This route has a lot of different terrain. From flowing 4wd track to unridable bouldery horribleness, to steep untracked death slope and excellent singletrack. This route is a blast!
A really great little buttress with good quality rock and a nice view across the plains.
Tagging along with friends when they go climbing is usually the only way I get out to the crags these days. This is mainly because the lack of good quality rock around Christchurch has severely dampened my excitement and desire for the ‘vertical arena’. But the other day my indifference to the local crags was challenged by a short visit to Gibraltar Rock, a small crag on the West side of the Port Hills.
There were 5 of us at the crag and to be honest any more people would have made it feel very busy, its not a large crag. Me and Grace worked our way through the easier climbs whilst Reg, Claire and Neil climbed a few slightly harder ones. We all climbed the classic 16 up the main tower. This climb is genuinely good, and would be worth climbing at almost any crag. The descent is via an abseil off some bolts and is very straightforward. After a couple of hours the wind picked up which signaled time to leave. Or at least time to head down to ‘She Chocolate’ for coffee/hot chocolate in Governors Bay.
Although it would be possible to climb everything at the crag in an afternoon. The quality and the view make it a place definitely worth revisiting.
A lot of work has gone into these two tracks recently, and it shows. They are brilliant, fast flowing and technical; a complete joy to ride! The scenery just happens to be great as well.
This has got to be one of the best stretches of singletrack in the country, its definitely one of the best in Canterbury. The Hogs Back and the Dracophyllum Flats tracks are quite new, and work is ongoing on both of them.
It’s best to park at the Craiggieburn campsite which is at the bottom of the Broken River access road. Cycle up the Broken River access road for approximately 2.5km to an obvious Doc sign marking the start of the Dracophyllum flats track, which is at a t-junction in the road.
The trail starts off quite rooty, rutted and fast, before it smooths out a little as you approach Broken River. A new large bridge has been built here so no need to get your feet wet. The trail then climbs up to the flats themselves before several short descents and short steep climbs. Its all rideable, and great fun. At about 4kms in you reach the top of the last descent marked by a small antennae. This descent is quite long, fast and just brilliant. A short river crossing at the bottom then a short climb brings you out on the Cheeseman access road.
The hogs back track starts opposite, initially on a 4wd track, before abruptly climbing the hillside via a couple of steep switchbacks. After the switchbacks the trail eases and is relatively easy up to picnic rock at the obvious highpoint. From here its nearly all downhill, and nearly all perfect. A few fast, loose switchbacks bring you off the top before sweeping fast singletrack leads you across open ground, through trees and over bridges. Its all intermediate terrain that can be taken fast. There is one last short climb up to the ridge above Castle Hill village, but this is well worth it considering how good the descent down through the trees is. This really is an excellent track.
(10/11/2013) Update: The last descent seems to have an increasing number of drainage ditches being dug on it. These don’t ruin the ride but they do create a few fairly harsh bumps along the way.
This track is only open for one day a year, during the Lake Hawea race. The track itself isn’t the most interesting with bits of singletrack, gravel road and 4wd track, but the scenery is stunning and the length is challenging.
The Dun Mountain Trail is based on the line of an old railway that was used to transport minerals down from the high mines. The ride is characterised by long steady climbs and brilliant single track descents.
4wd and gravel tracks that circumnavigate Broken Hill on the Flock Hill estate. The views are amazing, and a detour can be made to the avoca homestead, Doc hut.
Technically challenging and fun singletrack eases into pleasant 4wd track that takes you into Lees Valley. Gravel road then leads through the impressive Ashley river gorge to Oxford.
Starting from the car park you are immediately cycling on great singletrack terrain. A steady climb with a few stream crossings takes you to the saddle. The going is technical in places but generally rideable. From the saddle its a great descent down to the hut. Apart from a few very eroded river crossings its pretty fast. People generally turn back at this point to get the most out of the singletrack.
From the hut the track continues in the same style for another 1.5kms of great riding. But as you get to the edge of the forest you get to the first of many river crossings and a little further brings you to the start of a 4WD track. Its about 9kms from here to the road of easy riding, several river crossings and great views.
Once on the Lees Valley gravel road the real grind of this loop begins as you have 2 large climbs to get through the Ashley Gorge. Even though the climbs are long they don’t seem to monotonous, the descents are fun and the views are great.
In Oxford its probably worth stopping for a coffee as you’ve still got 25km, a third of the route, back to the car. Most of this is on sealed and gravel roads, with the final 5km up to the car park being the toughest.
A short single track from Fairlie town. Only really worth doing if you have some time to kill or want to break up a journey.
A small forest with plenty of singletrack!!! Lots of downhill with jumps and berms a plenty. The shear number of tracks can make navigation quite hard.
The Grand Traverse over single and double cone is a brilliant day out. The ski access road makes this possible in an afternoon.
