Thursday Climby Climb Climb

Nelson and me headed from mine to Sumner about 6pm and met out there a guy Tom who I'd met last weekend.  He normally rode Worsley's forest on Thursdays but was keen for a change.  So, unloaded at DotCom and 6.45ish headed up the road to Sumnervale and through the park to Das Kapitan.  Tom sat in behind, challenged by the more technical aspects of the climb, but otherwise was a strong rider.  We huffed and chuffed, and sweated up the Captain, walking the usual bits and eventually getting to the top.  Here we met another biker on his way up the Summit Rd, who said, hopefully we'll get somewhere before we lose the light...  It was just after 7 by this stage and we realised how long the shadows were looking.  Hmmm... 

Into the Godley, and Nelson neeaarly cleaned the first rocks.  I stalled then walked, and Tom walked.  Onwards, and Tom was very challenged by the technical terrain.  He has no trouble stomping up the steeps in Worsleys, but when it comes to these rocks, he was almost floundering.  Nelson soon gapped us, as I did Tom, and we regrouped at the landing strip.  Changed order for the down, with Tom taking the lead, and him and Nelson charged off ahead, with me trailing a little further back.  I think Nelson was pushing Tom and Tom had underestimated Nelson's speed capabilities, cos he was pushing him pretty hard from what I saw.  I had some sketchy front wheel slide moments, but otherwise was a flowy fun downhill to Livingsston.  I followed Tom into the climb and at the first couple of rocks he kinda stumbled, then nearly stopped in front of me on the next lot.  Here he let me by and I continued ahead and then bombed the downhill around and across and round onto the rock and down to Breeze Col. 

Into the wee climby trail above the road, around, first time up here for Tom, then around and onto the Breeze Bay track, which really impressed him.  The sun had come below the clouds here so the view up Lyttelton Harbour was spectacular as we enjoyed the bluffs and exposure and sweet sweet trail riding.  Cleaned the flax corner which is a first for a long time.  Then fast downhill back to Breeze, and into th'Anaconda. 

Fanging it round here, the two speedier speedsters gapping me a bit, then I lost my chain just after the cattlestop, so stopping to fix that they disappeared out of sight.  I had a good bomb down into Taylors then along the 'Tail (meeting an idiot climbing rider who refused to give way) and down to the fellas.  Brief chat about where to go, and off up the road, me lagging behind somewhat.  Nelson decided to drag us up the walking track with the steep zigzags, and we proceeded to ride and walk to the GodleyHead Rd again. 

Light was spectacular, under-lit clouds of a Nor'west sky (tho nice cool easterly blowing all the while), we climbed over the gate and around the road and over the gate and up the 4wd to the landing strip.  Nelson, then me, then Tom headed off along the trail back to Evans.  Light was getting lower, but was still good and the rocks were stally and bumpy, but had a good run.  Both the others had wee crashes but I flowed on down.

Finally, into the Captain.  I let Tom go ahead of me, but then was on his tail, so at the gate he stopped to put his seat down a bit more and I got in behind Nelson, eating his dust all the way down.  Excellent descent, cleaning everything, nearly even the climb, and was nearly squinting to see the light was getting so low by the time we were on the lowest reaches before the last stile. Up the cul de sac and speed down the road back to DotCom, really needing flashy lights.  9ish by the time we made the car

23kms and 837m of climb!  Quite a big ride on the scale of things...