rackerrack wrote:How come "The Slide" track in Belmont does not even use "The Slide" that it is named after?

There's a bit of confusion about exactly which track is which there.

Currently we have a track called The Slide which runs roughly parallel to, and just north of, Danzig (and then crossing Danzig near the bottom). Some people call this track The Slide, presumably because its lower section is a smooth clay surface that runs straight down the hill much like a slide.

However, there's another track that goes from below the green hut and runs more-or-less parallel to Big Weta, which has a sign part way down that says "The Slide" (just before it drops down a cliff-like section, before rejoining Big Weta further down).

I'm trying to sort out exactly what's going on. Any suggestions that could clarify which track is which would be much appreciated.

I always thought the latter was the slide, that's what the ranger seemed to imply when we saw him up there once. Tried to ride the latter in the wet once, was death on a stick

What you have marked as the slide on that map looks to just be the 4wdish/double track bit we push up from the carpark, to get up to the green hut and ride down what is marked as big weta on the map, or to ride down danzig for some lulz? I didn't realise this was an actual track?

wachtourak wrote:I always thought the latter was the slide, that's what the ranger seemed to imply when we saw him up there once. Tried to ride the latter in the wet once, was death on a stick

What you have marked as the slide on that map looks to just be the 4wdish/double track bit we push up from the carpark, to get up to the green hut and ride down what is marked as big weta on the map, or to ride down danzig for some lulz? I didn't realise this was an actual track?

That sounds right. The tricky part is that I've encountered people who refer to both tracks as The Slide. Confusion reigns...

Speaking of death on a stick, there's a newish DH track on the southern edge of the forest called Last Sun, which I added to Tracks this morning. Very much at the extreme end of the difficulty spectrum.

Speaking of death on a stick, there's a newish DH track on the southern edge of the forest called Last Sun, which I added to Tracks this morning. Very much at the extreme end of the difficulty spectrum.

Saw you added Last Sun, didn't know it existed, how does it compared to say Trickle Falls?

groklem wrote:

Speaking of death on a stick, there's a newish DH track on the southern edge of the forest called Last Sun, which I added to Tracks this morning. Very much at the extreme end of the difficulty spectrum.

Saw you added Last Sun, didn't know it existed, how does it compared to say Trickle Falls?

Trickle Falls and Last Sun have very different characters.

Trickle Falls is a mature track with a firm, often rocky, surface and technical sections that have been refined over years of use and adjustment by the trail pixies. It is a difficult, expert-level technical track that happens to go down hill rather steeply.

Last Sun is raw – recently constructed through soft forest soil, with rough and rugged technical sections. It is a proper DH track, with (mostly unavoidable) jumps, gaps, drops, etc.

I rate Last Sun as being significantly more difficult than Trickle Falls. Both tracks have a high penalty for failure, though more so for Last Sun as it weaves in between mature pine trees and is lined with logs, stumps, and fallen branches.

iodi wrote:... Both tracks have a high penalty for failure.

... "high penalty for failure" - that is a lovely turn of phrase, it makes a 2 month hospital stay and a facial reconstruction sound very poetic!

Hey, are there supposed to be any new tracks as part of the Makara windfarm? Surely there must be access roads at least that are rideable? I would be really interested in finding out riding conditions in the areas around Mt Misery, Outlook Hill, Terawhiti Hill, Oteronga Bay, etc etc.

bigsur wrote:Hey, are there supposed to be any new tracks as part of the Makara windfarm? Surely there must be access roads at least that are rideable? I would be really interested in finding out riding conditions in the areas around Mt Misery, Outlook Hill, Terawhiti Hill, Oteronga Bay, etc etc.

There are a couple of new tracks around the windfarm area. The tracks have been built by the Kennett Bros and are essentially finished. However, there are access issues - ie. a large locked gate and big signs saying "Keep out".

Adding the new tracks to http://www.tracks.org.nz is on the list of things to do, once the access issues have been sorted.

iodi wrote:

bigsur wrote:Hey, are there supposed to be any new tracks as part of the Makara windfarm? Surely there must be access roads at least that are rideable? I would be really interested in finding out riding conditions in the areas around Mt Misery, Outlook Hill, Terawhiti Hill, Oteronga Bay, etc etc.

There are a couple of new tracks around the windfarm area. The tracks have been built by the Kennett Bros and are essentially finished. However, there are access issues - ie. a large locked gate and big signs saying "Keep out".

Adding the new tracks to http://www.tracks.org.nz is on the list of things to do, once the access issues have been sorted.

My guess is a lot of the wind farm area is on private farmland, hence locked gates and keep out.

I rode the Lake Mangamahoe mtb area in the Naki last weekend, probably worth adding to Tracks.org.nz.
Definitely worth doing if you are in the area, but I wouldn't make a special trip to the Naki just to ride it.

kiwi_zg wrote:My guess is a lot of the wind farm area is on private farmland, hence locked gates and keep out.

Correct. The tracks are intended to be open to the public, but access is a bit of a problem at the moment.

kiwi_zg wrote:I rode the Lake Mangamahoe mtb area in the Naki last weekend, probably worth adding to Tracks.org.nz.
Definitely worth doing if you are in the area, but I wouldn't make a special trip to the Naki just to ride it.

Certainly worth adding. Just needs someone who has been there to do it...
(Hint, hint. Everything on http://www.tracks.org.nz is created by the users.)

iodi wrote:There are a couple of new tracks around the windfarm area. The tracks have been built by the Kennett Bros and are essentially finished. However, there are access issues - ie. a large locked gate and big signs saying "Keep out".

Adding the new tracks to http://www.tracks.org.nz is on the list of things to do, once the access issues have been sorted.

I didn't know about that, cheers for the info. I hope they sort access soon... would be a shame if good tracks went to waste.

The new Kennett Bros Wellington book says that the tracks start near the information center on Opau Road. I assume thats where the "keep out" sign is?

groklem wrote:The new Kennett Bros Wellington book says that the tracks start near the information center on Opau Road. I assume thats where the "keep out" sign is?

The gate and "Keep Out" sign are on Opau Road, about 1km up from Makara Road.

I haven't actually seen the new tracks, as I've been waiting until the access issues are sorted out. However, according to the GWRC, the planned tracks look like this:

The existing walking tracks (shown in green on the map above) have already been mapped on www.tracks.org.nz. See Makara Gun Bunkers and Makara Coastal Track.

iodi wrote:I've been waiting until the access issues are sorted out.

It turns out that might take a bit longer than first thought.

Jonathan Kennett advises that there's a major problem with the access road to the West Wind area. WCC are insisting that the road be widened, but Meridian haven't budgeted for that, so the track may not be open for several months.

iodi wrote:

wachtourak wrote:I always thought the latter was the slide, that's what the ranger seemed to imply when we saw him up there once. Tried to ride the latter in the wet once, was death on a stick

What you have marked as the slide on that map looks to just be the 4wdish/double track bit we push up from the carpark, to get up to the green hut and ride down what is marked as big weta on the map, or to ride down danzig for some lulz? I didn't realise this was an actual track?

That sounds right. The tricky part is that I've encountered people who refer to both tracks as The Slide. Confusion reigns...

Speaking of death on a stick, there's a newish DH track on the southern edge of the forest called Last Sun, which I added to Tracks this morning. Very much at the extreme end of the difficulty spectrum.

Yeah The slide as I know it is the track that goes from the hut and uses the steep clay section,It used to have a sign saying THE SLIDE nailed to a tree at the top of the DEATH ON A STICK bit.

iodi wrote:

iodi wrote:I've been waiting until the access issues are sorted out.

It turns out that might take a bit longer than first thought.

Jonathan Kennett advises that there's a major problem with the access road to the West Wind area. WCC are insisting that the road be widened, but Meridian haven't budgeted for that, so the track may not be open for several months.

That doesn't make sense to me. Why does not agreeing on who'll pay for a road widening mean that the road is closed to the public? Couldn't access be granted in the meantime while WCC and Meridian un-twist their knickers?