80% Gravel Road
20% Single Track
A big gravel road climb followed by a fast steep descent. The views over the Ashley Forest and towards the Port hills are good for the top half of the ascent
Description
This route heads up a long gravel road all the way up to the summit at 1000m above sea level. It’s a fairly large climb, with a few steep sections but generally its pretty steady and all very rideable. It is private property though, and a permit is required to access the network of gravel roads.
When we reached the summit we originally planned to descend the same way, but a passing runner informed us that the summit track, a walking track, does get used by mountain bikers and was possible for intermediate/advanced riders. With it being late in the day we decided to descend that way.
The descent is rocky to begin with before it heads into the trees and along a carpet of pine needles. When we rode it the biggest obstacles were a number of fallen trees but these didn’t spoil it much. The track is very very step in places but generally pretty straight, so its fast. The bottom third becomes a bit more muddy and rocky again as the tree cover thins.