Fitness aside, food preparation for a ride like this is critical. After experiencing the early stages of being hangry two years ago, I had to ensure the perfect snacks and lunch was packed for the 125km ride. Wrap ingredients from Fedeli were ideal!
Ready to roll the night before…
The EPIC ride clockwise day ride around Lake Hawea was my first so it was important to pace myself and spread out my energy. As we jostled for position, staying with a pack of riders with similar cadence seemed to work well. Cheers of support from the friendly farmers and locals made all the difference, especially those at Hunter Valley station!
It was a fun afternoon charging around the Millennium track with Dom Channon, bikes and cameras. The awesome crew at Icebreaker needed some photos of their new Corespun merino so we found a cool beach and went to work. A huge thanks to Dom for his time & creativity along with Icebreaker for the continued support!
The summer ahead seems like a great balance between sun & snow… There are a couple of bike trips lined up with VBT which will mean plenty of exploring on the West coast of the South Island. We stay in Hokitika, Frans Joesef, Moeraki, Queenstown & Christchurch.
If you happen to be in Japan late Janurary & early Feb, hit me up! I’ll be shredding pow with my Mum (who also rides) in the Niseko area.
While on assignment for 360queenstown-wanaka, I had the pleasure of exploring the Welcome Rock and Roaring Lion cycle trail. Described by the Kennett Brothers as “New Zealand’s finest water-race”, I was in for a treat.
With clear blue skies ahead of me I drove from Wanaka to the Nevis road, which took a little over two hours.
Ski hut is the first of three huts, which offer accommodation high up in the hills of the Central Otago high-country. After parking there, I wrote my intentions in the guest book and started riding anti-clockwise around one of the best Central Otago rides today. There were enough supplies for two days with plenty of chocolate and curiosity.
Historic Ski hut – getting ready to rideWelcome Rock – a place to meet
The first part of the trail is a gentle up hill toward Welcome Rock. Smooth berms and corners lined with local schist stone made for fun riding, as I made my way up to the historic meeting point. Welcome Rock was an iconic place of trade over 100 years ago when Chinese miners lived there in search of a fortune. As the story goes, a bottle of whiskey was stashed among the mossy rocks for an emergency drink… After a few minutes of searching, none was to be found!
We parked up the truck next to some of the deepest rain-forest in New Zealand. Neither of us had been here before and we curious about the ride ahead. While leading a VBT trip down the west coast I was able to scope out some of the local mountain bike trails. Ross (another VBT guide and I) found some fun lines nestled beneath the Southern Alps snaking through the rain-forest. Even on the isolated west coast there are still some die-hard bikers that are passionate enough to create some fun trails.
A 4km loop track is accessed only 3 minutes drive north of Frans Josef township. What looks like an old mining pit, you can ride up beside it and the trail starts from there.
Keen to return one day… head for the red pin
Aside from the rain & sand flies, there is so much potential for amazing riding there. I hope DOC turns more walking trails into bike trails… Bring on Summer!
“Pay Attention” I tell myself as I set off down a narrow path riding two wheels in the woods. I’m following a group of locals who know the twists and turns well, which inspires the growing confidence in me. These locals have become good friends of mine during my season in Whistler which has made my season even more special. What better way to finish a Winter by spending most days exploring the immense trail network in the Whistler Valley area. Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and even some Vancouver trails kept me entertained during the last weeks I spent in Canada.
Below are some of the photos I snapped along the way including maps of the area using my Garmin cycle GPS.
British Columbia has plenty of trails to keep a keen biker entertained. I was fortunate to get a taste of what the area can offer. Returning to B.C in the future is definitely an option and these days spent in the forest with friends has only inspired me to enjoy a Summer… Soon.
Squamish Squamish Squamish2
Pemberton Pemberton Crew Pemberton Map
Whislter
Vancouver UBC Loop
Lost Lake, WhistlerEndless fun
Now that I have returned to NZ the biking is still near the top of my priorities. Old and new trails while exploring with friends continue to get me stoked. This weekend some friends and I will drive North and fly into the Heaphy Track with the bikes! Watch this space…
Richie Johnston 