I'm thinking of an amble through the hills, starting at Bowenvale Ave, heading up through Vic Park to the Summit Road carpark(ette) then Sugarloaf, Scott, Vernon, Witch, Tors, Cavendish (gondola), Greenwood, Evans, Scarborough, Godley and then dropping down into Taylors Mistake for an ice cream and hot pie.

Assuming it's a nice day, it would be about 20km of fun by foot. I have ridden the MTB tracks and road several times, but never walked it (crater rim) before.

So, question, how long do you think it would take, assuming it's a walk not a run or crawl. Would stop at the tops of hills for a photo or two, but mainly forging ahead. I was thinking 5-6 hours. That seem reasonable?

5 to 6 hours sounds reasonable to me. I have often run those tracks but never walked them. There are some neat tracks and views (especially down the Lyttleton side) that you never see from the bike tracks!

Trail wrote:5 to 6 hours sounds reasonable to me. I have often run those tracks but never walked them. There are some neat tracks and views (especially down the Lyttleton side) that you never see from the bike tracks!

yep - once you've gotten to the top of the hills there's no major climbs, it's just rolling, so that sort of pace should be easy even with camera/drink stops aplenty!!

now chris just needs some nice weather to do it - wouldn't be much of a view from the top up there today

crazychris wrote:... starting at Bowenvale Ave, heading up through Vic Park to the Summit Road carpark(ette)...

Be sure to time yourself for this leg and let me know here post1803163.html#p1803163

Doh mfw - do you have to make everything so competitive

We went up Greenwood/Jollies yesterday, and no, not much of a view.


And I'll attempt to run it when summer rolls around again, I can't run more than a few km's before shins explode, and that's on the flat!

You might find that the tracks around the hills are far less painful to run on because the gravel/clay will cause much less jarring then the pavement on the flat, so maybe give it a go. I regularly run from up bowenvale or dyers pass and run along the crater rim and all xc tracks out around to godley head and back into sumner. Its a great run, not for the unfit but not impossible. It usually takes me 3 (or just under, havent actually timed it yet) hours to get from bowenvale to godley head and in to sumner running, so i think 5-6 hours bowenvale to taylors mistake is probably a good estimation.
Have fun with that dude

When I was training for Spring Challenge, it used to take us 4.5hrs to hike bottom of Rapaki to the bottom of the Bridle Path (on the Lyttleton side) return.

Also, it took us 3hrs to do a loop, starting at the Brickworks on Centaurus Rd, to head up Bowenvale (this included going up Hidden Valley rather than trudging up the 4WD track), along the tops and down Rapaki.

Is T doing Autum Challenge?

scatter wrote:Is T doing Autum Challenge?

Naaa, too lazy. She' is however keen on the next spring one, in canterbury this year? She's is recovering from surgery and Christmas and is getting hard at working doing the personal training and admin for the 20 week challenge this year. I have decided to do it this time (with her as my trainer - that was a real bad idea!) so by winter time I'll be a lean mean fitness machine! Well, less fat anyhow.

So, fine weather, some time soon?

Nice one.
So while I've no desire to attempt another adventure race, I'm keen to get back out there....can I tag along sometime? I like having people to talk to when I'm "training"

scatter wrote:Nice one.
So while I've no desire to attempt another adventure race, I'm keen to get back out there....can I tag along sometime? I like having people to talk to when I'm "training"

Sure can, but our pace may be less than your pace, especially with some of the companions we have. Not slow, just not fast

I doubt it will be I could be considered "festivally plump" just right now. And am still rehabbing

Czech ur PMS!