Sunday Grease Skool

Greasy spin out with Nelson today.  Up the usual from mine, road, grass, over19th trail to Skidder and up the gutser, what a grind.  Up Worm and onto the Traverse.  Not many around as we'd left mine just after 8, so the usual 9am Rapaki crowd hadn't arrived out this far yet.  Good going around this, a few puddles around after the smattering of rain we'd got overnight.  All the way to the end of Traverse, then decided further east would be skittery, so we headed back to the HuntsburyDH, with trepidation.

Skittery AF down this.  Rocks with minimal grip, we skittered and pinged our way down, skipping one or two of the jumps each.  Over the final gap and then into the continuation, grabbing the old left and sketching around this trail, then across the landing strip and into the climb over the techy wee Rock Up.  Both bailed on the final descent as grip just wasn't happening.  Decided to climb back over and drop into AliExpress and Old Skool.  A bit sketch down the first drop to cattlestop, then into the 'new' detour section, which was one big greasy sheepshit.  One dab, but trickeriness was in action.  Further down, and more sketch on slick rocks, on and on.  Somewhere we stopped and Nelson put a bit more air in his tire.

Into Old Skool, and mostly good but the odd ping from rear wheels and keeping to the lowest line possible.  Lots of fun, and a bit of adrenalin to boot.  Straight into the climb, and the grinding grunt began.  Ugh, I've GOT to get in and build a climbing trail, it's just a bit ridiculous how horrible the climb is.  Grind grind grind noticing Nelson's rear tire was a bit low under the pylons, pumped it up.  Kept grinding and over the 19th.  He wasn't behind me, but then I saw him on the road below, nursing the low tire.  He continued down the road, while I peeled off at the lower dogpark carpark do run the fun down behind the houses, to home. 

Just shy of 13kms with a commensurate 542m clambered

Wednesday Morning Recovery (for Nelson) Blat

Good spin out with Nelson still recovering from the 'vid.  Pretty much the same as my last two rides...  Up through the usuals, wee pop round over the two jumps up top then tight right into Worm for to head across the Traverse.  A few stops for breathers across to top of Huntsbury DH Fourpause.  

Good blast down this, jumpity jumping then old route down the twisting and turning tussocks back onto the Landingstrip.  Through the cattle stop onto the singletrack, then finding the Rocky route in, and managing to follow it successfully for a change.  Zig and zag up the back then a break at the top, before hopping over and down, familiarity breeding more speed for me, and blopping down to the bottom of the rocks.  

Right hander here and back up under the cabbage tree on the singletrack towards the landing strip again for the grovel climb to the top of Hunts.  Onto the Traverse again and zippity zip around this all the way back to Vic, dropping down over the cattlegrate to the top of Pedalfine and a nice fang down this, peeling off left where the log got the better of my balance.  Back going again, steep, sketchy and loose down onto the traversing 4wd track; nice roll across to skidder.  

nto the lower gums trail out to 19th, down the road, into 235 and bombity bomb down here, jumps and speed through the oak litter then turning upwards again for the last one out to the tower for the fast bomb behind the houses.

Strangely, more kms than Saturday's - 12, but less climbed - 391 m, even tho we went lower than I had then. 

Sunday, Sunny day around and back

Up from home the usual route - side track, road, 19th, skidder, evil grunter, up through Brakefree to the top of Vic.  

Quick paste around through the jumps then back up Worm and onto the Traverse.  Around here, stopping a couple times to let people through (mostly on E bikes, seemingly - lazy curs), then stopped for a rest at the top of Huntsbury DH.  

Into here, blasting down, good flow, popped first jump, somehow missed second, good over third, then excellent over last, into the new fast flow down beside the landing strip, a lot less convoluted than the older route.  Peeled right and had another rest in the landingstrip, then on up onto the ridge and into the Rocky route, cleaning the climb and the rocky over drop down to the main trail, down popped jump, pulled up on big one, rolled back up, in for a second go, and still peeled around it at last second.  Blip blop down and through, pulling out under the pylons and turning back up hill on the main drag, then up onto the grass and up onto the single track.  

Across the landing strip and down towards Old Skool, enjoying the hell out of the tech rocks, then climbing back up the 4wd, then up Huntsbury proper to the Summit.  Onto the Traverse again, nice flowy blast around this way and into Vic, jumps, seesaw, first few pumps and bumps of Brakefree then out and down rabbit into Rockgarden, Gums all the way.  Onto road, down to 235 and lovely weave down through here, hard right up to dog park microwave and blast down back-of-houses firebreak home.

A passable 13.2 kms with 458 m clambered

Tuesday Night Vic to Hunts and Back again

Good outing with Nelson tonight. 

Met at mine and headed up through Vic, usual grovel up from skidder.  Rode right to the top and took a quick turn down over the fun jumps, veering hard right above the see-saw to cut onto Worm, climbing back up to the Traverse.  Across around this all the way to top of Huntsbury for a bit of a pause and breather.  Into the descent.  Blitzy over the rocks, first jump and wind threw me randomly and my landing was on the cusp of the rut, SO close to crashing and careening off track towards the cable fence.  Somehow managed to wind it in and kept going, but my second jump landing was sketchy as fuck too.  Third jump I had it more under control and the final gap was fine.  

Down the 'landing strip' trail on the left, and through the cattlestop, up onto the first rocky knob, slow speed tussock navigations across through and up the back of the main rocky knob, picking our way onto the ridge, rocks tech good, dropping down onto the singletrack and bombing winding and wending, Nelson jumping all, me jumping some, fanging all the way to the last drop at the bottom (after navigating a random couple who didn't seem to know what getting off the track meant).  

Around onto 'our' climbing track (over the western side of the ridge) back up, tricky steeps in tussock then back up onto the single track, climbing past the rocky knob and on up the bastard gravel to the Summit Rd intersection, for a bit of a stretch.

Onto the Traverse again back the other way, Nelson losing me on the climbs but me holding my own okay on the downs.  Good rest just before the trees, then we headed down and into Pedal fine.  First couple of corners, we took an alternative line off to the left, which led us on neat corners droppy down and out onto the 'middle' 4wd(ish) track, and for a second wondering where we were.  Along this for a bit to the entrance of Rad^, but peeling off to drop across down fun steep rooty Razza's.  Popped out the bottom of this and it was back into the steep climb around up and across to the skidder.  

Over into the lower-'gum's continuance, out to 19th, and coasty coasty down the road and into 235, pinging good down here, jumps and out onto the Harry Ell exit up to Vic Park Rd and home.

A pretty steamy 14.4 kms, with what seems measly, 530 m ascended.

Thursday Morning Early Start on Empty

Up the hill in the crack of dawn, for a (on the map) U shaped there and back again.

Clamber clamber, usual route, up the road, 19th, Skidder, and grunter, Brakefree, then Worm...  The sun was just up, skimming behind and above the hills as I climbed.  Onto the Traverse into it, cruising on an empty stomach (practicing 16:8 intermittent fasting now).  Met 3 teens oncoming, then a runner, and that was pretty much it.  

Top of Fourpause/HuntsDH I paused before dropping in for a storming sesh, catching the first jump good, second jump kicked my tail up badly, then third and fourth both perfect.  On down the ridge on the singletrack, peeling across through the cattlestop (where we used to climb over) and then started explorations for the Rocky Ridge track entrance, meandering through tussocks and rocks, finding it, sorta following it then climbing on it's zig zag up the back of the knoll.  Took a pic back at Vic Park from here and one down the way I was to ride.  

Tech rocks, down this then onto the DH again, jump, not-jump, jump, cop and dog, through the cattlestop and new line, rock jump, wooden jump, back on mainline then, huh, what's this?  short cut, avoiding a couple jumps then into the curves and jumps down down, spotting a couple of climbing riders, then down finishing on the final drop.  A few people down here on their way up the main drag.  I headed over to the new climber Nelson and me are instigating, other tire treads in evidence.  Granny climb, up under pylons and then zig and zag in tussocks up onto main DH, then through c'stop and across to the farmtrack climb and up onto the main singletrack to finish up to the landingstrip and final climb, catching the slower of the two riders I'd seen before.

Into the Traverse, sun behind me, great bomb around, feeling plenty of power all the way.  Into the Vic Pines and across, jump, jump, bypass see-saw and first curves of Brake Free then out to Rabbit paddock, tight right after the cattlestop to top of Gum's Pines, dropping down 'new' line then the rest of the way the usual, carrying excellent speed all the way through.  Out the bottom, out to 19th, down road, easy going cruise coast, then into 235, bomb bomb, muck muck, climbing, right, left, behind houses final hoon, and home. 

Glorious day, 13.7 kms ridden, 495 m altituded.

Thursday Night Night Ride, Right?

Had been talking about doing Living Springs, til I remembered Dyers Pass Rd is shut at nights, which would have stymied our return...  So Nelson came up to my place anyway, and we headed up through Vic for 'the Usual'.  Climby climb, through my 19th Memorial route, into Skidder and up the shitfuckcrapgasp climb, refill water at Brakefree and on up round Worm onto the Traverse.  Good roll across here tho I was struggling entirely too much.  Annoying we both gave way to a descending E-biker, to whom I muttered under my breath but audibly, "Hmmm, e-bike, should give way to others."  Around we went and discovered the dumb-ification of the trail from the top of Lavaflow, basically Teddington Shit compacted to concrete-like surface, for the Ebikers I guess!?  

Also a re-route and new entry to what was Four Pause(forever now to be called HuntsburyDH).  Stopped for a look before heading down.  I then proceeded to eat dust.  And visibility was awkward due to said dust too.  Oh well, blast blast pop pop...  Good ride then across the lower to the cattle grate and I led into the Rocky Ridge trail, 'Rock Up', and we negotiated this with some skill and some unbalance (from me).  Bomb down, jumpity jump, avoiding the usual, and all the way to the bottom.  Then, back up the main drag of HUnts, tho, going through the gate and across onto sheep trails and back up the DH.  Stopped on the landing strip to watch for the Space Station (thought it was meant to appear at 7.27 (had that wrong - was 7.42!)).  It didn't so we climbed the road, hit the Traverse and headed around.  At the Sugarloaf place we often stop, I looked up and spotted it (7.44pm), just as it was fading...  On around, feeling a bit better, but still struggling with the dust (my eyes are red and sore today).  

Into Vic and across, just catching the gap jump (kinda almost from below), and when I landed "CRACK", feck!, my back end was locked out!  D'Oh.  Reached down and unlocked it and then from the rabbit paddock I led into the rockgarden and the gums cos Nelson was getting tired.  Bomb bomb, nice run, swooping around and through, all the way down, then onto trail below 19th, skimming through (meeting two climbing riders) then up onto walk track, and down the Tawhairanui Track, fair game at night, and across Dog Carpark into the fun twisty pylon descender, through, up, back up road briefly and down behind the houses at full noise to home.

A cracking 13.75 kms, with 491 m gained.

Saturday Batter-day, Vic Traverse Chunt Skool Vixxed

Yes. T'was a good'un.  Up from home through Vic, climbing well but still gasping for air.  Left up Worm then haul around the Traverse.  Let a fair few through.  

Chatted with a dude with a Vizler dog for ages at the top of Lavaflow.  Then I rode round and hit the Four Pause down, popping good jumps.  

Down the landingstrip section of trail and then peeled right and found my way into the Rocky Ridge route in.  Still havent quite found the entire thing, but got more this time.  Down, nearly hit the bigger jump up top, but didnt.  Then bypassed all the wooden features lower down, but ended up on the line into a big rock jump part way down.  Then finished on the final jump hit no problem, and left around up the new route we've found. 

A zig and a zag near the fence saw me still have to push the bike up the rocks i could have ridden round.  Up through the cattlestop and left across the paddock to the route we often take to the single track just below the rockyridge bit.  

Up around and over dropping down to Old Skool.  Down the steep rocky bluffy bits I came across a couple of girls looking at the big droppy descent.  I came in and baulked, it looks way more heinous than the past, big wheel eating hole n all.  The girl pointed out a side line, which I thought looked okay.  A joke or two made about how embarrassing it would be if I crashed it.  Rode it, with aplomb and they both cheered.  Onwards down I bombed swooping it down through the rocks and off camber switchies, then into the Old Skool proper, hearing the girls above as I dropped in.  Nice run through this, all the fun.  Bomb bomb, spotted someone way below, thinking I probably wouldn't catch them, bombed a bunch more around down and he pulled over for me in the lower switchbacks.  Out the finish and straight back into the climb up the valley.

Clamber clamber, dude on e bike motored past in the steepest bits.  Stopped for a change and rest and snack at Hospital Corner.  Then got riding up valley, through the gates, past the no bikes sign and the trail is tidy as, upgraded and easy.  Still steep but not struggly tech anymore.  Last bit is tho, then across the easy rolling front to the bottom of Brents (exit from Vic Park to Flow/Bridges etc).  In here, then up the skidder trail next to Brents.  Ugh, walked. Too steep.  Phonecall from dad then riding up the rest, past the 40, up up around to the skidder.  

Straight through, then down CAP this way hanging a right off that and out to 19th, down road, into funnest local, bomb swoop flow, then around, up, and fast down behind houses.  Home.  

Almost exactly 14 kms, with (surprise to me) 595 m climbed.  Not bad.

Sunday Tale of Two Ridges

Week off, basically, other than e-riding to work.  

Out for a solo today, headed up thru Vic, skidder, bastard climb, then into the Traverse, good blast round here, letting one or two people through.  

Brief stop at the top before dropping down FourPause, good tail wind, jumpy jumpsing smoothly, down the landing strip zone, and peeling off over the edge down towards Old Skool, dropping down to the spanking new cattlestop at the gate here.  Back up hill, switching left onto a well trod (possibly well ridden?) sheep trail towards the landing strip (new) cattle grate, and then into the singletrack here.  

Peeled left into the tussocks and found the zig zag up the back of  Rocky Ridge, following the tricky-to-follow line and down the rocks.  Nice flow through that.  I walked back up and took a photo of the 'armouring'.  

Onwards down the Huntsbury DH, jumping jumping (avoiding one or two), blazing all the way down to the bottom of this.  Over the stile and back up the gravel grind.  

All the way up, and onto the Traverse after a bit of a back stretch.  Good blast around this, still feeling pretty strong.  

Stopped at the edge of Vic to consider a drop down through the Upper Fenceline again (like last time) but decided against it and headed across, over the jumps, and into the see-saw.  First couple of BrakeFree jumps and left down to the Gums.  Immediately over the cattlestop I hung a right up to the top of the pine trees (where Nelson and me had walked a couple weeks ago) and dropped down the 'track' entrance past the fallen treelog.  Bombed down my favourite gums line and swooped around and about down there not popping up to the skidder, but continuing on down through out eventually to the 19th.  

Down the road, Dog Carpark, squirrelled into the 'secret' track, swoop swoop, huh! jump is under reconstruction, across, up, up road, left and down, into the narrow slow track we walk on all the time 'Charles's Track' not open enough for riding, out to the bomb track behind the houses, speed, then home. 

Mint!!! 14 and a quarter kms with half a km of vert climbed.

Thursday Night Huntsbury Castle Tors Duncan

Up hill from Nelson's, via the steep-arse alleyway (taking a call from my dad on the way).  Up the road, ever pedalling, then up the gravel, I was feeling pretty good. Up from the cattlestop to the singletrack, and headed up the rocks of the new Rock-Up (usually down) single, walking a bit, then riding over the top and down the hairpins on the backside, and back onto the singletrack.  Over the fence onto the landing strip, and across to the newly developed descending next to it, up to the jumpy Fourpause. Finishing up on the gravel top of Huntsbury.

Across Vernon, bombing down, pulling over a couple times for climbers, and then, for the first time in ages, I cleaned all of the Witch.  Along the road a bit, then up onto the single-track above the road, clambering and struggling a bit, then up the road to the Castle.

Fast bomb down this, bombing, and nearly losing it into the drainage channels on the righthand side before the first corner.  Around, and back across, balance pitching me left into the hillside this time, nearly losing balance again.  Around the next corner, down through and into the climb, cleaning it smoothly and with power.  I was getting more tired on this last descent to the Bridle. 

Back up the road, and up onto the Tors, with Nelson cleaning the entire climb from the road, most of which I walked.  Stopped for a bit of a snack in the nice sheltered spot.  Then into the down, good ride, only one dab, and not as nastly greasy as last time.  Back along above the road on the tight wee trail then over the fence, up onto the top, over the fence again, to the very top of Duncan's.  Some very fresh lambs up here, and on into the descent. I took the easy way because a little tiny lamb was following us. I thought it was a weird noise from my bike, like a squeak, then realised it was this tiny little lamb...  Down the ridge, all the fun, cleaning heaps of steeps, then over and through the lower gates, and around into the woods, dropping down our usual drops, drop, drop then out. Back along the road, getting tired now. Final climb over Centaurus and down, and back up Parklands to Nelson's.

18 and 3/4ths kms and a bonza 820m climbed

Wednesday Night Solo Hunting Castle Tor Witches

Doctor's appt after work, so I'd parked there and ridden to work.  Then hit the traffic across to Huntsbury, up to the end of the road.  Changed in the car and got riding.  A couple of guys had ridden by while I was setting up the lights etc, and so they were my target.  I gained slowly on them.  Just after I'd passed the pylon a fast dog sprinted past, leapt the cattlestop ahead, and bounded on ahead.  Caught up to the guys, turned around and bombed back down as I approached the cattlestop.  It looked confused, like it was looking for owners.  I turned right just after the 'stop and climbed the trail up to the singletrack.  Stopped for this pic...

Above the other guys briefly.  Then they were further ahead.  Ended up catching them at the top, as they turned around and rode back down.

Across onto Vernon, and between the first tech rocks I dropped the front wheel off the track and crashed.  Quite randomly, just landed on the ground.  (following day, a couple of bruises, hip and elbow).  Handlebars were crooked, so I had to adjust them, then got riding again, letting a few climbers through, had a good bomb down to Rapaki-top and through, 3 rider lights ahead of me on the Witch.  Didn't catch them, but they remained ahead of me on the road all the way up to Castle, waiting at the top when I got there.  I said my Guddays, had a wee stretch, and headed straight into The Castle. Excellent bomb down, remaining contained within the track sides even tho I nearly de-balanced a couple of times.  Fast through the rocks and onto the 1st hairpin.  Across and through then climbing quite nicely, tiring towards the top.  Out onto the road, and climbing again.

2/3rds of the way up I climbed up off the road onto the Tors track, clambering up and riding around to the usual stopping point.  Suspension and light adjustments made, off down.  Wetter in spots than last time, and the first of the techy droppy bits were pooling with quite a bit of water, which made them super sketchy.  Dropped down, cautiously, quite a bit of dabbing, but rode out the last descent well.  Strong wind across this saddle, coooollldd southerly, straight across onto the above-road singletrack, enjoying the tech but contending with the wind.  As I approached Witch, a group of 4 guys were approaching on it.  I pulled up, said my guddays, and they took off back along Witch.  I left a pretty big gap and then followed.  Caught up the last couple and passed the rear one on the rocky climb, chasing the 2nd to rear one (on a Honzo ST - nice).  On the descent, he nosed up and so nearly went over the bars.  I gave him more gap then.  

Across the Crapaki-top and climbing I tucked in between the last two of these guys, with the dude in front going nice and slow, all the way up.  Kept me in check and we chatted as we climbed.  Quite good really.  At the old line up near the top he peeled left, while I continued straight, putting on more speed and cruising out to the end.  Passed by the other two waiting and hit the Traverse, around to and then into Fourpause, excellent blast down this, jumping ALL of the jumps no problem, then on down the new next-to-the-landing-strip section, following it better this time, then over the fence and onto the final singletrack.  All the time looking for the left hander to the new Rock-Up track I'd spotted on Trailforks.  Good couple few switchback low gear climb, then up onto the rocky top ridge, barely able to follow faint bits of green spraypaint, but finding my way.  Fun descent down and back onto the singletrack, jumps, wetness up top there, then terrible wetness lower midway down, and the final corner before the last couple of jumps is blown to shit with boggy soggy shitmud.  Back to the car, before 8.

A minty fresh, poppin' 14.6 kms with 662 m climbed.