10% Gravel Road
80% 4WD Track
10% Single Track
A great little circuit with a savagely steep initial hill, but brilliant views and some fun descents.
Description
Start from Skippers Saddle, on Skippers Road, a couple of kilometers before Coronet Peak ski area. The parking is right at the col, about 500m up the gravel road, and the track starts on the left. The 4wd track has a good surface but rises very steeply, thankfully though it’s only 2.5km to the top of Mt Dewer at 1310m. The view from the top is quite breathtaking, from the Remarkables in the south to Mt Aspiring in the North. Also it’s possible to spot the many different routes down on the various 4wd tracks.
From the summit continue west along the ridge, avoiding the Shotover Canyon track that forks off left. After about 2km the track heads down the west side of the ridge via a couple of fast switchbacks. Instead of taking the track all the way to the bottom, we follow a grassy track off right, that leads back up to the ridge at a col and through a rather bizarre gate. Another steep descent, but this time much more grassy and a little thinner, takes you into Lewis Creek. As you come out of Lewis creek the track becomes a little more technical, and a little washed out. But this is short lived as you come out on to the road, by some impressive rock formations. To get back to the saddle turn right, its only a short pedal away.