Kaiteriteri MTB Park

2012 Park map

2011-12-29T15:02:00.000-08:00

As rain once again lashes our region, indoor activities take precedence over outdoor ones - unless you're out sand-bagging your property :-(

The Park has been lucky to avoid the deluges so far and we hope that remains the case. With holiday-makers in full attendance, the tracks are getting a good work-out.
Our newest track, Corkscrew, is proving to be a hit with all who ride it, from relative newbies to seasoned mtb junkies. While the speed in which they go up or down varies, the width of the smiles and expressions of appreciation are identical.
The amount of positive feedback we're getting confirms that, not only are our track building skills getting better with every year, but we're filling a niche that is often over-looked in track design.

Passionate riders like to take their partners, less-experienced friends or fast-developing kids places that are safe but fun & challenging, as well. We promote the Park as a family-friendly mountain biking venue and that's what we aim to deliver.

Our 2012 building programme will begin by creating a bypass of Sidewinder & Swamp Monster, the section many new riders most struggle with. It will be a flowy, undulating trail that generally follows the contours - much like the popular Easy Rider.
It will also offer us some new options when planning race circuits.

Other projects planned are to extend some current tracks, so they begin or terminate at hubs, and add some parallel tracks to allow more one-way riding. Of these, most will be hand-benched during our Sunday morning working bees which will resume in March.

Whether we get time to start another major undertaking, an Intermediate-grade downhill from the top of Corkscrew, remains to be seen. We've left it off the map so you don't start getting excited too soon. But, by now, you should be getting an idea of how quickly things happen around here...

We're in the process of getting our tear-off padmaps finalised and these will be available from the Camp Office, bike shops and several local businesses in the near future.

I've blogged before about how popular the Park is with a growing group of Nelson mountain unicyclists - the munis. Prime muni-mover Marty Richards emailed me recently to say he and friends had been playing on the skinnies.

"Without photos, it never happened", I replied.

Nek minit...

Here, Julian Daley munis his way over 'low roller' while Jane Merline, fresh from Wisconsin, makes easy work of 'high riser'.

Marty, at rear, assures me he made it to within the last 2m.
Sorry, Marty, without a photo...

A xmas prezzie...

2011-12-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

At Kaiteriteri, we like to get into the xmas spirit as much as anyone.

Our gift to our supporters and visitors this year has taken a little longer than usual in its preparation.
Karl Thompson started with his digger back in August and despite winter wetness, flu bugs and, most recently, apocalyptic deluges in his native Golden Bay, has committed virtually all of his free time to working on our latest track.

Winding its way from the junction of Ziggy & Big Airs, it takes you up to the furtherest point of the Park's NW boundary. From there, you traverse across to a skid site from where you can use existing forestry roads to access the top ridgeline tracks.

It's an honest 3.5kms climb (well over 4kms from the bottom of Ziggy) to the skid site but you are rewarded with outstanding views of Tasman Bay and the Abel Tasman coastline.

For the most part, it's an easy climbing gradient in the trees until you pop out onto the final spur.
In full sun, there's no hiding as you dig deep for the final switchbacks.

The thought that's sustaining Grib Buchanan in this pic is how much fun he's going to have on the downhill!

We've only just completed the grooming of the top section and return straight after Boxing Day to finish the job.

The 'Muck Truck' has been a recent acquisition. Sourced from D K Putt Ltd. in Manakau City, it is proving invaluable in shifting materials & tools, including a 50kg plate compactor, around our expanding track network.
Its 4WD gets it up our steepest slopes and at nearly 6kph it's no slouch on the flat either.

It has particularly come into its own transporting gravel chip to those odd sections where, due to springs or underlying bedrock, water seeps onto the track. We've already used it with great success to get gravel along the narrow singletrack into the Shady Lady gully.

We struck another such damp area just before exiting the forest onto the spur.
We hope a few muck truck loads of gravel, being tamped in here by Caillin Morris Trainor, will help firm the track base so that it remains rideable throughout the year.

So, just another 3-4 days grooming and our xmas prezzie is ready to be unwrapped. And what is it...?

Corkscrew!
Shown as yellow on this map, you can see where the idea for the name came from. Corkscrew has completely blown away the strange but entirely coincidental '8-switchback' rule that seemed to apply to our other climbing tracks.
Charted by Steve Newport, I know for a fact that his GPS hasn't logged every switchback on this climb but I'll wait for someone else to tell me how many there actually are. I usually lose count halfway up as I get distracted by how much fun I'm having. And it's even more distracting riding down!

Meanwhile, the rest of the Park is being well used. Whenua Iti tutor Joe Dawson recently brought a group of 11-13 yr. old students out. After a pump track warm-up, they set off for a spin around the Easy circuit, which included finishing on Half-Pipe. I could hear them coming by the excited whoops and it was fun watching some of them nail the small gap jump at the exit, as well as attempting the skinnies & see-saw.

No sooner had they left when Ross Maley, our working bee co-ordinator, and fellow track volunteer Mark Townsend, arrived with another half-dozen DOC staffers for the Motueka Area office's end-of-year bike & bbq.
It seems the pump track warm-up is becoming obligatory and you could see how quickly the concept was being grasped by some PT virgins.

The KRRB have funded the purchase of an electronic track counter, as used by DOC, which Ross & colleague Tom Young have just installed. This will provide useful data which can be analysed by time & date throughout the year, helping to better target our resources & track-building programme. And we'll finally be able to answer that question, "How many people use the Park?" !!

Last Sunday an interpretative panel was unveiled by local iwi near the pou in the Trailer Park. It acknowledges and explains the role of Maori ancestor Whakamura, to whom the pou is dedicated.
Next time you ride up the entrance track, take a moment to read about this important local figure and reflect on the fact that the hills around you had a history long before the mountain bike Park came along...

And finally, we want to take this opportunity to once again thank all of our track sponsors. You'll notice their logos attached to the track marker posts throughout the network but, for most, their sponsorship is a donation that reflects their support for the Park.
Those contributions enable the purchase of track-building equipment & materials and cover incidental expenses. You don't have to be a local business to show your support, though. We gratefully receive donations via our entrance box, PayPal (see sidebar) and generous individuals (see Sponsors tab).

While we all look forward to taking a break over Summer, rest assured we'll be back in 2012 with another full year's track-building programme.
Until then, it's happy new year from the team!

What's the common denominator...?

2011-12-10T21:59:00.000-08:00

Blue skies...?

Red shirts...?

Stunning locations...?

Akshully (to quote J Key), there are probably a few but, to some of us in the Top of the South, the answer's obvious...

Kaiteriteri!

The Mountain Bike Park has figured prominently in all three recent publications.
First out was Derek Morrison's RIDE 2012 calendar. 12 superb pics (plus the cover) showcasing some of NZ's best riding talent and biking destinations.
2011 Downhill champs Harriet Harper and Reuben Olorenshaw spent a day with Derek at Kaiteriteri earlier in the year.
They now feature as Miss February, captured doing an impressive drift on Easy Rider, and Mr June (which doesn't have quite the same ring, sorry Reuben) - being creative on Rockface. That's as opposed to just surviving, which is how most people approach it.

Derek also contributed the photos to the feature article in the latest issue of NZ MTBer.
While blue skies and red shirts also make an appearance here, the emphasis is firmly on what a perfect destination Kaiteriteri makes for the family on holiday with a stack of bikes on the back.

Editor Carl Patton & Derek visited on a typically glorious day in late Autumn. If anyone thinks sussing out some new tracks for a magazine feature is a ride in the park, I can confirm these guys earn their money. Lugging 15kg of camera gear up granny ring climbs or holding spot lamps until your arms ache for that perfect lighting must soon become tiresome while all the locals have to do is play on their bikes.
That said, they were both sporting big smiles when I came across them. They were genuinely surprised & impressed with what the MTB Park was able to offer in just 3 years of existence.
Carl's only complaint was that the beach wasn't littered with "babes in bikinis", as pictured on a postcard sent by one of our committee. For that, he'll have to come back in January...

And then along comes the latest edition of Classic NZ MTB Rides.

Few people have as good a grasp of the biking terrain in NZ as the Kennett Bros. They've been doing it long enough now to know what people like, what they want to know and how to whet their appetites. The 8th edition has certainly whetted mine and, with 310 rides to choose from, a few people on bigbluemtb.com can expect to hear from me this summer :-)

About the only place I won't be heading for is entry no. 4 in the Nelson region: Kaiteriteri MTB Park. That's because it's my backyard and on holiday I want new track!
But if you're not local, its three star rating should be enough reason to load up the bike rack. We've completed two new tracks since the above publishing gurus visited and they will both be featured on our new map for 2012. Just quietly, we think they're the best work we've done so far...

And finally, just to show that not all mtb photos have to show someone with their weight back and a steely glint in their eye as they nail some gnarly downhill, here's Greg Buckett toughing out the final few metres getting to the top of the ridge. Given he's on Rockface, I suspect there was some bike-carrying...

Breakout of Skullduggery - Again!

2011-11-15T23:38:00.001-08:00

Last winter our main volunteer project was hand-benching the first stage of our intermediate-grade Park traversing track, Skullduggery. You can read what a mission that was in our blog archive for November 2010.

This year we undertook Stage Two, the connection between Flamin' Nora and Bay View. We still had steep sided slopes and damp gullies - this is Kaiteriteri, after all - but somehow the work didn't seem quite as hard this time. Even with it being 100m longer!

Maybe we're just getting better at it. We certainly had a lot more fun (see 'The Fun Factor' post of August 2011) and you'll notice the difference in character of the two sections when you ride the complete length.
It's a great credit to all of those people who gave up so many of their Sunday mornings to swing grubbers. A huge no. of individuals were involved but these guys were the ones who got to celebrate the breakout...

So what have we got?

1.6kms of narrow, flowing singletrack that weaves across the upper flanks of the Park. It is best accessed from the top of Big Airs but you can also drop onto it from Velocity or, half-way along, Flamin' Nora.

You'll ride through a rich diversity of flora that includes kanuka, pine, beech, rimu, broadleaf, ferns & pungas. There's plenty of birdlife in there as well but you'll probably find that, once you've got your flow on, you won't want to stop.

To make sure you get the best from this new circuit, we've decided to make all of Skullduggery and the top section of Bay View down to just before the water tank ONE WAY.

This is a major move for us in terms of our track network. It acknowledges how many more people are now using the Park, the preferred direction they ride in and our need to ensure they can do so safely.
The nature of Skullduggery makes passing hazardous in several places and the top bit of Bay View has a blind corner with the potential for a high-speed collision. We'd rather you can bomb both tracks as fast (or slow) as you like without risk.
It also means those on a DH blast down Rockface get to prolong their buzz for a bit longer...

This marker post indicates the entry to Skullduggery. It's graded Intermediate due to the narrowness of the track and the fact if you fail to stay on it, you could potential tumble a long way down. I always tend to cast a quick glance over the side in a couple of places to make sure there's nothing down there that shouldn't be. So far, so good :-)

Next on the post is the logo for this track's sponsor. It's the support of local companies like Kaiteriteri Kayaks that help fund our work in developing the Park. It's certainly not limited to locals though. If your company would like to sponsor a track, we're always adding more!

A few posts back I blogged about our 'forest royalty'.

A shady gully shortly into the new section is home to three magnificent rimu. They're estimated to be about 500 years old. That they escaped the bush-clearing fires & loggers of the last century is a marvel, esp. given Kaiteriteri and the region's history.

When we discovered them, we felt as though they'd just been waiting all this time for us to come along...

Another feature of these giants are their hemiepiphytic rata vines. Metrosideros robusta begins its life as a seed high in the upper branches of the host tree. Over the centuries it sends down tendril-like roots that thicken into matted 'pseudo-trunks'. Northern rata has greatly suffered from the predations of possums both in the North Island and upper South, the limit of its range, which makes their survival here even more remarkable.

We've created a small clearing here to enable you to enjoy a few moments sitting in their presence.

Beech trees always make their contribution to the tracks, as well. After all, who doesn't like riding in their dappled shade or beech leaf litter!

This impressive stand frames one of our mini-roundabouts.

Controversial at the time - because it was initially so tight that hardly anyone could ride it - it now provides the perfect site for a group photo!

One thing we learnt while building this track is that sometimes it's a good idea to leave the chainsaw behind.

People have to be more creative and that makes for a more fun track - unless you're over 6'5" , I guess :P

In fact, there's stuff happening all along Skullduggery.
At least, while concentrating on what may be around the next corner, you won't have to worry about a biker coming in the opposite direction!

We're hoping that this sign on Bay View, just above the water tank and the entrance to Heartthrob, will take care of that.

If you're used to riding/pushing/carrying your bike up Bay View and Rockface for a downhill run, it's not all bad though.
We've just finished benching a climbing track that will get you all the way from Ziggy to the top ridge! We'll be closing it again in a couple of weeks to complete the grooming but, in the meantime, you're welcome to sample it (in DRY conditions only, please).
When the tape goes back up, you can rest assured its opening isn't far off...

Starting Early...

2011-10-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

I bought my first mountain bike as a 40 yr. old. I took to the sport like an English rugby player to a dwarf-throwing competition and, several bikes later, I'm still getting as much fun from it as on my first outing.

These days I can't venture onto a tramping track without assessing its potential as a back-country ride. I have more bike clothing than casual wear. My bike costs way more than the vehicle I drive (tho', to be fair, the van's not that flash. It is, after all, a bike wagon).

And I really should cull the bike collection one day...

The only thing about coming to the sport late, is that, with age, an increasing sense of self-preservation kicks in. I abandoned the idea of getting into jumps the day I landed on my head amid pieces of my helmet. And I no longer have the patience or inclination to spend hours practicing manuals, 360 endoes or switchback wheelies. I'm happy to settle for watching Danny Macaskill on youtube.

But I do envy the skills of those who can & do. Many's the time I've thought, if only I'd got into mountain biking earlier...

So I got a particular buzz out of seeing the number of kids who turned up at the Park on Saturday for our Family Fun Day.
Everywhere I looked there were youngsters on their bikes.

Marty Clark and his Way2Go skills course was hugely popular - and not just with those on 16" or 20" wheels!

This is where they begin acquiring the skills and confidence to become mtbers. The sort of kids who'd rather be out playing on their bikes than their playstations.

The sort of children who can go out riding with their parents - at least, while mum or dad can still keep up...

Meanwhile, the pump track was getting a thorough work out.

At one point it looked like a blur of motion with so many riders on at the same time - the teens pumping hard enough to get air off the rollers, the younger ones pedalling the berms a little higher with each circuit.

And when things quietened down a little, the tots took their turn.

Starting early with colour co-ordinated bike & riding kit is also very important...

Alongside all this action, there was also some racing going on.

Marty Richards, seen here with daughter Tasman, was one of many who accompanied a child around the one-lap circuit before bombing off for a fast blast on the full course.

Despite some tough climbs, it was impressive how many young'uns managed to ride the whole 'beginner' route.

Not that those at the other end of the age-spectrum weren't giving it a crack either.

Even surpassing me in the veteran bracket, Tom Dunn showed that the miles you put into the legs when you're young can keep the wheels spinning six decades later...

These two photos were taken by Oliver Weber, along with many other great shots you can view in full quality on his website.
http://www.oliverweberphotography.com/client-login/
The client login is "family" and Oliver donates 50% of sales to the Mountain Bike Park.

Also working hard on the day were the guys from More FM who kept a steady supply of free bbq sausages on the go, nicely followed by some donated Talleys ice-cream tubs.

Straight after the race and handing out of spot prizes (did anyone go away with nothing?), most of the kids presented themselves to Emma Bawtree for some free mtb skills coaching. Emma divided these into U10 and 10+ and no doubt there were a few parents closely watching the workshops, although they would have been ably catered for by Emma's adult session that followed.
Anyone interested in joining one of Emma's popular wheelwoman coaching clinics can contact her on 027 624 5368 or email emma@nztraveldesigners.com.

Congratulations to fastest 3-lapper Jacob Anderson, chased home by 2nd & 3rd place-getters, Scott Barr and Kistof Zernikow.
Other results can be forwarded if you email info@kaiteriterimtbpark.org.nz.

We're a small group of committee members at the Park and putting on an event requires all hands on deck. The reward comes from seeing so many people enjoying themselves on their bikes. And who's to say that many of these "beginners" won't, one day, be the ones running the show...

Family Fun Day

2011-09-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

As part of the Nelson Cycle Fest., Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park is once again hosting the More FM Family Fun Day.

This was a really popular event last year. The one, two or three lap options attracted beginner & elite riders alike, all going as hard as their level of fitness allowed!

There were dads that did a lap with a child before hooning off for another lap or two at race-pace, some for whom it was their first time in a mtb event, others that just saw it as a fun way to work up a sweat before retiring to the beach for the afternoon.

This year, on October 8th, promises more of the same. More FM will be firing up the loudspeakers and the barbeques, there's a free beginners mtb workshop being run by wheel woman, Emma Bawtree, and a swag of spot prizes to be shared amongst competitors.

Marty Clark will have his Way2Go portable skills course in action and the pump track can also help keep young'uns entertained while you throw down a scorching lap. Or maybe just line them up for a free Talleys ice=cream...

At just $5 for U14s, $10 for others or $20 for a family group, it sounds like a pretty cheap Fun Day out to me!

Log onto nelsoncyclefest.co.nz for all the week's activities or here:
http://nelsoncyclefest.co.nz/2011/07/29/the-more-fm-kaiteriteri-mountain-bike-challenge/
for more info.

The event kicks off at 10.00am so arrive early if you intend registering on the day.

Forest Royalty

2011-09-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

For such a small, semi-rural region, we do pretty well in the volunteer stakes.

From late-March to December we hold weekly working bees on Sunday mornings and I never fail to be impressed by how many people turn-up for these. Rain is no deterrent - in fact, some of our best bees have been when it's been pouring down!

The main focus for the past two winters has been the hand-benching of Skullduggery: a narrow, winding singletrack that traverses the Park north to south 100m above sea level. Many of our regulars have invested dozens of hours in this task and it's no exaggeration to say that if they miss a w/bee or two, they start to feel withdrawal symptoms.

Just as the track unfolds in new ways as attendees follow the guideline surveying ribbons, so the Park slowly reveals its hidden treasures. Mature pine & kanuka stands give way to towering beech trees. Damp, shadier areas are thick with broadleaf & tree ferns. Streams trickle and splash on their steep descent to the estuary and out into the Bay.

The recent 'discovery' of three magnificent rimu along this route has provided the highlight of this journey of exploration so far. Estimated to be in the region of 500 years old, they stand like kings in a natural amphitheater. How they escaped the loggers of the previous century is a marvel. It seems as if they've been waiting for us to bring our mountain bike track to them.
You cannot but feel humbled in their presence...

I'm deliberately not including photos at this stage. For a start, it's hard to do them justice when you're an amateur with a cheap compact.
Secondly, for the time being, at least, it's as if they 'belong' to those volunteers sculpturing out the track from Kaiteriteri's hillside. Everyone feels a sense of ownership and the need for such trees to be properly acknowledged within the Park setting.
When Skullduggery is finished, we'll do that in a way we hope is fitting to their grandeur.

But for the time being, if you want to experience what it is like to be in the presence of forest royalty, you're welcome to join us at our next working bee :)

Much as we rely on volunteers to help extend our track network, there are other tasks around the Park that also require 'manpower'.

A couple of Saturdays ago, Ross Maley undertook to plant some native grasses along the earth bank separating the Skills Area from the trailer park.

No doubt, his son Sam was a help, when he wasn't doing laps of the Pump Track, as was Craig Skillicorn when he joined them before setting off for his own ride.

Kaiteriteri local David Ryder regularly makes his quad bike available when there's heavy stuff to be shifted.

Recently we needed to get some culvert off-cuts (donated by Fulton Hogan) about a kilometer into a digger-benched track currently under construction.

David began by towing them up the steep exit to Big Airs.

There wasn't a lot of manoeuverability along the new track but we managed to get to the gully where a stream needed to be crossed.

'Grib' Buchanan turned up to give a hand to install the culverts, here filling the bags we used to armour the sides.

Since arriving up from Dunedin, Grib has become a working bee regular. He's up for any ride that's going, be it local or Nelson way, mtb or roadie. Never happier than when on a bike.

It was only fair that he got to test ride the new bridge.

So, a few individuals giving up their time, another couple of tasks accomplished. Not the sort of thing many people using the Park would especially notice but all contributing to enhancing the experience...

The Fun Factor

2011-08-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

There's a playful little breeze filtering through the trees at Kaiteriteri these days.

Its infectious qualities have been felt by all of those who turn up for our weekly working bees. Gone is the mantra of "more metres! more metres!" - in its place is the far more rewarding motivator of "more fun! more fun!".

To be fair, last winter's project of hand-benching Skullduggery didn't offer much scope for playfulness. The steepness of the gully-ridden terrain restricted the options for creativity and, as progress at times slowed to a crawl, counting off the metres at least maintained a sense of momentum.

At times it felt as though simply completing this section of singletrack was enough of a goal, without trying to add bells & whistles.
And there's no denying it was a terrific achievement by our small (but perfectly-formed) volunteer workforce to finish it in time for Spring.

So you could suggest that the new spirit of playfulness that accompanies our current hand-benching efforts on the Skullduggery extension is merely due to the slightly easier terrain we've had to work in. But that would be missing something.

More at work here is the awareness that we're no longer just turning up to build track, we want to make fun track!

Everyone seems to have been caught up in this new enthusiasm to be creative. There's a whole new buzz around the working bees and not turning up means you miss out on the opportunity to have input.

And there's no denying that having a good idea adopted by the crew adds to that sense of shared 'ownership' of a track, making it that bit more special each time you ride it.

Coming from the opposite direction, we're about 2/3rds along the way towards joining up last year's section of Skullduggery, which terminated at the junction with Flamin' Nora.
So there's still plenty of time to get involved! People who haven't attended our working bees can't appreciate the sense of camaraderie and accomplishment we share. But, believe me, like playfulness, it can be quite infectious...

Fortunately, this mysterious breeze permeates all parts of the forest, including where Karl Thompson & I are working with the digger.
Last week we made our long-awaited start on Skyline, the track that will provide bikeable access to the top ridge from within the Park boundaries.

But before we go up, we have to go down. Getting to the base of the 'climbing' spur involves descending from the junction of Ziggy & Big Airs and crossing a stream. This gave us an opportunity to create some long traverses through some of the gentlest terrain we've encountered so far - definitely too good to waste!

So, again, rather than just look to see how quickly we could bench a route down to the stream crossing, we've also sought to add in some fun factor. As with the w/bees, it makes for far more interesting work and we know it's going to make it way more enjoyable for you to ride.

Unfortunately, the photo will have to serve as a teaser until the track is finished and opened to bike traffic. If you want to get an idea of what's taking shape, you're welcome to stroll down (or up, depending on where we've got to). Just please respect the signage and leave your bike at the taped entrance. Even if you see treadmarks already there, don't go adding to them as the more bike traffic the track gets before it's ready, the more grooming will be later required, delaying its eventual opening.
And you don't want to find out what a digger can do to a bike!

And, finally, on this playful theme, few things are as likely to bring a smile to your face while out riding as quickly as seeing someone on a muni.

There's a growing group of these mountain unicyclists in the region and their skills are not to be laughed at. Actually, I think laughing at them is quite acceptable as chances are they'll be laughing even harder. Talk about blokes old enough to know better having fun!

Marty Richards & Julian Daly gave Sidewinder and the rest of the Park the big thumbs up when they ventured over. I suspect it won't be long until they're demanding their own race category...

Changing the Culture

2011-08-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

Craig Skillicorn & I recently attended the MTB Development Conference in Living Springs, ChCh. Many good things came out of the weekend, not least the opportunity to swap notes with many trail-building mtb enthusiasts from around the country.

From Southland to the Far North, there are some amazing tracks being created - sometimes by a few dedicated individuals, others by clubs that, through corporate involvement, have turnovers in excess of $100,000 p.a. I, for one, can't wait to throw my bike on the back and do a tour of all that's good in NZ singletrack. And that would have to be a long tour!

One resource I'll avail myself of is www.bigbluemtb.com, brainchild of Hawke's Bay MTB Club Pres. Don Bricknall.
The idea behind this website is to enable mtbers from 'out of town' to hook up with locals to get the best out of the riding to be had in that area. With the explosion in track-building & mtb parks in recent years, what better way to ensure you don't miss out on the newest trails? Not to mention the best way to ride 'em!
And, in return, I get to show off the best of what we have to offer when visitors come to Tasman :-)

Another thing I took from the conference was the Christchurch Singletrack Club's observation that, over 2-3 years, they had helped effect a change of culture with regard to people riding wet tracks. The Port Hills tracks suffer badly from being ridden when wet and the burden of track maintenance was becoming unsustainable, esp. over winter.
Through a process of education and signage, they have significantly reduced the wear'n'tear of the Port Hill's trail network making for better riding for everyone when the time is right.

So what about Kaiteriteri...?

In part, the track damage we suffered this May-June was of our own making.
In trumpeting our all-weather tracks, we invited people to come riding all year round. While numbers were still relatively low - and rainfalls were normal - this generally held true. Those few areas that got muddy could be attributed to failings in track design or unanticipated seepage. Where possible, we carried out remedial work to alleviate the problem.

But the wettest Autumn in decades (ever?) and high Park usage meant that minor problem areas became majors and previously sound surfaces started to cut up. The run-up to our 6 Hr event saw many people out pre-racing the route, even during times of heavy rain.
Also, as other tracks around the Nelson area became too boggy, people increasingly came to Kaiteriteri for their fix. Attempts to close some of the worst affected tracks with tape were unsuccessful as individuals continued to ride the race circuit.

In the event, a week's postponement and fine weather meant that our 6 Hr went ahead and was enjoyed by all. But not before our volunteers had put in a power of work (see previous post) and are still left with a lot of damage to repair.

So it seems to us a change of culture amongst those who use the Mountain Bike Park might also be a good thing.

The first place to start is to ensure everyone is aware of the Mountain Bikers Code. It pops up from time to time in publications - it's even on our map board - but when was the last time you actually read it?
We'd like everyone to take note of Respect the Track: Avoid riding in the mud and rain.
It's included for a very good reason. Riding in the wet damages track surfaces. Once ruts or bogs have developed, they'll go on growing unless or until someone puts in the hours to clean them up.
At Kaiteriteri, that means volunteers. Volunteers aren't people who sit at home waiting for the maintenance call-up. We're people who much prefer riding to working. But we also accept that tracks don't build & maintain themselves. We're lucky to have so many people in our small region who do come regularly to working bees and we've made great gains in a short time because of that.

But they still represent only a small fraction of the number of people who use the Park.

What we would like all users to consider next time they're contemplating a ride in the Park during or immediately after rain is:
- does my need to ride wet tracks outweigh the 'needs' of the volunteers (who would far rather be building new track than fixing existing ones)?
- am I willing to be one of those that contributes to Park maintenance?

You might not see the connection between riding & volunteering but it was a recurring theme to come up at the Conference - how to engage more of our mtb population in track building & maintenance? It's something every club struggles with. Our management committee isn't a club but the same challenge applies. At Kaiteriteri we offer incentives like cash vouchers for attendance (sponsored by Coppins Outdoors) and provide tools on-site so you can 'ride to work', if preferred.

But that's not what really motivates our volunteers. To a person, they are individuals who want to give something back. They know, deep down, that trail pixies aren't building tracks while they sleep. They understand that unless tracks are maintained, they'll go on deteriorating until they become unrideable. And they know that when they ride other tracks elsewhere, there are people who share those values carrying out exactly the same work.
It also helps that, every Sunday morning when we gather for our working bees, we have a lot of fun and many friendships are made in the process :-)

The work can include clearing track-side vegetation, swinging a grubber, pulling a rake. Even bringing some baking counts as a much-appreciated contribution! If you think you would like to join us, check the website calendar for meet details and/or make sure we have your email address on our volunteer database.

And on a related theme, please note that the middle section of Shady Lady is closed for maintenance. A drain on the lower switchback blocked and, as a consequence, water has been running down the track. With traffic this has turned into one muddy mess!
We'll get to it as soon as possible but, in the meantime, you are free to use the Kimi Ora walking tracks to bypass this section (please observe their request to RIDE SLOWLY).

On a more positive note, Karl Thompson is back at the Park with his digger. We spent a couple of days doing maintenance on some of the tracks - we hope you notice! - before making a start on our next scheduled track.

But more on that later...

Kaiteriteri 6Hr goes ahead - and OFF!

2011-06-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

They say every cloud has a silver lining. While a week's postponement of our 6 hour Mid-Winter Breakout due to wet weather saw some unlucky punters having to withdraw, others were wrapped to score a perfect Kaiteriteri day. The tracks had dried out nicely, the sun shone bright and the thermals were shed as the temperatures climbed. Some of us even returned from overseas or uni in time to enter :)

300 riders lined up for our inaugural multi-hour event and, by the resounding chorus of approval at its conclusion, it was a great success. Event director Wayne Pool's pre-race briefing that this was first & foremost a recreational occasion was well-heeded, even by those out to lay down scintillating lap-times.
From beginner to elite, everyone enjoyed the course and looked well-satisfied with the day's action - or maybe that was from the wild pork & apple sauce sammies that were freely available throughout the day...

Credit has to go to the Park's committee members and other volunteers who put in a lot of extra effort to ensure the event could go ahead after the wettest Autumn on record. The preceding Sunday 14 guys turned out in steady rain to spread gravel and improve water run-off (when best to do it?). It's this commitment that continues to reinforce our message that the Park belongs to all of us and that we share a responsibility to develop & maintain it.
Co-hosts Nelson MTB Club also put in a power of work, none more than Event Director Wayne Pool. His managing of the 6 Hr Breakout perfectly matched our MTB Park vision of staging recreational events that cater for all levels and see everyone going home looking forward to the next one!

Wayne Pool sets the field away from the Martin Farm Rd start...

Tom Filmer shot out to an early lead and, in the Solo class, stayed there - clocking up 16 laps in the process.

His time over 16 laps was only beaten by the Stoke Cycles A-Chain team, all riding single-speeds.

Champion multi-sporters Sophie Hart and Trevor Voyce relished racing on the fast tracks.

The under-over bridge was a popular feature...

Nathan Gilling enjoys some air off the optional ramp exiting the Tent Village...

Supporter Delwyn ensures a slick hand-over between Motueka mates Bill Hollick & 'Grib' Buchanan...

while Nick Kirby shows how much he enjoyed the new Kaiteriteri circuit.

Young riders Jordan Scott and Marcus Jones weren't giving anything away to their older fellow-competitors...

All photos courtesy of Oliver Weber and for personal use only.

These, and other photos, can be viewed in full resolution and purchased for a koha to Park development here:
www.oliverweberphotography.com/client-login/
Client login kaiteri

Race results can be viewed here:
www.nelsonmountainbikeclub.org.nz/6_hour_2011-results

6 Hr Mid-Winter Breakout!

2011-05-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

This year Kaiteriteri MTB Park is hosting the region's premier mtb event, the Mid-Winter Breakout!

Timetabled round the shortest day of the year, Sunday, June 19, will be the day to load up your bikes and head for the Park.

If you've ever taken part in the Rabbit Island events, you'll already know what great fun they are. If not, here's your chance to find out why this is the most popular event on the Nelson MTB Club's calendar.

The Mountain Bike Park offers an ideal recreational circuit guaranteed to have you grinning from ear to ear. Lap times will vary between 20-30 mins - the idea is to see how many laps your team can clock up in 6 hours (hopefully one more than your mates :-)

Teams can be 2-4 people or, for those wanting to push themselves that bit harder, you can go solo.

In many parts of the country, a mid-winter mtb event often means a mud-fest. Not at Kaiteriteri - the firm & free-draining tracks mean they're good for riding year-round. So don't hesitate - get some mates together and get a team in now!

There's more event info. on the NMTBC website:
http://www.nelsonmountainbikeclub.org.nz/6-hour

and you can enter on-line here:
http://203.86.194.7/Gems/mountainbiking/6hrEntryform2011.pdf

or by popping into your nearest cycle shop and picking up a form.

Entries close June 12.

Balancing Acts

2011-05-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

Some time back, Nelson sawmillers Waimea Wood donated us some timber for an elevated board-ride, commonly called a skinny. Other track-building projects delayed our start... until last Sunday.

The forecast was for rain - too wet for hand-benching - so we scheduled Skills Area construction!
The weather gods obviously approved as they delivered briliant sunshine and a good crew of Park volunteers showed their support by also turning up.

Jess Roborgh (2nd on left) donned the carpenter's apron while the rest of us set to digging holes and installing posts. While the intent was to start with something fairly easy & straightforward, boundaries were soon being pushed as creative juices got flowing.
It was useful having a couple of young guns with us in the shape of Doug & Thomas who showed us how quickly the balancing act could be mastered!

Unfortunately, Mike left with his camera before we finished the 'high road' but I'm sure some interesting video footage will appear on our park tv soon. 'Though whether Thomas will oblige us with another of his spectacular mud-slide dismounts is debatable...

The plan is to extend the skinny further around the boundary of our Skills Area, incorporating some more challenging features like see-saws, concrete pipes, ladders and sections of varying width. While some of us are still at the level of trying to stay on a plank lying flat on the ground, I'm confident we'll see a dramatic improvement in riding skills over the next months!

Autumn Highlights...

2011-05-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand this Autumn are Emma Bawtree's wheel woman bike skills workshops. Many local women used these last year to help prepare for the mtb stages of the Spring Challenge. They found the range of tracks & switchbacks available to practise on at Kaiteriteri ideal for building confidence and improving technique.

Emma's all-women workshops cater for those just getting into mountain biking through to Intermediate-level singletrack riding. She'll be running them through May & June and recommends you get in early to secure a place as she prefers to work with small groups.
Contact her at emma@nztraveldesigners.com or (03) 540 2678.

Also coming up on June 19 is the Kaiteriteri Mid-Winter 6Hr Breakout!

For the first time this event is being held at the Mountain Bike Park and is being run in conjunction with the Nelson MTB Club. The course will appeal to recreational riders who can expect a lap time of 25-30 ins. You can enter as a solo rider or as part of a team of 2-4 riders.

We'll be posting details on the cost, course & categories available soon but, in the meantime, start getting your team together!

We'd like to start building a gallery of your favourite pix of biking in the Park. Greg Buckett has got the wheel rolling with this, taken from the top of Rockface on a typical Kaiteriteri day. If you've got a pic you'd like to share, send it to: info@kaiteriterimtbpark.org.nz.

Skullduggery is taking shape

2011-04-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

We had a great turnout yesterday at the working bee. Thanks to David Ryder, Rod Markham, Tony Baldwin, Ian Marshall, Kirsty Moran, Greg Buckett, Nigel Rogers, Mark Townsend, Guy Trainor and Oliver Weber for your efforts.

All that rain helped soften the digging. We're into steep terrain and had several trees to work around on a beautiful section of dense bush.

Here's the group turning the bush into a trail...

After some work, the trail starts to take shape...

Please join us the week after next (1st April) at 9:00 to continue our progress of Skullduggery. We'll meet at the junction of Bay View/Rockface/Rock'n'Roll. See you there.

Oliver

Back in the Swing

2011-04-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Work never really stops at Kaiteriteri, even over summer when the lure of the beach is stronger than usual.
While most of our tracks are designed & built to be sustainable, there are a few sections prone to erosion or overgrowth that require a bit more maintenance.

There was even discussion at the start of the project about whether or not the ridgeline tracks, historical skidder lines down steep spurs, should be included in the Park network.

Given their popularity among some expert riders - and those that like to extend the riding opportunities in & around the Park - we decided we'd do what we could to keep them open.

So over the Summer we scheduled a couple of working bees to knock back the gorse, reinstate some drainage channels and try to alleviate the worst of the ruts. This session, spent on Flamin' Nora on a particularly hot day, prolonged its life for a bit longer...

Parallel to this work, we have begun surveying a new line to the top ridge that will provide an easier alternative to the three existing spur-line tracks. We hope to commence digger construction of Skyline in July and have it ready for next summer.

Meanwhile, work has started on the extension to Skullduggery...

First to break the soil was this group from nearby Whenua Iti.
As part of their True North course, designed to introduce young people to the sort of outdoor adventures that build skills & confidence, these participants spent a day in the Park.
With tutor Matt Reed, second on R, they explored the Park trail network before putting down their bikes and picking up the tools. They worked with enthusiasm, raised a few blisters and left with a greater sense of ownership in 'their' local MTB Park.

Our Sunday morning working bees are now back in action and the grubbers are being swung with metronomic regularity.

It's hard but satisfying work - perfect for building core strength for anyone balking at the cost of gym membership.

Taking a well-earned break last Sunday were 'Grib', Greg. Jess & Gary (and Guy). With Summer over, we look forward to being joined by a growing volunteer workforce...

Of course it's not all work and last Thursday evening the Park was a particularly busy place with at least three separate groups on the tracks.
Being aware of approaching riders will be easier now that lights are necessary for the 6 pm rides - just remember to switch them off for the glow-worms...

Park Update

2011-02-21T16:20:00.000-08:00

First off: a reminder that February 26 & 27 is KBAR weekend!

The Kaiteriteri Beach Adventure Race, of which the Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve Board is a major sponsor, utilises the stunning coastline for a return paddle to Split Apple Rock, a bush & estuary run and, of course, most of the Park's track network for the mountain bike leg.

This means the MTB Park is going to be closed to the general public on Saturday 9.00-12.00 & 2.00-5.00 and Sunday 9.00-11.00 & 1.00-4.00.
If you're planning on being at Kaiteriteri this w/e - and feel inspired by the presence of the country's top multi-sporters - then midday or late afternoon is your chance to hit the trails.

The half-way point in the Park's Easy-grade network is on a spur just above Kimi Ora Spa Resort. Owner Dietmar Glaser has been a helpful & enthusiastic supporter of the Park from its inception. He's acquired a fleet of mountain bikes for hire and offers Mountain Bike Specials for the guests.

No doubt he has often witnessed bikers emerging from the climb up Swamp Monster gasping for a breath & a drink before descending Glade Runner.
Typical of Dietmar is this response...

He's also cleared some trees and installed a seat so you can now enjoy a view down over Kaiteriteri without needing to ascend the top ridge!

At this major track hub, you will also find one of these.

We've installed a couple more of these "You are here" maps at other significant track junctions to help people new to the Park to reorientate themselves.

Of course, they're no substitute for the maps that are available from the Kaiteriteri Beach Camp Office and other accommodation providers but we hope they help...

We're also pretty excited to announce that we've opened up the Easy Rider connection to the Riwaka-Kaiteriteri Rd.
This has been on-again/off-again project over several months so Andrew in particular will be relieved to complete the final grooming of the track and catch up on other business!

I've lost count of the no. of wasp nests he's removed on the bracken-covered slopes - quite a few of which have made their feelings known in the way they know best - and the numerous slips & gullies set a new Kaiteriteri benchmark for 'gnarly terrain'. Still, the tougher the goals, the greater the sense of satisfaction that follows attaining them...

I've posted before about some of the stunning views over Tasman Bay that are available from various points along Easy Rider. Sometimes you really need to stop to appreciate these so Andrew has created a couple of 'viewing platforms' where you can do so without blocking the track.

First to put treadmarks on the freshly-groomed trail were Nigel Cottom (L) & Zac Hayward (R) together with their 6 yr. old children Emma & Jai, respectively. That's their home town Nelson on the other side of the Bay.

It's always great to see dads introducing their kids to the fun of mountain biking and it was obvious Jai & Emma were relishing exploring the track on their new bikes.
'Course, the promise of seeing the digger in action just ahead spurred them on a little more!

Easy Rider, funded by the Tasman District Council, is intended to provide a safe & easier alternative for bikers riding out from Motueka & Riwaka to get onto the Park's trail network or to Kaiteriteri than by using the steep, narrow & winding road.
And it rides even better on the way back home!

MTB Park Closure!

2011-02-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

Yep, we're excited to announce that on February 26 & 27, most of the Park's trail network is going to be temporarily closed to the public while we host the 2011 NZ Multisport Championships!

The inaugural KBAR event is being organised by Tasman's champion multisporter Nathan Faevae, who won the right to direct the championships from 2011-2013.
If anyone knows how to run an adventure race that is both challenging and fun, it is Nathan. His success with local events Spring Challenge, Tour de Tasman, 4050 Tour & Source to Sea is set to ensure that KBAR will become a regional & national highlight in the country's sporting calendar.

Having a ready-made mountain bike park 'on the doorstep' was no doubt a big factor in Kaiteriteri being chosen, alongside the superb climate, beaches & calm seas for which it is already such a popular destination. While you won't have the freedom to ride your favourite circuit as usual this particular weekend, that's no reason not to come anyway.

KBAR's website http://www.kbar.co.nz/ provides all the information you need (tho' not on Opera) to choose a category that suits your level of skill & fitness, including individual, pairs & team options. While the country's elite multisporters are going to be out in force, as with all of Nathan's events, the emphasis is on participation so kids and first-timers are catered for as well.

With product expos & entertainment, the place will be pumping, especially when the pro-elites line up @ 1.00pm on Sunday 27 to compete for the national title. I suggest you get there early!

These guys have already chosen their spot...

Where did that come from...?

2011-02-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

In previous posts I've written about how difficult the hand-benching of Skullduggery was. Alongside the steep terrain, tree roots & granite rock, a significant stream crossing presented a major hurdle.
A brief scramble down & up did provide an opportunity to refill the water bottle but it also interrupted the flow of the track. Despite the logistical challenge, we decided a bridge was needed.

Andy Ward designed the 5.5m bridge to DOC standards and Waimea Wood of Nelson donated all of the timber requirements.
Talleys delivered it FOC to the Park where Andy set about cutting it to length.

Graham Milne, groundsman at the nearby Kaiteriteri Beach Motor Camp, used their tractor to drag & carry two loads of timber up Big Airs to the junction with Skullduggery.

From here there was only one way to transport the timber along the 700m of narrow singletrack to the stream - by shoulder!
The bulk of this was done one evening over several trips by Bill Hollick, Tony Baldwin, Michael Brewer, Caillin Morris-Trainor (pictured), Gary Drummond & Ross Maley.

Andy then took time out from xmas celebrations to oversee construction of the bridge, assisted here by Ross & Caillin (pictured) and Oliver Weber.
Over two days of digging, sawing, nailing, drilling, bolting & stapling later, it was finished.

It's still possible to climb down to the stream to refill that water bottle but it is also a picturesque spot to pause and wait for companions - the native wood pigeons seem to think so too.

Or you may prefer to maintain your flow on the way to the junction with Flamin' Nora like 'home-for-the-holidays' Zoe Morris-Trainor...

and Andy Gray & Pete Allison from Nelson, enjoying the relative coolness of riding in the forest on one of Kaiteriteri's hottest days!

Gold sponsors Waimea Wood continue to meet our timber needs in a variety of ways, from bridge materials to track marker posts to planned Skills Area constructions. That support complements the many hours dedicated volunteers put into developing & maintaining the Park, making it a truly community-based asset.

Pump Track Mark 2

2011-02-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

Those of you visited the Park last summer will remember our first attempt at a pump track. While a hit with a few very-skilled riders, most found it too challenging and avoided it.
It also suffered from serious ponding after each rainfall.

Given how many hours went into this project, it was a big step by the committee to bite the bullet and undertake to start again.

Using funds received from track sponsorship & Park donations, Karl Thompson was asked to design & build a new one. Drawing from Pump Track Nation and his experience of constructing one in his backyard, Karl came up with a simple design that would cater for a wide range of riding ability.

After we arranged for the site to be levelled, Karl moved in and started building & shaping the berms & rollers.

Particular attention was paid to ensuring there were no hollows and that all water would flow easily to the outside edges.

It was finished just in time for the holiday season and was an immediate success.
Most popular use is as a warm-up exercise before hitting the trail network. Pump Track novices, who begin by pedalling their way round, are soon getting the hang of using their weight on the bike to maintain momentum.

While others, like Will Hand from Christchurch, can muster all the speed they need, hitting the tops of the berms and making it look easy!

It's been great to see the number of children developing their biking skills on the track, like Quinne Weber from nearby Stephens Bay.

One family I met staying at Kaiteriteri Beach Camp had to bring their two young children three times a day to keep them happy!

From the obvious amount of use it's had, and the positive feedback from mountain bikers like Paul Hay from Wellington, it's clear the new Pump Track has been a great success.

We hope to be able to extend the track and add in a few more challenges for next summer, along with development of our Skills Area.

It's your donations that are helping to build the Park - we hope you like what you are finding each time you visit...

Coming up, the 2011 NZ Multisport Championships at Kaiteriteri, Feb. 26 & 27.
Categories from elite to recreational.

More info @ www.sportzhub.com/newsgroups/index.php?topic=6778.0

2010-12-26T22:13:00.000-08:00

Here's our MTB Park map for 2011.

New tracks from last summer are Ziggy, Skullduggery, Swish and Easy Rider. We've also groomed Big Airs (ex-Velocity) with some sweet water bars for those that like getting a little - or a lot - of air on their way down.

Also new is a totally revamped pump track. Whether its kids pedalling like fury over the humps or fully-kitted warriors pumping out several warm-up laps before hitting the trails, it's certainly getting a lot of use!

Park maps are available at several outlets around Motueka, bike shops in Nelson and at the Beach Camp Office. They include track descriptions to help you plan your ride, as well as important information about how to access the top ridgeline tracks.

You can also find them to download on our Map link above. Also on the Map page you can find a Google Map where we will be recording progress on our planned 2011 tracks.

The Easy Rider road link isn't actually completed yet but, as it's top of our list for 2011, we've included it on the map. Watch this space...

It was a relief today to be able to escape the bustle of the beach and head into the forest for a circuit that took in all of my favourite tracks. The refreshing coolness of the glades was a welcome contrast to the heat 'outside', although the thought of finishing with a swim always seems to surface when riding up Tank for the third time.

And, of course, no ride is complete without the Mountain Biker's Special coffee & cake at The Shoreline Cafe afterwards...

It's not just the riding...

2010-12-06T13:52:00.000-08:00

Too often while riding a trail we can get fixated on getting to the end of it as fast as possible. Whether it's your post-work wind-down or an all-day epic, sometimes it's not a bad idea to stop and take some time to just soak up the surroundings.

We have some pretty unique bush & birdlife around NZ and Kaiteriteri's no exception. In the Park we like to encourage users - whether they're on bike or foot - to take a break on the trail and relax. After all, it's usually why they've come to Kaiteriteri in the first place!

Our Swamp Monster Lookout was our first installation. This seat was donated by nearby Kimi Ora Resort and is perfectly placed to spot anything that might arise out of the marshland ferns & grasses it overlooks. It's also a good spot to catch a breather before tackling the climb up to the next spur.

Recently added is this garden seat, donated by a local resident. Sally Ogilvie loves walking the tracks and knew exactly where she wanted it to go: halfway down the switchbacks on Swish.
This is predominantly beech forest and, as Sally had already noted, the birdlife is abundant. If you can bear to interrupt your 'swish' through the switches next time, this is the spot to stop.

Martin Lucas is another local who regularly walks the tracks. Through his company, North West Pest Management, he also sponsors our work by carrying out extensive weed-spraying & strimming in the Park. If you ever wonder why bracken and other regenerating foliage aren't flopping over the tracks, that's due to Martin (and his son Tim when he's home for the holidays).
The benching of Swish & Easy Rider have opened up a part of the Park that wasn't previously getting a lot of bike traffic. Many spots offer superb views over Tapu Bay and Martin identified one on Bay View that cried out for a seat. He & Tim installed it over the weekend - if you're not in too much of hurry you might spot it next time you're passing.

Breakout of Skullduggery!

2010-11-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

Yep, after several months of weekly working bees through our wettest winter ever, we finally achieved the breakout of our latest trail, Skullduggery!

Working half-way up the steep-sided flanks of the Kaiteriteri ridge, this wholly hand-benched track has been a mission. Encountering slabs of granite rock, thick, entwined ropes of beech tree roots, pine trees and boggy gullies, every metre has been hard won.

Along the way we've had some dramas which, for those of us who worked on it, added to the sense of relief & accomplishment. In the process, many of our Park volunteers have learnt alot about track-building - not least the great feeling of camaraderie that develops amongst the w/bee regulars. While I can admire someone's riding skills, I reserve my respect for those that willingly devote hours of their time to building tracks for others to enjoy.

The crew above represent just a few of those that have contributed to Skullduggery but were the ones who were able to respond to the call last Sunday. Striking a Gandalf pose on the left is Michael Brewer, who surveyed the route, while forming a hobbit-like crew to the right is, from the front, Bryan Cohen, Steve Newport, Michael Fenwick, Ash, Murray Puklowski, Ian Marshall, Paul Herrick, Carl Thomas & Craig Skillicorn.

Skullduggery forms an integral part of our Intermediate track network that starts with Ziggy and will eventually intersect with Bay View at the junction with Rock'n'Roll. For now, it terminates at Flamin' Nora, an expert-grade descending track. While good intermediate-level riders will enjoy sections of FN's beech-forested spur, we recommend you walk the steeper bits if you find yourself out of your skill-zone.

Alternatively, you can turn around and anjoy Skullduggery 'in reverse', perhaps trying the lower, advanced-grade, section of Velocity back at the start.

Work will continue on Skullduggery for some weeks yet as we widen the track's narrower sections and generally improve the flow. A 6m bridge will also be constructed over the Flamin' Nora stream.

So, for the time being, the working bee emails will continue to be a welcome arrival in your Inbox until Sunday, Dec. 5 when we'll all pause to celebrate our year's achievements with a Volunteers & families Barbeque on the Beach.
We'll remind you nearer the time but get it into your diary now - you've earned it!

Gr8 switchbacks

2010-10-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

Swooping down our latest track Swish last week, I counted 8 switchbacks.

Later, winding up another of our recently completed tracks, Ziggy, I counted another 8 switches.

This began to ring bells, so I headed over to Sidewinder - yep, 8 switchbacks, again!

There was only one thing for it - I had to finish on Half-Pipe...

Eight switchbacks later I emerged from the forest by the Park entrance!

Now, as I'm not the slightest bit superstitious, I'll leave you to make of that what you will...

Switchbacks are a pretty unavoidable feature of biking at Kaiteriteri. For some, they represent the scariest thing about getting into mountain biking, for others, they offer the perfect opportunity to hone riding skills.

In the Park, we endeavour to make them smooth, wide and well-bermed. This enables riders to flow through the corner without any hard braking, preserving the track surface.

The better riders can rail the berm with only minimal loss of speed.

We learnt alot from our earliest efforts and are now pretty pleased with how we can turn them out. Andrew's switchbacks coming down through the easy-grade Revelation are as smooth to climb up as they are to swoop down.
Karl, seen here shaping one up on Ziggy, has (so far) had his finest moment on the intermediate-grade Swish, which rides more like a luge than a traditional mtb track.

Mastering switchbacks (up or down) brings out some of the biggest smiles on mountain bikers. The confidence many gain at Kaiteriteri mean they can tackle some of the steeper tracks on offer around Nelson.
Who knows after that? Maybe the Wakamarina's 800m, 2.5kms descent of twisting, fern-bordered singletrack? Does it get any better than that...?

Going loopy

2010-10-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Labour Weekend, we announce the opening of a new loop circuit!

Our latest track Swish branches off Bay View and sweeps you down through several switchbacks before merging with Easy Rider. While the swtiches are wide & well-bermed, the gradient puts it into the intermediate category - but if you're riding Bay View that wont be a problem anyway!

This gentle beech forest spur is a haven for birdlife so if you're not in a hurry, pause for a moment to listen to the bellbirds & tuis.

The approx. 1km of Easy Rider will take you right back to Salivater, crossing Tapu & Bay View on the way.

There are some superb views out over Tapu Bay if you can tear your eyes away from the undulating, easy-grade track.

Another loop option on this circuit is to head down the advanced-grade Tapu, pop out onto the road, pedal round to the Bay View exit, and link back up to Easy Rider.

Until we print our 2011 maps, you can follow our progress via the GoogleMap under our Maps link.

Future plans are to extend Easy Rider further south and create an entry/exit point on the Riwaka-Kaiteriteri Rd.

Steve Newport took some video with his helmet cam at our recent event. You can check it out on our park tv or on YouTube under Kaiteriteri MTB Park Challenge.

More pics from Saturday...

2010-10-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

And they're off!

A thrown chain at the start of the second lap ruined Scott Barr's (160) chances of joining these other eventual place-getters.

The steep climb up the driveway did a good job of spreading the field.

From there, they were mostly on their own - unless they were a mum or dad!

Congratulations to all who took part.

It was an awesome day.

Huge thanks to Oliver Weber for the great photos.