Eskdale Park - Which Tracks To Ride

[NZBound]

G'day

I am looking for some advise on the best trails/loops to ride whilst I up Napier on holidays.

I ride most everything, but prefer trails with flow, some jumps and drops. Nothing to huge though.

I will be staying about 5 mins away, so I am keen to ride from the doorstep. 1 to 2hrs rides.

Also if anyone is keen on a blast around the trails I am up between 23 - 26th March. PM me.

[jimmi]

G'day

I am looking for some advise on the best trails/loops to ride whilst I up Napier on holidays.

I ride most everything, but prefer trails with flow, some jumps and drops. Nothing to huge though.

I will be staying about 5 mins away, so I am keen to ride from the doorstep. 1 to 2hrs rides.

Also if anyone is keen on a blast around the trails I am up between 23 - 26th March. PM me.

There's two ways of doing this. If you have LOTS of time then get in there with the map and ride everything until you drop. The map is pretty accurate, but its a hassle looking at the map at every intersection. The better plan is to hook up with some locals into the same sort of riding as you and get a tour. Somebody on here should be able to help out.
Have fun

[Hawkesbaymtb]

You will get a map when you purchase your "3 Week Temp Permit" - either from a local cycle shop, Info Centre or the Bayview 4 Square, or on our website, for $7.
The website map is kept-up-to-date, but the current printed colour maps are now 16 months old, therefore the latest tracks are not shown. (these maps are currently in the process of being up-dated)

If your not into big drops/freeride, then stay off the double black diamond trails ("Payday" & "Freeride") at Eskdale
"Local DH", "Esk DH" & "Hi-Roller" are the "downhill" tracks, all the rest are XC trails of various difficulty.
Some people can cover over 20km in one hours ride, others take nearly 3 hours to cover the same course - so it's hard to give a circuit that falls within a timeframe.
Basically you need a couple days to explore the 75km of trails we have.

Our Sunday morning social rides cover approx 20km with lots & lots & lots of rest stops to regroup & we take about 2-2.5hrs (but if your on your own, you could cover it in nearly half the time). Every ride we take a different circuit - as there are so many options & all are good.

The most favourite track by most at the moment is "Bolt".
"Dam Canyon" is always popular, as is "Magpies", "Forrest Gump"-"Blackberry"-"Dingo".
Take your pick, as there's something for everyone.

NB: From mid-March production thinning will start from the top of #244 area, which will close areas of the forest as they work their way thru the entire forest.

http://www.hawkesbaymtb.co.nz

[NZBound]

Well I got up into your forest and had a wicked 3 days of ridin.

I think I rode most of the trails, really enjoyed Esk DH, Hi-roller and Dam Canyon.

Did not enjoy the ride up Magog Rd but what goes up must come down.

Keep up the good work and I am sure this wont be the last time I am up your way.

[Simon_K]

*Bump*
I'm off on an Xmas/New Years road trip and will be spending some time in the Bay. I know I need to score a permit but I'm also after a few recommended trails to ride while I'm there(as the last post was over 6 months ago).

Not full on DH(certainly not an XC rider either) but I like the odd trail heading downwards

Any suggestions please?

[ezybike]

Park is a bit smaller this xmas with nearly half closed for prodcution thining.
Still lots of good trails like Trig, Apex, Tui, Maxis, Hi Roller, Cake, Klingon, Rocket, Bolt, Local DH and Cannonball lector. All good going down trails and most can be got to from the top gate on Waipunga rd. The trick is linking them up with out to much long climbing.

[Simon_K]

Thanks, may have to do some research

[shmoodiver]

planning on being down there for new years too bol. will be staying close and riding esky around the 1st to the 3rd.

[its that guy]

high roller is boss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and local dh

[honeymonster]

I've developed a firm liking of Eskdale through a couple of recent visits.
Be sure to go up to the trig and descend via Trig, Maxxis, Cake and Klingon. Cake is a quite wonderful trail. Then continue up and over Lower Magog (hammering the cool little descent at the end down to the map board) and go back up the little hill to pick up Bolt and Boulder. That is a loop (returning to Maxxis via Magog road and Dozer) I find myself doing over and over until my legs give up. A wonderful combination of techy stuff, less groomed trails and flat out twisty singletrack. I particularly like the way Eskdale trails don't follow the contours as much - way more little techy rises and drops than Rotorua trails. Somehow feels less manufactured. Enjoy.

[Simon_K]

Have found it a little tricky with some of the signposting not giving recommended directions...Slowly getting the hang of things though

[nzbj1]

Most Esk MTB tracks can be ridden in either direction, double the fun!

A few are marked no entry at the bottom if they are one way
& there are a few most cant ride up unless you are a mountain goat

[shmoodiver]

ardents = not enough side knobbage for eskdale

minion/highroller combo = win!

[Hawkesbaymtb]

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL MOUNTAIN BIKERS & RUNNERS - Immediate Release

:: ESKDALE MTB PARK IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Due to the current wet conditions, the Logging crew are staying down on the flats & are currently making their way thru the Waipunga block. With logging activities (production thinning) still going on in the Tait block, Pan Pac Forests Ltd safest & easiest solution for all is to close the entire forest to all recreational users as of immediately (Monday 18 January, 2010).

It will be at least a couple of weeks before anything is opened up to the HBMTBC members & riders with the HBMTBC temp permits.

In the Hawkes Bay, we still have Aropaoanui DH Park, Pukeora Hill MTB Park, the Taradale Dirt Park & Marine Parade Pump Track venues to ride at.

http://www.hawkesbaymtb.co.nz

[Hawkesbaymtb]

:: ESKDALE MTB PARK is now OPEN (for HBMTBC members)
As of today, Wednesday 10 Feb, Eskdale MTB Park is open again for current HBMTBC members & riders with a current HBMTBC "3 Week Temp Permit" to ride or run on our 80+km of trails within the 356ha Pan Pac privately owned pine forest.

Please note: the logging is not yet finished, the crew have just temporily moved onto Gwavas Forest, but will be back to finish later. Therefore we will not be inserting tracks signs or the trail map boards, or clearing any tracks yet, other than around the Tait Block area in preparation for the Kids Bike Jam on 21 March.

Also you are to KEEP CLEAR of any log piles. There is still 500 tons of logs stored near the top of Zip, which will be carted out over the next couple weeks, so please be cautious of heavy machinery in the area.

So, members with red ID tags & riders/runners with valid temp permits, you are now welcome to ride at Eskdale again, via either Waipunga or Tait road entrances - but to note that a lot of tracks will be damaged, or covered in branches, etc.

www.hawkesbaymtb.co.nz