Joined: Dec 25, 2001 Posts: 32,399 Location: Liberty City
Posted: Thu 12/Apr/07 3:52pm Post subject: Trail Story: Kiriwhakapapa
This is a story I wrote for Issue 8 of Spoke Magazine back in April 2003. I revisited Kiriwhakapapa over this Easter Weekend and thought it was worth re-publishing this story web styles.
New Zealand has many hidden singletrack treasures, and I can testify to what a pleasurable activity it is to go and hunt ‘em out. One such piece of juicy singletrack goodness known as “Kiriwhakapapa” is nestled at the foot of the Blue Range on the Wairapa side of the Tararua Forest Park. I’ve been through about 5 times in the last 10 years and recently had the pleasure of revisiting the track.
Around 10 kilometre North of Masterton you will see “Kiriwhakapapa Rd” turning off to the West (there’s a little school on the corner.) Go down Kiriwhakapapa Road to the road end and you’ll be greated with a damn fine picnic/ camping area, complete with toilets, shelter, babbling stream, and sandflies (curse them.) If you’re feeling particularly organised take BBQ style food, and have a big nosh-up after the ride using the shelters open fire. Paper, matches, some marshmallows and insect repellent would also be a good call. If you want to stay the night campground has nice soft ground and the whole ambience gets 4 stars (5 if it wasn’t for the damn sandflies.)
The actual singletrack is around 7½ kilometres long and goes up and over a 200 metre saddle. There is a number of ways to ride it - Kiriwhakapapa to Mikimiki (and then around the road to Kiriwhakapapa) – Mikimiki to Kiriwhakapapa (and again back by the road loop) or there and back for singletrack maximization. I’d recommend the later two options, with a firm preference for there and back (15 kilometres of singletrack and two decent downhills.) The road loop will add about 20 kilometres of gravel/ sealed road to the ride, which is cool if that’s what you’re into.
For arguments sake I’ll go through the track from the Mikimiki end. The Mikimiki roadend turns into grass covered farm track, it’s quite a pretty valley so you can just cruise for a couple of kilometres and enjoy the view. As the farm track dis-integrates into grassy singletrack with the occasional boggy stream crossing, you’ll ride past the site of an old forestry nursery. Judging from the massive stand of closely clumped pine trees the nursery hasn’t been used in decades – more about the forestry later.
The track stays deceptively easy for a couple of hundred metres before crossing and bridge and then diving down a small gully, in theory you could ride this gully the whole way but some trials skills and really grippy tires would be needed. Another couple of hundred metres later the track drops down into a river and scrambles out the other side, you’ll definitely need to shoulder your bike for the brief descent and ascent.
From now on the track is 99% rideable singletrack, a perfect hit for the singletrack junkies among us (no I’m not dribbling at the memory, honest.) The forest is re-generating native forest, with lush fern undergrowth, but only small to medium sized trees due to the forestry activities up until mid last century. Before you can properly curse the lumberjacks you’re front tire will have bumped over a horizontal wooden runner lying across the track – what the hey?
Trams baby, it’s all about trams. When the lumberjacks were cutting down all the lovely big trees they built a tramline to get the logs out, and this is what you’ll ride over for most of the track. The harsh truth is that the rotting tramlines have left some primo singletrack, and it wouldn’t be such a kick ass ride if it wasn’t for those pesky lumberjacks.
The track follows the tramline on an excessively tame gradient up the valley. The last ride of Kiriwhakapapa was in a sunny spell after a night of hard rain and the steam rising from the river, ferns and bush gave the whole place a “back in Nam” feel to it. That said I don’t think this area ever dries out, the forest has a particular moist feeling about it which suggests 365 days a year of wetness.
Another couple of river crossing and the gradient will noticeably steepen, especially if you’re the sort of person who’s runs 1.2 kilogram DH tyres. A reasonably fit rider with good technical skills will be able to clean the whole climb with out dismounting (there’s a challenge.) Mere mortals may like to take the occasional break / bike pushing session. If you take the “there and back again” approach this climb translates into a wicked railing downhill, with little gotchas and slippery rocky sections to keep the heart thumping.
After shedding a bit of sweat you will be rewarded with a magnificent view of more native bush. Sorry folks, but in the scheme of things the saddle that the track passes over is kinda on the low side. At around the 525 metre mark it’s easily overshadowed by the 1100 metre Te Mara peak to the North. However, there are a couple of strapping big trees that the lumberjacks have left, and it’s a nice little glade as far as forest glades go. Very importantly, make sure you’re nice and rested.
Righty ho – time for some singletrack downhill, which is almost totally rideable. There’s one insanely sharp switchback half way down which has foiled even the most technically skilled of my mates. But apart from that it’s all good - a nicely flowing track with some rooty sections, culvert crossings and some small steep sections thrown in. The Kiriwhakapapa side of the saddle is definitely steeper, translating into a shorter, looser, and slightly dodgier downhill compared to the Mikimiki side.
Savour the steep while you can because the track will soon dump you out on the river valley floor. But the best is yet to come - it’s about 1½ kilometres to the campsite from here and you’re going to be grinning all the way. The lumberjacks put in a tramway at this end as well and the tramline’s passing has left a section of pleasure zone tingling fun.
Pump those pedals like a mad thing ‘cos the track you’ll be flying down is punctuated with some big slushy bogs. With the right moxie and a bit of faith in yourself you can skim across the top of each bog with hardly any speed loss. The best fun is had with a handful of mates who may or may not be out to pass / splash you with mud at the closest opportunity.
Keep to the South side of the main river and you’ll be back at the road end before you can say “that was fun, let’s do it again.” If you’re still after some singletrack action there’s a couple of bridges leading off to the “Loop Track” on the North side of the valley, which will give you a minor diversion.
There we have it – Kiriwhakapapa - an excellent combination of stonking singletrack combined with picturesque native bush. Mentally file it away under “must ride sometime” - it’s well worth the detour.
Last edited by Tama on Fri 13/Apr/07 9:11am; edited 2 times in total
Joined: Feb 12, 2003 Posts: 1,065 Location: Back in Wellys
Posted: Mon 21/May/07 12:31pm Post subject:
On Saturday, motivated by Tama's trail story (the first post here) and the amazing weather, a bunch of us (Myself, Matt, Gareth and Kurt) decided to head over to the Wairarapa and give the ride a go. We clearly weren't the only one that thought it would be a good day to ride here, Simon Kennett caught up with us and stopped for a brief chat while we were changing a flat tire.
We opted to do the there an back approach from the Kiriwhakapapa Road end, it seemed rude not to maximise the singletrack exposure for the day especially since the drive over from Wellington was about 2 hours.
The track conditions were good with heaps of grip and only the occasional bog to slow progress.
Tama's story was pretty much spot on with the description - 2 sweet descents, one fast, rocky and a tad technical in places, the other quite smooth, fast(er) and flowy with the occasional rooty section.
We had a good go at trying to clean the technical climb that Tama's story mentioned, with reasonable success but not able to brag about fully cleaning it.
Thanks Tama, your trail story got us out riding somewhere different from the familiar Wellington trails.
Joined: Apr 20, 2005 Posts: 329 Location: Redlands, California
Posted: Mon 21/May/07 12:39pm Post subject:
Yep it was a great ride.
Some the of the uphill was fun, well in a perverted way I guess as much as uphill can be. The down into Kiriwhakapapa from the saddle was a real buzz. A very fast track without much room for error.
Just did the there and back version from the Kiriwhakapapa side. My rigid singlespeed might have been the wrong option going up but the 29" wheels flew down - sweet ride.
Tried this in the weekend. Starting at 1.30pm was a bit of mistake given the heat. To be honest we were defeated on the uphill and needed a rest in the shade, after that great fun. Going down the mikimiki side is bit like an easy deliverence (for those who have been to Welly). Riding through the beach leaves is a weird feeling, but looks very cool. Getting back up to the top again is a bit of a challenge with some technical bits thrown in to keep it interesting.
We did the there and back and then the 1 hour loop as well which comes out through a whole look of redwoods.
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