Thursday Night Narrow Tech

Met Nelson in Taylor's and we headed up the Escape... 

Nice cruise up the valley bottom, and stopped a the first rock feature where Nelson proceeded to move and manhandle a bunch of rocks in an attempt at making 'a line' over a nice boulder.  I wasn't game enough to tackle it, the envisaging of a nasty tumble getting the better of me, but he cleaned it a couple times.  From here the climb got steeper and steeper, and quite nasty.  Then up in the head of the valley it strikes out across the slope, and needs some digging, big time.  

Off camberness clipping the uphill pedal something wicked, and grip?  Meh.  Kinda good grip, teeth of the tires digging in on the sides.  Will be good once it's dug, but right now is rather tech-knuckle.  A right, a left around the head then up onto the side, getting easier as you climb a couple zig zags, then a lonnng sidle climb til you're waaay above the car park and settlement, then a bunch of zig zags and another long run back up to the road.

Rode the road to Livingston, then decided on the walk track around the back overlooking the harbour.  Never noticed the exposure along here so much.  hmmm...  but great ride, and climb, I even cleaned to higher than I have in the past.  Up over then over the stile and the fun stepped descent ensued, blasting down to Breeze Col, across the tech slower rocks up to the Breeze Bay track all the while on the harbour side of the fence.  Climbed around Breeze Bay, lovely track this, and stopped at the Observation Battery No 1 for to film some jumps committed by Nelson.  (have footage on my phone).

Around the skinny run back towards Breeze Col above the road, quite fun in this direction, with a good blast to finish, then it was up the road back towards the new Anaconda entrance, bypassing this and bombing down the road to the Taylor's Escape entrance.  

Into the descent, lonnnng sidling, when into the wind I was eyes-full of dust, but back up valley was better with the wind behind.  Nice run in this direction.  The off camber gave me the willies, where I wasn't all-trusting of the grip my tires were actually perfectly capable of providing.  Nelson had no trouble at all, and even cleaned some rather tricky tech in the head of the valley.  I had the willies, but managed to stay aboard and the blast down valley to the rockfeature was damned good.  Nelson cleaned over this, but I held back, and then we blitzed back onwards down to the cars.  Good blast.  

An exuberant 11.2 kms, with 354 m ascended.

Saturday Morning Heated Steeps

Nelson, O and me left our place and headed up Vic Park Drive, O powering off and causing Nelson to comment as to what a hurry he seemed to be in.  We went up to the main park area and dropped down the old access route to the top of Loess Rider etc. Across the road and O dropped over the normal entrance, whereas N and me took the new way straight off the road into Capt Cooker, dropping down the rocks and around, finding O waiting at the Karma/Shred/Loess start.  

I led off down Loess and at the first corner, pulled up and peeled off the trail.  O continued on down while Nelsie and me explored this new (to us) access trail across towards the 35s...  Several options off the left of it, and maybe 2/3rds along there's this massive rock wall with a route down it, leading into a jump and a berm and off down.  Nelson pushed to top to check it out but decided against the drop.  Who knows the speed you'd have into that jump and corner!?  We continued on across the trail, eventually getting to the 35 zone we knew, and were pleased to see cool 'rules' signage up here "Dont talk about it, dont facebook it, dont instagram it..." (So, officially, i'm not talking about it here).  Dropped in, holding on to the right hand side all the way down, weaving and dodging.  Nelson left me behind and then I wondered if he'd peeled off to the left somewhere because the dust had cleared and I couldn't tell where he was.  I caught up eventually.  I think we'd ridden the bit we finished on before, but who can tell?  Rolled out, much nicer end to it now (not having to climb up to Loess, for a start), finishing down at the skills zone.  Rolled out and around up to the base, spotted O, filled up water, cruised in and caught up with O and friends, then left them to it.

Down the carpark and into the climb.  Foosh...  First bit to the base of long zipline is a prick, but then it's not so bad, zigging and zagging, zigs and zags getting tighter and tighter and tighter.  Passed a few walkers up and down.  Eventually up the ridge and then nice cooling descent and around into the later climb, reminiscing about Daves (ACJoint) track and Fight Club and the likes...  Through the gate and up the Worsley.  Oh joy.  Cooled off in the shade next to the Park gate and then hit the body bag.  Ugh.  Nelson cleaned it, amazingly.  I failed at the usual spot then kinda caused another rider who'd snuck up behind me to fail too.  He practically ran the rest of the way to get ahead.  Nice cool breeze at the top. 

Climbed up to the top of the Nuns and decided on the Gnar.  Nice start, quite easy and relaxed corners, nothing too tech, then you hit the rocks.  We stopped and examined several sections before (or after) riding them, giving a couple of bits 2 goes to get the best lines sorted.  Then, across the Park track and bloomphity bloomph bloomph down the roughest line, near the bottom of which I'd taken a new (to me) line and just perched on top of a ridge of rocks between two nasty bits I did not want to fall into.  Then, as I re-entered the Nun proper, my front end bottomed something wicked and a very weird noise emanated from it...  ugh.  Rest of the run was fast and fun, until the exit to the road, some dipshit had left their bike right across the exit...  I commented "pretty dumb place to leave your bike" as I rode past.  Wish I'd ridden over the back wheel.  Filled up water at the Kiwi, and off up the road we went.  

Into Vic, usual down and around over the jump, loads of people standing around the jumps, and then next to the see saw, guy said "watch how the pros do it" as I went over it, lookin' good.  haha..  First few BrakeFree jumps and out down the rabbit paddock, and hard right over the cattlestop, into the pines, Nelson led down over the log and then I led down through the gums, usual route, swooping back and forth on the edge of traction.  Onwards down, then quick right and walk out the top of the CAP track, and up over 19th, down, around the road, into the carpark track, (broken window glass all over the carpark), bombing, swooping, getting to know this well now, and final climb before final blast down behind the houses...  

A hot af 13.5 kms with, what felt like a lot more than, 541 m climbed.

Wednesday Evening Pleasant Weavening

Nelson and me met at McCormack's bay and headed up McCormacks.  Usual gasping for air, and for this time of year, as usual, stopped to crop the blackberries.  This was at the bottom of the burned zone, from a fire a few weeks back.  Whole side of the hill up to the switchbacks (lower) was burned.  Here's between the switchbacks...

Walked the 2nd, then rode the rest of the way, I couldn't get over how damned steep this bloody thing is, especially, just after the bridge it just seemed to go vertical - I'm sure it's never been that bad in the past.  Anyway, cleaned all the little bridgey hop ups, and all the switchbacks until the 2nd to last one before the steps at the top, which is better going than usual.  Out Craigieburn and up Mt Pleasant Rd, to the wee park on the corner, steep clamber up that to Ridgeview then over the fence where the bath used to be.

Up through Britten, good climb, Nelson gapping me something fierce.  Around the front, and across the road to the climb.  Zig and zag and up we went cleaning the way to the aerials.  Nice break here before heading down into the down.  Light proving slightly tricky, I needed to keep my distance from him for the dust to settle and me actually seeing the trail ahead.  Down through the tussocks at phenomenal speeds, nearly losing it many many times tonight.  Above the ruins we headed out the old Greenwood entrance, and around into Sheepshit Alley, now called Knapsack (Knutsack more appropriate), a good bomb down this, and I took the rock ride near the end jumping ahead of Nelson.  Into the other trail around and back up, grovelling switchbacks to the ruins zone.  

Brief walk up to do the wee jump and berms entrance above the track, and off into a dusty, bony, rough as fuck descent of Greenwood.  Fast, and rough, nearly losing it multiple times just on the edge of reason.  Nice rest after Gloomy, then onwards down, blazing it.  

The Captain next, again, fast, rough, dusty, loose.  Full tilt.  Good blast.  

And around the road back to the cars, to end a prodigious 20 kms, and having climbed 740 m. Not bad for a school night.

Tuesday WFH Blackberry-Lunchtime Fatso

Quick, rather convoluted, jaunt up the locals on the fatty to blow out some of the cobwebs of working from home, or, actually, from work in general.

Down the zig zag, out Derrynane Lane, down Longhurst and in next to the mediterranean McMansion.  This alley has been trimmed, so is easy to get through now.  Stopped and scoffed a few blackberries, then knuckled into the zig zag climb.  Too low a gearing spun me out on one corner, then balance got me on another.  Then a couple of dalmatians turned up, runner behind them, let them go ahead and continued on my laboured climb.  Over the stile, up the barbed-wire roots, getting a real fright when my helmet caught a stick I didn't see, stopping my head and twisting it while the bike and body continued on.  Bloody violent and painful.  Some serious neck stretching to get rid of the crick, and continued on, failing most technical features.  Diverted slightly into the forest for a bit, then another nice runner opened the gate for me.  Left up through the dog park, again too technical on the steppy rocks.  

Up through Vic, detour zigging in the 19th memorial, and singletrack over to the skidder, then up the grinder.  More delicious blackberries up top here, then up through brakefree and up to the top, zig out and back on Worm.  Into the Thompson, nice fang, then back up the road, singletrack, and stop...  Hmm, where to.  Meh, should get back to work, so down the Upper Fenceline, good tech for the fatty, pretty rough.  

Bypassed across all the DH tracks and Cool Runnings staying on the 4wd track across, feeding on more blackberries, then ended up out on the skidder site, hard left down into the wee singletrack through, then popped out the top of the "CAP this way" track, around onto the singletrack I'd come in on earlier, then around the back of the 19th, down, then left again, down onto the old access track below the road towards Old Dyers and Loess etc, down this, then up onto our walking route, past the picnic bench, then back up to the road.  

Across the park and nipped in the little track to the right of the slide, but rock tech proved too tech.  Took a few pictures of the excellent picnic bench here, then rode over the rocky descent to the carpark and down the fun Dog Park Car Park trail, swoop swoop, bomb bomb, across, climbing back up to lower and in the usual route behind the houses, fast bomb down and home.  

A very righteous or beatific 7.77 kms, with 288 m climbed. 

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.

Waitangi Singleton

Short ride today, Waitangi observed day. Singlespeed out of the bach, up the road, past the dump and upwards a little more, akin to something I did when I was getting back into the riding, tho not quite as far.  Then back again, on the way I stopped and ate a bunch of blackberries, then got rolling again.  Then, rolled on past the bach and down and out to the wharf, and back again.  

 Not much in it but better than nothing... 7kms and 126 m.

Wednesday Evening Solo-loco

Out on my own tonight.  From home, down first and round Longhurst to Harry Ell Drive, up this steep bastard climb, then up the dirt track to the bottom of the Dog Park, skirted, then up Vic Park Drive.  Up from Skidder, ugh, cleaned, and up to top of Vic Park to hit the Traverse.  

Lots of pulling over to let riders through on this, tho on one climb I wasnt budging and tosspot arrogant dipshit had to stop to let me through.  He should have stopped further back to let me through and was so obviously expecting me to just get out of his way.  fuck him.  Good blast around, feeling pretty good, but ready for a break when I got to the top of FourPause where there was a dude waiting.  

He insisted I go first, so I dropped in, and had an awesome blaze down.  A group of girls were walking up and timed it perfectly to see me jumping the second to last jump, perfect air and landing.  Swoop on down through the landingstrip and then on through the cattlestop.  Bit of a detour here looking for that Rocky Ridge track, but no go, got lost in the tussocks so I just got back on the main drag and kept on going.  Started seeing more and more small groups of people, Orienteerers again, this time they were starting from the top of Huntsbury Ave, so I had a big audience as I descended like a wildthing down, and witnesses to my jumping prowess.  haha.  At the bottom, I hung a left and meandered around and climbed the way Nelson and me did on Saturday.  Slightly different route once up under the pylons, then stayed on trail all the way up, ugh climbing to the top of Huntsbury for a short rest at the start of Traverse.

Back along the Traverse, still holding a good pace, enjoying.  Pulled over a couple of times to let people through, or not, and cruised around to Vic.

Dropped down over the fence and down the fenceline, around into Upper Fenceline, enjoying the steepness and flow, longer than my memory had it, around and back into the trees, swooping around and back, down, bypassing a couple of DH tracks, and dropping into Cool Runnings, which I'd not done in ages.  The entrance is smooth as now.  Bomb bomb, swoop swoop, around and down and around and around and down, not making any of the doubles properly (speed must be so high for them!) and out the bottom.  Then, it was a section of fucking horrible climbing, getting better til about Rad^Sick, then last steep grund and up to Skidder.

Down the road from here, taking it nice and easy coasting, and into the upper dog park carpark, dropping int, swoopy swoop fun times, jump and across, climb, road climb, and into the last blast down behind the houses, blasting to the finish.

A veritable 15 kms, and 540 m climbed.