Biiig ride today on the Troll. Bit drizzly around the tops and so I wasn't wanting greasefest riding in Vic or elsewhere so I headed up on the Troll, not really sure how big or far I would go. Up through Vic, walking the usual section and then tentatively negotiating the traction free Thompson #1.
Onto road and rolling, through Dyers and upwards along the summit. Drizzle at times quite heavy, so ended up pulling over and swapping out some clothing. On around the ups and downs of the summit, eventually pulling over to the Living Springs seat, but there was a foul wind howling through the saddle so I bailed back up into the bush for a bite to eat. Some walkers turned up from below. Said our pleasantries and I got rolling again. Nice cruise around over Omaha Bush, pulling into Ahuriri for a wee look. Then back onto the descent, lovely long rolling fly down the 'bastard' to Gebbies, still undecided which direction I was heading. At the pass, I could see Motukarara basking in sunshine, vs less so, but still some, in the harbour. Got my maps out and worked it out. Via Taitapu was going to be further distance, so I turned left.
FAASSTT down Gebbies, so fast. Then kept a good pace rolling across Teddington flats, turned right and headed towards Diamond Harbour. The climb from Loudon over to Charteris was longer than I recalled, but was good to cruise down, and across Charteris around the water front, for some weird reason I decided to take Bayview Rd. Steep bastard. Up and up, stopped to commune with kereru, then finished the climb. Nice drop down through the gully and then climb again. Past Elaine's place, and the first turn off to the left, dropped into the next gully and took a walking track down, meandering very level gentle descent slightly greasy, thinking I was on the next one over and thinking I'd come out Whero Ave, I was suprised when I didn't recognise anything as I exited the trail. Ngatea Rd it turned out to be, curved down and around onto the main road and onwards I progressed, dropping into the next valley and climbing past Whero Ave dropping down past the Mt Herbert track crossing and up to Waipapa Rd. Flew down this and straight ahead into where Godley House used to be, down the pathway. Filled up water at the loos, then took the sealed walktrack down to the steps, budump budump budump down to the wharf to wait for the boat.
Across the harbour and into Lyttelton, climbed up Oxford, across London, up Hawkhurst into Ticehurst acrosss, riding all of it ugh, and then into the Bridle Path, walking from here, all the way to the top. Ugh.
Summit Rd, good climb to Castle, then the bomb. Wind caught my helmet visor and slammed it down onto my face, briefly blinding me. Tail wind and descending very nicely around under Witch Hill then climbing began from Rapaki around over Farm Track and up onto the singletrack - Traverse around, quite splecky from the earlier rain and drizzle, then down through Vic, greasy, and down the grunter, fast through Skidder, and out onto the road for the final speed blast down home.
Extensive 47 kms ridden, trod and bombed, with 1446 m vertical ascended
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