Well, well a lot has passed since my last post. Two much study and biking. The passion for the back country is still there, but biking has taken my focus and will continue to until February when I compete in my second Kiwi Brevet. As most of you will know this is a self- supported 1200km bike race round the upper south island. 50% on rode and 50% off road. One hell of a mission, but worth every bead of sweat. Going to share the adventure with a fellow OB instructor Pip Russell. I will be riding it for charity as well and hopefully raise some well needed funds for a deserving charity. So there will be some training missions coming up and the back country will be included in as many as possible. So this ride here is the Coppermine. The start is exactly 205 pedal strokes from my front door step.
It follows the old dun mountain walkway up to third house. The climb is very gradual through some lovely beach forest. Not long after you leave third house you enter into some beautiful alpine terrain and onto Coppermine saddle. Really quite stunning scenery and not hard to see where it gets its name from as the rock and soil is copper colour. The Coppermine saddle is 820m above sea level and is part of the Richmond Ranges. They have just up graded the down hill section down into the Matai valley. They have done a fine job for this making it fast flowing but leaving some technical rocky sections in. Near the bottom you enter into beach forest again. Near the bottom you enter into beach forest again where the riding is fast and smooth all the way to the Matai river. Wow, I'm always so blown away at what is on the door step, within a few hours i find myself in such a beautiful place. Well to more back country riding and the Kiwi Brevet. Pedal on Gilby.
For more info on the Kiwi Brevet
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