coopers/Spurious/Deviation junction.

Here, the young 'leckie guy rolls through into Spurious so I follow and he drops over to Upper Crust to power lazily up, while I muddled about then headed up the entrance of C2 and out down through the dog park, finding the two girls at their car.

Effectively an hour's ride, with a surprisingly peasly little 287 m climbed in a subordinate 9.7 kms...

Saturday Crock of Short and Mucky Crocs

Attempting to change my internally routed gear cable proved more difficult than previously imagined. This is no longer a simple trail-side fix.  Ended up being a right pain, but I got there in the end. I ended up strapping a torch to the downtube, shining through one of the bottle rack mount holes, then used a spoke to guide the end of the cable to the hole exit hole (below the bottom bracket).  A remedy to this problem would be to insert a full length outer, which I may well do eventually.

Due to my troubles, Nelson had detoured to mine to potentially assist, but I'd got it sorted before he arrived, so we schlepped out, convoyed across to Halswell Quarry and rode up through the dog park into the trail network.

Straight into Dowload, then up C2.  I was getting wheezy, so stopped for a puff on one of the hairpin corners, then while we were looking over the edge of the clay cliffs I managed to drop my puffer.  This required a scramble down the bank.  Back on the bikes climbing up.

Decided to drop down Murph's, which was fun, a bit rougher than it's been in the past.  Out the bottom and we headed up Upper Crust, which zigs and zags, I think nicer than C2, crossing Murphs near the top.

Back onto the Crocodile climb, taking the high road up, up, up, and finding a new line built earlier this year, that takes you off the original trail after the Deviation turn off, and zigs and zags a bit more, keeping the up for up and the down for down.  Nice!  Up into Low Road and climbing climbing, new bits here too, new fence crossing at about the water-tank, and then up the last to the top.  Siberia:  dropped over this down, trees cleared from next to this, biiig piles of swag ready for fires (we reckoned they should burn one at a time and have dance parties.  Or an even, bike race while they burn...).

Into Ange's Climb, zig and zag.  Pretty sure I swore I'd never do that again, but it wasn't so bad this time.  Over and back to the top again, ready for the descent.  Dropped into Low Road descent, usual droppy fun, gaining speed towards the new fence.  Then into the new sweepy lines back and forth across the slope towards the gate and lots of off camber corners.  Still settling in, and not really properly formed yet. 

Into the top of the Crocodile, dropping rapidly down this, crossing over and dropping down into Deviation - the start of which was dodgy as hell.  Frost damp splecky slick dirt, traction was potentially terrible, but we both spotted it and entered carefully.  Proceeded up Deviation, feeling the splecks on the back in the shady southfacing would-have-been-frosted-hard section before dropping zigs and zags towards the top of the old Croc and into the trees, where we coasted down Elegator.

Straight back into the climb of the Croc, back up to the top of Spurious, and down this, Down and Out, through the still-frosty bottomlands, Upload, back up the Croc, again, and this time at the top Nelson did Coopers Creek while I decided not to (didn't like the look of the entry drop, not that it's that bad), so I followed off down Spurious again, through the bottom and back up Upload, deciding to finish here, and head down back down to the cars to finish.

A bit uppy downy 10 kms with only 272 m climbed.

Sunday Solo Mucky Crock

Dropped H off to a birthday party and sleepover and headed to Halswell Quarry car park.

Headed up the valley and up onto C2, via the Download.  Clamber clamber up through the trees, through the cattle stop into instant cattleshit.  Avoiding the worst of it and then watching out for big cow-apples (and pancakes) on up Crocodile, ever climbing.  Top of the road, and into the Low Road, bit of mucky flat bits to avoid, bailing out to the road at the lying down squared-off lampost.  Up this last steep and over the gate into Siberia, finding a few wet puddles, but the rest of it nice.  Bombed through the bends and down the last bit to the bottom.  Decided here to try the new ziggy climb, Anne's Ascent or something, and gave up on it through sheer boredom after a few bends, bailing out to the main track and just powering up that instead of 20 times the distance going back and forth.

From the gate, headed down the singletrack, actually a really good run, until a jump that threw me off towards the bank, I just managed to pull it back under control before landing and landed awkwardly, kinda tweaking my back.  Carried on down and then into the Crock.  Stopped here for a moment, maybe a text?  Then got going again, on down, pulling up left to C2 and straight into Murph's, bombing down this, lots of fun, then tootled through the mucky bottomlands and climbed up Upload, then into the Crocodile climb, clambering up this to the top and taking the Bypass track to the bridge in the valleybottom, and left up Gorge Rd, meandering up the valley til I found a midlevel track leading back down valley.

Down this, joined into one of the switchbacks on the Crock, climbed up from here to C2 and headed Murph's again, enjoying it just as much if not more than the first.  At the mucky bottomlands again, I hung a right this time and around and up Upper Crust, which climbs from the jumps up through Murphs (near the top), topping out on C2.  Headed down this to the wee bridge, and followed (pushing bike on back wheel), a track up the valley there, to see what I would see.  Turned back from the top and rode and scooted down through the tech and long grass back to the trail.  Then I took the downhill track (Mish-Mash) that starts just there, and bombed that down into the valley again, basically at the end of Murphs.

Around the muckybottomlands again and back up C2, to the wee dh track again, down it but slightly different line out onto hairpin of C2, back onto it and out the bottom again, this time to ride out the old entrance, and back down to the car, done.

Only 11.5kms, with 323m climbed.

Wednesday Night Big Ken

Big one tonight. Firstly, I was home all day with the boys on school hols, so I rode to Nelson's work for 5 o'clock. Then we trafficjammed it across town and parked at the main gates of Halswell Quarry.  Rode up the drive and then through to the mtnbike zone, popping down Download before climbing C2 up onto the Crocodile.  I was gasping.  Felt I had no energy.  However, I was testing my new oval 30t chainring, and it performed admirably.  It felt like I was getting more drive for each pedal stroke.  This I was noticing most later once we were further up the top. So, it was a long way up.  The Low Road was wet as, so we headed up onto the main track and rolled up that, Nelson riding with some XC guy while I struggled on behind.  Through the gates and the long climbs began.  Hard. Work.  Eventually, cleaning everything, we made the top.

Hit the Summit Road around to Worsley's and up to top of Flying Nun, (debating with then ignoring the Track Closed sign - how bad could it be?).  Not that bad.  Into the Nun and the fun begun.  Bomb bomb bomb, taking it reasonably easy in case of slick, which there wasnt much of.  Bailed out at the road, and headed back up it.

Just past Worsleys turn off we headed onto the Crater Rim (/360) walkway; climbed up to the top, nice views to be had and trail in good condition.  Black sheep around, only evidence being their eyes in the dark.  Stopped for a snack then headed onwards and down.  Fun descent, with flaxes whipping faces all the way down.  Across a carpark and into a techy wee climb, rocks and a bit of steep that Nelson ploughed up and I stalled on.  Walked a bit then back on for across the top and around about and down, flowy poppy down. 

Then, opposite where you used to enter Kennedys, we continued along the crater-rim, a section neither of us had ever ridden before.  It was steeep (but I still managed to stay on top of my new gearing), and climbed for waaay higher and further than I'd have thought was possible given the terrain I didn't realise was up there.  Eventually we got to a junction.  We could have turned right - down to Kennedys; or straight ahead we chose - towards the Bellbird.  Excellent singletrack resulted, a few techs, but nice, rocky and through bush the odd step, a fair bit of speed.  Then at a rocky saddle, we could have dropped to the road just below, but we continued up, pushing bikes over rocky bits, then a bit more riding, more rocks, more riding, a good sized surprise totara, to eventually the Bellbird carpark.

Across the road, decided to try the trail back to Kennedys from here.  Down a ways and into tiiiight forest singletrack, not much room.  eventually a wrong turn and we ended up at the road, so over the fence and onto this, along a bit, and "hey, there's the track" so, onto this and along, more super tight singletrack, then more open and climbing and descending to, through a gate and over the stile, top of Kennedys.  Time for a bomb.  Seats down, suspension opened up, and away.  Super speed down, warp speed catch up.  Down, down down.  Insane speeds reached, lights the limit of visibility.  Over the stile and climbing then into the singletrack, bit of slop but mostly okay, and down to the Crock avoiding any water on the track, down into Murphs, droppy drop into there ducking and weaving, then last climb out killing me before finally down through the Quarry Reserve and back to the car...

Quite big in the end, 22 kms and 777m climbed... (oh, plus the 4.6kms from home to Nelson's work).

Wednesday Night Crock and Dile

Countdown carpark pick up and over to Halswell Quarry park, parking at Cashmere Rd entrance. Headed up and into C2, then up the new 'easy' which sidles alnng nicely thank you above the original Crocodile. Onto Crocodile just above Deviation turn off, and up this to the Low Rd.  Avoided the muck for a bit then detoured onto the main Kennedys, but got to the gate at the top which was telling us to Go No Further. There went that plan out the door (of going to the top, doing a lap of the nun and back) , so back off down Low Rd, finding it actually pretty dry, (worst wet was just above the houses where we'd already come up) and then onto Crocodile bombing down the original line all the way to C2 and hanging a right on Murphs, fun slightly techy down hill, finally rolling out into the valley bottom.

Checked out the Upload track, twisty turny up steep, then down Download, dropping through where Nelson's tire burped a bunch of air out.  Topped that up and off up C2 again, huffing and wheezing, and up the Easy again, this time wanting to check out Deviation, which we soon found closed, so we checked out Al's Alternative, down the valley onto the original Crocodile switchbacks, and then up the Gorge track back onto Al's Alternative, then across the bridge and up the 'access to Deviation', one very muddy switchback, then across and into the forest trails of old.

Down download again, and up C2 lots of lights wafting around, with an Orienteering even on.  We waited while some of them went down this track ahead of us and off down into the short black diamond track we followed, scattering them lower down.  Fun little techy down, but not that long, and ending at the bottom of Murphs.

Off round for one more climb up C2 to the top of Murphs, down this for a fun blast down and then back up the original finish of C2 and down through the dog park back to the car.  1 hour 13 of riding.

My Mapmyride did some crazy shit, so here's Nelson's track.  Around 12 kms, with 312 climbed.

Saturday Chasing Fog to Planting

Got going a little late so was 8.06 by time I got to Steve's.  He wasn't riding and the others had already headed off ahead, so I got chasing.  Steve thought they'd gone up Huntsbury, so I was chasing hard, and nearly dying as a result.  Never did catch them... cos they'd gone up Rapaki(!)

Anyway, up into the fog, total white out up top - 20 or 30m visibility, along Traverse, thinking the whole time I'll find them having a break here, or here, or here, or just up here...  nup.  Thompsons, Kiwi, ("surely they gotta be here!?"  nope).  Up the road and around the bend, thinking they musta really been haulin' ass.  Got wetter just past Worsleys so I stopped and chucked a jacket on, then rolled down to the top of Kennedys.  Asked a rider at the stile if he'd encountered a group heading down, nope.  Muddy as all get up along the top here, then slick as shit all the way down.  Stopped and scoped out the forests on the way down, man there's plenty of room in there now for secret trails...

Somewhere down here I texted Warren saying where are yas!?  only to receive that they were just at the top of Kennedys then.  Oh well...

 Bombed on down then onto the 'High Rd' and down, slippy slippy, and into the Crock, which was not so bad, and fun. 

Then into Murphs, the newby fun downhill, and then to the planting...

25kms, with 670 m gained.  My family attended the planting, so my ride finished here as I got a lift home with them.

Saturday Croc-boys

Took O and his friend Hunter to Halswell Quarry in the afternoon.  Parked and headed across the park towards the quarry, then along the driveway and up Kennedy's Bush Rd.  Hunter's first ever time on the hill, whereas this was 'old hat' to O, having ridden up here that once before.  Hunter needed some coaching in good use of gears and there was a lot to take in.  I don't think he's ever puffed as hard as he was up here either...  End of the road and over the stile, then up the HighRoad and onto the 4wd at the watertank (not realising there's a new climbing trail just up from here...  discovered this as we approached the top, another rider on his way up it...). 

Through the gate and into Siberia, me following Hunter, and Otis out the front, bombing away ahead.  Hunter did well for a start, but around the corners and on the dowhill with the roots, I saw him bounced off his pedals, landing on his seat with feet out the sides, rattling down through the root section - yowch, coming to a stop in a small cloud of dust.  He was a bit shaken, but okay, and tootled down the last bit to Otis.  Climbed our way back up the 4wd to the gate and stopped for a snack and for me to act as gate-opener for a bunch of riders up and down.

Then off down the singletrack, same order, with Otis weaving and grooving his way down, sooo much confidence, and Hunter chasing, looking to me to be a bit out of control.  I gave him a big gap then rocketshipped down after him, catching quickly, and stopping again, letting him get ahead, and doing the same again.  Followed down through the High Road trail, and he started to get scuffed up on one of the corners (caught the inside pedal), and we caught up and met Otis at the start of the Crocodile.

Through the cattlestop and waiting for a couple of climbers, and off in, same order.  Here's where Hunter struggled.  Mostly he was okay, but having never navigated hairpins before he really struggled. But it wasn't the hairpin that got him first, it was a rut on the side.  Crash.  Let a climbing rider through, then off again, and around and then scuff skid crash on the last of the hairpins - poor little guy bollocking himself this time.  Bit of a break to recover, and off again, me cringing hoping he wouldn't crash off again.  O was waiting for us down at the next cattlestop.  That next bit is quite steep and I was really worried Hunter would topple, but he didn't and managed the little climb then onwards towards C2 where O was waiting.  I joined them and got ahead, and then saw the new 'Expert' descent here, so, sent the boys down C2 and I explored the new.  Nice, steeper and fun, a few wee roll over drops and weaves back and forth in the trees all the way down to meet the main drag down next to those ponds where it heads back into the valley before heading up for the exit.  Fun.  Will be good for a few laps in future evening rides...

Waited for the boys, hearing cheers from a couple riding when Hunter did the jump at the bottom, and they joined me and we headed up the climb, around, and then down the dog fields back to the car.

Not a huge ride, and probably less than 300 climbed...  alas, I'd forgotten to MMR it.