Cruising Brevet style

Our decision to ride through Molesworth Station was not taken lightly, but planned well over a year in advance. I had been through in a car about twelve years ago and wanted to go back. Scott had ridden through at the end of the Kiwi Brevet in 2010, but had not had the time to absorb the surroundings.

For me, it was the challenge. It has been a very long time since I have set out on a ride without knowing for sure that I could finish, or that an alternative was just a phone call away. The Molesworth is different; we had permission to ride through when the road was closed. This meant that there was no way out other than to succeed. There is no cell phone coverage, shops bakeries or other services. Even shelter is hard to come by. Failure means the embarrassment of a rescue, or worse, a night in the open.

So, to prepare, then, my bike went into Avantiplus Waitakere for a full service, new tyres and brake pads. I planned my food intake so that, in the event of a night out, I would have enough to survive. A first aid kit, emergency blanket, and personal locator beacon were included in the kit. Wet and cold weather gear had to be carried. And plenty of water (although there are fresh mountain streams, it pays not to take too much risk as a bout of giardia would be disastrous). It turned out that there was plenty of water en route, but we used sterilising tablets.

Port Underwood in the background

We had a ride through Port Underwood to test our systems on Thursday. 70 km of climbing and descending on metal roads. It turned out that I was carrying far too much kit. I got my nutrition wrong, and suffered from cramp. It was a struggle to reach Blenheim, let alone get to where we were staying.

This ride utterly destroyed my confidence. If I couldn’t make 70 km, why was I even contemplating 200? However I convinced myself that one bad day does not necessarily mean that the next is as bad, so long as I can learn from it.

Early morning, Taylors Pass Rd.

So just after dawn on a day with perfect weather, we set out. I planned to eat a little and often, with liquid food in my drink bottle and pure water in my hydration pack. I had been ruthless in jettisoning unnecessary weight, and as the day and kilometres went by, my confidence grew. By one o’clock. We had reached Wards Pass, the highest point of the ride, and it was pretty much downhill from there.

Wards Pass, the highest point.

From Wards Pass, we were able to cruise at above 30 km/h for a lot of it, slowing for the hills, and stopping for photos and views. A short period of elevation towards the end saw us arrive at Jollies pass in to Hanmar Springs for a wicked descent and then onto the sealed road into the pub for some beer and hot chips to complete the day, just over 12 hours after setting out.

We went faster than we thought we would, and while it was not easy, I doubt that it was any tougher than a forestry worker doing a 12 hour day, only more fun. So if you want to do such a trip, you probably can. Certainly, it was not as difficult as I had imagined and, as an experience, a fantastic day out. The route is here.

Looking down over Hanmer Springs