In Nelson for the week, so met Ian and Leigh (Lee? Leah?) on the Cathedral steps at 8.50am and we headed for the hills. Usual route through town up the Brook to Codgers and up the main drag to Tantragee, turning out to be a bit of a scorcher... Easy, but good pace all the way, then up Fringed Hill. Hot, baking sun, pounding down on us; no shade round here. A good grind, grovelling away in granny, but chatting most of the time except for the few grunts. Shade in one valley, rest and water, then onwards to the top. Walked the steep approach to the communication towers and sat for well earned feed and rest at the very top of 793m.
Off into Black Diamond Ridge. Short riding section then steep climb, ride, steep climb up to 839m and then a good descent with a few wee walky up sections thrown in for good measure down to 732, then a last climb up to the 812 intersection. Another rest here then into Sunshine Ridge... Hooo. Roots, roots, roots, drops and more roots. I walked once or twice. Was a lot longer than I remembered and was goooood. Rib was holding together, but getting pretty sore the further down we went. All the braking and twisting and controlling was flexing it something wicked. I'ma be sore for a few days from this I think. Many many features down this ridge, with roots being the predominant one. So many roots!
Finally we made it to the top of Peaking Ridge, must be on about the 670m point. Waaaay better signposted to the first time I ever rode it (possibly this one?)... Off down here with the steepest bit about to hit. Of course Ian just flew down it - I got a little way down it then bailed and walked, as did Leigh. From here tho, it was all pretty good. One or two sections walked but mostly a good roll. Lower down I was getting pretty peaked, looking foward to the bottom. Once section in the manuka which I'm sure I've ridden in the past just looked too much, so walked that and we watched as Leigh psyched herself and then cleaned it down. Great blast from here down to the finish, hot and dry in the manuka. 3.5 hours to this point.
Off down the Maitai, staying on the singletrack alongside the pipeline and then leaping into the bottom of the 629 trail to the road. Down the road, gravel becoming seal and then down and down til past Sharlands Rd, found my family having a picnic on the Maitai, 4hrs riding done.. Said seeya's to Ian and Leah and joined the family and coooooled off in the river.
Showing posts with label PeakingRidge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PeakingRidge. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 07, 2015
Monday, February 28, 2011
post Quake Monday 629 to Peaking
Staying in Nelson with family as refugees of the 6.3 quake that's basically bollocksed Christchurch for good.
Hooked up with Ian(Iain?) via a Peaking Ridge thread on Vorb, and we trundled up the Maitai in his wagon, parking up before the locked gate below the dam. rode under the gate and up to the bridge, over the river and up onto the benched trail, round to Bob Taylor Rd. Steady steep up up up, a breather at the hives with a bit of a look over to the dam, then on up steeper still to a left onto a narrower track that led round (and up) through the pines to "the fire break"...
think of your steepest trail. think of it times three (or four). i managed a good portion of the first steep, then we walked a whole heap more of it. it was steep, making the Body Bag look like a pissant walk in the park. up up up we went, to a top, followed by a nice quick blast down then up a last bit to the top top. had a nice breather on a board seat with lots of wasps and two options at our fingertips - the 629 proper, which Ian had warned me (priorly via txt) required armour and fullface, or our option, a ridge track up to the end of Sunshine and the top of Peaking.
Started off pretty cool, straight into the wicked single rooty rocky goodness that this area is so renowned for with all that windthrow from the 2008 big blow. started out with the wickedest steepest little mother. very cool. juuust on the verge of what i'm comfortable with cleaning. cleaned it - sweet. then across the ridge up up up we went, walking some, but riding heaps. sometimes windthrow sometimes nice bush.
at the top of Peaking Ridge we headed down. this too starts off with a steep ass chute, rutty and rooty and off camber. i bailed part way in and walked, whereas Ian had cleaned it. from there tho, all was mostly rideable. a mint trail, so much fun and such a long downhill. we stopped probably 2/3rds the way down for a bit of a break, and then hit up the last third, into the manuka and more descending, twisty, tight, rooty excellence.
much enjoyed. hit the bottom before i was expecting it, and then we swooped back down past the bottom of Bob Taylor and on back to the vehicle. all in all, nearly 3 hours out. choice.!
Hooked up with Ian(Iain?) via a Peaking Ridge thread on Vorb, and we trundled up the Maitai in his wagon, parking up before the locked gate below the dam. rode under the gate and up to the bridge, over the river and up onto the benched trail, round to Bob Taylor Rd. Steady steep up up up, a breather at the hives with a bit of a look over to the dam, then on up steeper still to a left onto a narrower track that led round (and up) through the pines to "the fire break"...
think of your steepest trail. think of it times three (or four). i managed a good portion of the first steep, then we walked a whole heap more of it. it was steep, making the Body Bag look like a pissant walk in the park. up up up we went, to a top, followed by a nice quick blast down then up a last bit to the top top. had a nice breather on a board seat with lots of wasps and two options at our fingertips - the 629 proper, which Ian had warned me (priorly via txt) required armour and fullface, or our option, a ridge track up to the end of Sunshine and the top of Peaking.
Started off pretty cool, straight into the wicked single rooty rocky goodness that this area is so renowned for with all that windthrow from the 2008 big blow. started out with the wickedest steepest little mother. very cool. juuust on the verge of what i'm comfortable with cleaning. cleaned it - sweet. then across the ridge up up up we went, walking some, but riding heaps. sometimes windthrow sometimes nice bush.
at the top of Peaking Ridge we headed down. this too starts off with a steep ass chute, rutty and rooty and off camber. i bailed part way in and walked, whereas Ian had cleaned it. from there tho, all was mostly rideable. a mint trail, so much fun and such a long downhill. we stopped probably 2/3rds the way down for a bit of a break, and then hit up the last third, into the manuka and more descending, twisty, tight, rooty excellence.
much enjoyed. hit the bottom before i was expecting it, and then we swooped back down past the bottom of Bob Taylor and on back to the vehicle. all in all, nearly 3 hours out. choice.!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Peaky.
I'm on Holiday!!!!!
Today, headed out 1.30-2ish, rode up Codgers to Tantragee and a guy had just come down off Fringe Hill, said its shut cos of the logging (that i could see up on the old devils tail). so, headed round Dun Mtn Walkway. good jaunt up there, probably an hour? less?? the wind damage from last year is madcore, whole faces next to ridges just clearfelled. mental. right pedal wouldnt clip in, had a look and it was bent, and the bolt/screw thingy that holds the whole spring set up for one half of the pedal was out. worked on it for 15 mins or so and just couldnt get it in, so tightened it up as best i could.
had a rest at 3rd House and then tackled the walk up through the decimation to windy ridge... probably 20mins carrying the bike. really messed up in there. then up the ridge a brief distance and whoopee, down Peaking Ridge (see here for last year's)(a year to the day, nearly!).
Absolutely more insane than i remember it. the new 'built' bits are few and far between, the rest is still just as rooty and crazy as before, except that there's huge expanses of it, maybe 40%, that have been windfelled. excellent work by the trail pixies who've been in and re-cleared it... a little way down i spotted my pedal wasnt looking so happy, so i took all the bits off and only had one half to clip into. so, even with that, no real tight moments, quite a bit more walking than last year, cos of the fact that it must have rained in the last 24 hours and the roots were a fair bit slippier than the dry trip down i had last year. the last section especially, i thought i remembered cleaning it all, but this time i bailed on quite a few of the steeper sections... had to keep myself safe, right?
anyway, got to bottom, Maitai River, and stayed on the side i was on (vs switching over cos of track work last time), and nice wee ride down benched singletrack to a bridge, then onto the gravel road alllllllll the way down the Maitai.
When the seal started, i popped over the river, and headed up Tantragee to the top and then down Codgers. back at Flamedaisy at 5.30ish.
Loads of bikers in town, cos Nationals are on this weekend, and a cyclone is about to hit. got this ride in today cos forecast looks like a LOT of rain... wet racers... the track was around Codgers, lots of tape around there.
Today, headed out 1.30-2ish, rode up Codgers to Tantragee and a guy had just come down off Fringe Hill, said its shut cos of the logging (that i could see up on the old devils tail). so, headed round Dun Mtn Walkway. good jaunt up there, probably an hour? less?? the wind damage from last year is madcore, whole faces next to ridges just clearfelled. mental. right pedal wouldnt clip in, had a look and it was bent, and the bolt/screw thingy that holds the whole spring set up for one half of the pedal was out. worked on it for 15 mins or so and just couldnt get it in, so tightened it up as best i could.
had a rest at 3rd House and then tackled the walk up through the decimation to windy ridge... probably 20mins carrying the bike. really messed up in there. then up the ridge a brief distance and whoopee, down Peaking Ridge (see here for last year's)(a year to the day, nearly!).
Absolutely more insane than i remember it. the new 'built' bits are few and far between, the rest is still just as rooty and crazy as before, except that there's huge expanses of it, maybe 40%, that have been windfelled. excellent work by the trail pixies who've been in and re-cleared it... a little way down i spotted my pedal wasnt looking so happy, so i took all the bits off and only had one half to clip into. so, even with that, no real tight moments, quite a bit more walking than last year, cos of the fact that it must have rained in the last 24 hours and the roots were a fair bit slippier than the dry trip down i had last year. the last section especially, i thought i remembered cleaning it all, but this time i bailed on quite a few of the steeper sections... had to keep myself safe, right?
anyway, got to bottom, Maitai River, and stayed on the side i was on (vs switching over cos of track work last time), and nice wee ride down benched singletrack to a bridge, then onto the gravel road alllllllll the way down the Maitai.
When the seal started, i popped over the river, and headed up Tantragee to the top and then down Codgers. back at Flamedaisy at 5.30ish.
Loads of bikers in town, cos Nationals are on this weekend, and a cyclone is about to hit. got this ride in today cos forecast looks like a LOT of rain... wet racers... the track was around Codgers, lots of tape around there.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Dun to 3rd to Peaking Ridge 28th Feb.
(part of family holiday roadtrip).
rode from flat in Nayland, Rail trail to Bishopdale, then down into town. popped into bikeshop for a Peak Fuel and yak about trails. headed up Brook again, this time, up Codgers to tantragee saddle then on up Dun Mountain track to 3rd House. relatively long ride up there, you really feel isolated til you catch up some walkers. also there was a woman at the 3rd House hut. anyway, from there, headed up towards the singletrack that comes off the back of Fringed Hill, walking about 20 mins, then at the intersection, heading towards Maitai Caves... downhill began. rooty. techy, tricky. following a ridge mainly, all in deep dark beech forest, would be treacherous in the wet. avoiding two turn offs to the Caves, a couple of small ups, little bit of walking, then the helmet visor nailed to the tree, Peaking Ridge trail begins, hang a hard right, and its instantly full on steepest you can handle without going over the bars, gnarley, rooty, steep down down down, then finally starts to mellow off, leaping roots galore, avoiding trees. it just never ended. feet, legs, wrists, hands, all getting worn out braking. was fantastic. near the bottom, there was more manuka, it opened up a bit, pretty hot and dry. amazingly long descent. i'd say from the turn top / crossroads at least 45 mins and about 400m alt. the peaking ridge trail itself felt like half an hour... then down a 4wd track to the river. there were workers working on the walking track you'd normally take down to a bridge, so they suggested i just ford the maitai there and head on down. ended up coming out below the dam, then on down the gravel then sealed road, then over the a bridge onto the maitai walking/bike track all the way into town. brilliant ride, all up about 3.5 to 4 hours.
rode from flat in Nayland, Rail trail to Bishopdale, then down into town. popped into bikeshop for a Peak Fuel and yak about trails. headed up Brook again, this time, up Codgers to tantragee saddle then on up Dun Mountain track to 3rd House. relatively long ride up there, you really feel isolated til you catch up some walkers. also there was a woman at the 3rd House hut. anyway, from there, headed up towards the singletrack that comes off the back of Fringed Hill, walking about 20 mins, then at the intersection, heading towards Maitai Caves... downhill began. rooty. techy, tricky. following a ridge mainly, all in deep dark beech forest, would be treacherous in the wet. avoiding two turn offs to the Caves, a couple of small ups, little bit of walking, then the helmet visor nailed to the tree, Peaking Ridge trail begins, hang a hard right, and its instantly full on steepest you can handle without going over the bars, gnarley, rooty, steep down down down, then finally starts to mellow off, leaping roots galore, avoiding trees. it just never ended. feet, legs, wrists, hands, all getting worn out braking. was fantastic. near the bottom, there was more manuka, it opened up a bit, pretty hot and dry. amazingly long descent. i'd say from the turn top / crossroads at least 45 mins and about 400m alt. the peaking ridge trail itself felt like half an hour... then down a 4wd track to the river. there were workers working on the walking track you'd normally take down to a bridge, so they suggested i just ford the maitai there and head on down. ended up coming out below the dam, then on down the gravel then sealed road, then over the a bridge onto the maitai walking/bike track all the way into town. brilliant ride, all up about 3.5 to 4 hours.
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