Author Archives: laurence

Comyns Hut Via Turtons Saddle

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Effort: 4.5/5
Technical: 3/5
Scenery: 4/5
Surface
85% 4wd Track
10% Single Track
5% No Track

A nice there and back ride with a great wilderness feel. Lots of matagari bushes ready to puncture tyres though.

Livestock obstaclesApproaching the steep ascent to Turtons SaddleThe top of Turtons SaddleThe beauty of Hakatere Conservation AreaLong descent down to A Frame hutA Frame HutTime to start crossing the riverThe last climb before Comyns hutUnavoidable final river crossingNew and slightly improved Comyns hutComyns HutsThe way ahead, not suitable for bikesVague single trackP1020804Fixing puncturesDescending the zig-zags

Statistics
Total distance: 32.65 km
Max elevation: 1193 m
Min elevation: 462 m
Total climbing: 1519 m
Total descent: -1520 m
Moving Time: 04:34:39

Description

This route starts off Double Hill Run Road, about 36kms north off SH77. This road turns to gravel about half way along and there can be a number of fords to cross, especially in heavy rain. The trail is part of Te Araroa and the start is marked by a DOC sign.

The first 4.5kms are through private land, with cows, long grass, multiple stiles and a steady uphill gradient being the main difficulties/obstacles. Once at the boundary to the conservation area the track climbs more steeply in a series of switchbacks to the top of Turtons Saddle at almost 1200m and 6kms in. From here the track ascends slightly before a long rough and loose descent down to A Frame hut. A very nice, small, well insulated hut.

From the A Frame hut the track follows the river with a few ups and downs along the way. After another 2kms the track proceeds to cross the river multiple times over about 1km. We found this to be unnecessary on our return and simply stuck to the east bank. It was just as easy to ride. There is one last climb before a compulsory river crossing and the flat land by the Comyns hut is reached.

There are two huts at Comyns Hut, one from the 1890’s and one from 1957. I’d recommend the newer Comyns hut as the original one is probably a little drafty. The newer hut is a basic corrugated iron affair but it does have 8 bunks, mattresses, fireplace and table and benches. Could be quite cosy.

The track from here becomes very undefined so the only sensible decision is to turn round and head back the way you came. The final descent down from Turtons Saddle is really great.

Overall the track is pretty bumpy and loose and there are many areas of matagari. So I’d recommend taking a few spare inner tubes and a puncture repair kit. Also its worth checking all suspension parts are working well.

Clarence Valley Climb

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Effort: 5/5
Technical: 2/5
Scenery: 4.5/5
Surface
100% 4wd Track

A huge climb up to Blind Saddle on a 4wd track with a great surface. The main way into the Clarence Valley.

Start of the climbFlast-ish section through the fieldsMiddle of the long steep sectionHairpinView from after the steepest sectionOnwards to the saddleNearly to the colView into the Clarence from the highest pointFast descentP1020698This map does not agree with the topo map

Statistics
Total distance: 13.67 km
Max elevation: 1207 m
Min elevation: 189 m
Total climbing: 1406 m
Total descent: -667 m
Moving Time: 02:03:16

Description

This route starts from the bridge that crosses the Kahutara River on the Inland Kaikoura Road. The track follows the river for a couple of hundred meters before abruptly climbing the first short hill. Then there is a slight respite as the track crosses some fairly flat farmland. From here the top of Blind Saddle can be seen at the back of the valley with the route being quite obvious. Another short hill and then short descent brings you to Bushy Saddle.

From Bushy Saddle the track is steep and unrelenting. The next next 2.5kms are pretty tough, but at least once beyond that point the angle eases and easy progress can be made to the saddle. The high point is actually about 1km beyond the saddle.

Due to time constraints and issues with bikes we turned round at this point. Also it was sunny but snowing!

Half Moon Bay

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Effort: 4/5
Technical: 3/5
Scenery: 4.5/5
Surface
66% 4wd Track
33% Sealed Road

A 4wd track over 2 passes with some fantastic views.

Early on heading up the first climbThe grassy first climbThe top section of the first climbRutted descentAnother grassy climbFast, but slightly loose, descent into Okiwi bay

Statistics
Total distance: 21.26 km
Max elevation: 601 m
Min elevation: 9 m
Total climbing: 1395 m
Total descent: -1448 m
Moving Time: 02:22:10

Description

This track is just over 20km north of Kaikoura on highway 1 and starts from a large lay-by with a large DOC sign for the Half Moon Bay Track.

The track starts by immediately crossing the train line and climbing all the way up to 500m over the course of the first 4km. The track is fairly smooth with grassy and rocky sections, and a steady/steep gradient.

The descent from the top of the first pass is quite rutted and increasingly muddy but very rideable. The descent ends at a small stream crossing at about 250m. The next climb is very steep and rocky to begin with before becoming steady and grassy as it leaves the trees. On reaching the top of the climb look out for the descent heading down on the left, this is easily missed.

It is almost all downhill from here apart from a couple of small climbs. The track is a little loose in places but not as rutted as the previous descent. Overall it is a fast and fun way down. From the Okiwi bay carpark at the bottom a short, fairly flat 7km ride takes you along the coast, past numerous seals, back to the start.

Coffin Rock

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A reasonably high crag above Little River. Now on newly DOC owned land access isn’t an issue.

My hangover and the early morning meant that I had little interest in going to another loose, scary crag. Instead I had grand plans to do some road biking and maybe go to the cinema. But No, my plans were scuppered when Tim, Helen and Neil came round and refused to take no for an answer. Thus I ended up being forced, against my will to hike up to Coffin Rock and do some climbing. Fortunately I could form good reasons as to why I shouldn’t be allowed to lead, and so I got away with a nice day of seconding. Seconding Neil was pretty stress-free, even if the climbing still felt hard at times. We climbed several routes up to 21, and most felt quite solid and had nice moves. The routes are predominantly trad climbs with the occasional bolts just for blank/hard sections.

The crag feels like it definitely has two halves to it, the bottom being generally more solid and less fractured than the top. Also the crag is quite large, on some of the routes a single 50m rope might not be long enough to abseil off the top bolts.

Neil cruising an 18Tim on the lower slab of the same 18Neil not swearing his way up a 17 jamming/stemming crackHelen on the 18Tim finding the start of the 19 groove easy

Britten Crag

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This crag suffered pretty badly in the earthquakes, but there are still great buttresses to play on.

It was the morning after the night before, and with great big hangovers me and Grace headed up to Britten Crag to meet up with some friends. It must have been early afternoon by the time we set off, but this wasn’t a problem we were happy to have a slow day. Having never been before we found getting to the crag a little confusing.

Britten is pretty much a continuation of Cattlestop Crag so it can be reached from the same parking area up on the summit road. But it is marginally easier to access the crag from the other side, parking on Parkridge Place which is a couple of roads off Mount Pleasant road. The end of the crag is visible over the fence to the south. Several vague paths/animal tracks head along the bottom of the first edge, make sure you follow one that drops down to the next edge where the better climbing is located.

After following many wrong tracks we found the others playing on some rather hard overhanging routes. They obviously had a lot more psyche than us. But to the left were a number of lovely easier, less steep bolted lines in brilliant sunshine. So having not climbed for several months I obviously started there. To my surprise the usually rubbish rock felt good, solid and above all pleasant to climb. After a couple of routes our hangovers had subsided, and everyone seemed happy to just sit in the sun, chat before slowly making our way en-mass back to the cars.

Britten Crag on the walkinReg on something steepNeil on an amenable 188, Reg on somethign a little harderWalking out

Mt Grey

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Effort: 3/5
Technical: 4.5/5
Scenery: 3/5
Surface
55% Gravel Road
45% Single Track

A great short route with plenty of technical bits and some great views.

Start up an easy gravel roadNearing the top of the gravel road with the single track just visible belowStart of the single trackSetting off on the descentjust before entering the treesGreat single track between the switchbacksA few trees were blocking the wayEasy to come off the switchbacksP1020404The last few downed treesBack up the hill to lake Janet

Statistics
Total distance: 15.32 km
Max elevation: 920 m
Min elevation: 266 m
Total climbing: 1018 m
Total descent: -1018 m
Moving Time: 01:55:50

Description

To get to Mt Grey follow Douglas Road from Amberley. After several kms it will turn into Crampton Bush Road. We parked at Lake Janet to split the uphill cycle, but you could just as easily park at the Mt Grey parking area which is near the end of the road, at the ford. Lake Janet is a small lake with a few picnic benches and a drop toilet just beyond a crossroads.

Start by cycling up Mt Grey Road, whenever there is a junction, take the uphill fork. After 5kms of steady ascent you will get to the antenna where the road finishes. A small single track then heads off along the ridge to the summit. The descent is back towards the antenna by 100m, then off right following orange posts. It is quite quick and narrow to begin with as you follow the ridge. But soon you enter the trees and have to negotiate the countless switchbacks. This are are extremely difficult to negotiate without putting a foot or two down. The track continues with switchbacks and narrow traversing singletrack past a nice viewpoint back to the road. Turn left to get back to lake Janet.

The legality of this route for bikes is debatable, the descent is a footpath and the ascent is permit only. But the route seems to be ridden quite frequently without incident. But if you were to ride this route and for whatever reason were asked not to, then I’d respect that decision. As a side note there are also some small custom built singletracks near Lake Janet and on the east side of the summit. But these were blocked by branches, storm damaged and generally overgrown when we visited.

Mt Hutt

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pano1Platter SplatterP1020311pano4

Statistics
Total distance: 84.15 km
Max elevation: 2052 m
Min elevation: 1589 m
Total climbing: 10941 m
Total descent: -11061 m
Moving Time: 04:06:40

Twizel River Track

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Effort: 1/5
Technical: 1.5/5
Scenery: 4/5
Surface
100% Single Track

Pleasant, flat singletrack. Easy enough for all abilities.

Start of the track, that we missed at firstRe-routed due to erosionMore erosion causes a rougher trackSmall stream to cross

Statistics
Total distance: 11.53 km
Max elevation: 466 m
Min elevation: 436 m
Total climbing: 81 m
Total descent: -82 m
Moving Time: 00:44:53

Description

The track starts on highway 8 on the edge of Twizel, about 250m west of Twizel river. The trail starts at a DOC sign and follows a gravel road for a short distance before heading east to the river on singletrack. The singletrack continues along the river as far as Hobo camp. Generally the track is good, although sections of it have been washed away and the new parts aren’t worn in as much. The trail ends at about 11kms, either return the same way or head back along the gravel road to the west to form a loop.