Today was a big day 45km ride in to the Haast Pass then a climb to 560m all within 10km. The road to the big climb was upwards but nothing to strenuous, I had hoped the pass would be lots of switch backs but I was wrong it is straight up with one bridge in it, with the sun beating down on us I “knocked the bastard off” I knew I was in the lowest gear from the start but kept checking just to make sure. Grinding away my dress shirt had liquified worse than a night on the dance floor, but I wasn’t going to stop until the top (well until the false finish at 460m). Stoked I got to the first peak without stopping, loaded up with some more food then a short coast before the final climb. As per usual Chris was ahead no doubt in a gear higher than me. With my butt stuck to the saddle I could hear creaks and groans from the saddle and chain as I slowly edged my way to the highest point. The climb had got into the trees so the temperature was better. We cranked it out finishing at the rock cairn making the highest point. F$@& yeah!!!
We rode on stopping at the blue pools car park to refuel and get pummelled by sand flys this wasn’t the relaxing rest we wanted so mounting our steeds we rode on bagging kms before dark.
We stopped on Lake Wanaka just before the climb over to Lake Hawea for a quick swim and feed fortunately the sand flys didn’t find us here. Then up and over the hills. The mountains in the distance are bare, barren and rocky and riding by you have more time to see random things like waterfalls squeezing through broken rocks and under the roads.
There was no easy run into Hawea from here it was up and down but I managed to set my highest speed 87.4Kms, yea boi!!! And nearly like a Tradition we finished just before dark riding into “The Camp” just before Hawea where Kate had cooked us mashed potatoes sausages and veges again just what we needed..
No comments:
Post a Comment