Seven of us set out on the Friday for a real wicked weekend of mountain biking at Lake Tekapo. I travelled down with Robbie and Helen after work. Shona had left early that afternoon so the house was warm and homely by the time we arrived. Andy, Cath and Roddy arrived later after stopping off at Geraldine.

My rear tyre had gone flat on the way down so my first task was to mend a punctured tyre. For this I was awarded the duty of doing the trip report (according to Shona’s rules). We sorted out our gear and settled into the living room for the evening. The house was toasty warm in the morning with the hallway heater on all night. The icy-cool north-westerly wind that persisted in rattling a piece of fencing iron through the night showed no signs of abating. As a result we decided to change the plans and do the easy trip we had planned for Sunday (about 20-25 kms with easy gradients).

We needed all the layers of clothing we could muster with the icy cold wind blowing down from the glaciers. “Daddy long legs” was part of the uniform. The track, off Lillybank Road, started with a climb of 300 metres before descending to a valley floor hidden behind the mountains that bound the lake. The gentle climb up the valley (250 metres over 8 km) turned into a real grind caused by the soft sandy surface held together by a rather fragile purple mountain plant. The bikes sank through this crust held together by the fragile plant into the fine sand beneath. Travelling at little more than five km an hour, our progress was slow. The icy wind also impeded our progress. We steadily passed Mount Hay to our left and the Wee McGregor. The chilly wind prevailed and we sought the only shelter we could find in this barren land, a small rocky outcrop, to take a rest. Back on the hostile track again, we had to traverse a swampy area to our left and cross a fence. The track was becoming more and more indistinct. We decided to take an excursion on foot across a saddle to visit the phantom lagoon hidden behind the foothills in a small valley…..

Track conditions were worsening and I felt like surrendering. Finally, just past Mount Ardmore, we sighted the musterers hut at the head of the valley. We were to stop here for lunch and a well-deserved rest at long last. Across Boundary Stream, three thar (a beautiful rugged animal surviving in the rock and ice landscape) were spotted bounding effortlessly along the steep walls that bound the stream. Their speed and agility was indescribable on the almost vertical slope. Thar inhabit bluff areas and adjacent sub-alpine shrub lands and alpine grasslands, where they feed most intensively in tall snow tussock. The gregarious nature increases the pressure on vulnerable plants. After the endurance ride we were hoping for a superb downhill ride back to Lillybank Road. What we got was a 250 metre descent back to the road that barely required the use of brakes. The track was coated with fine sand and had perfectly formed golf bunkers in its path. Conditions were still icy cold with chilling wind slicing through our protective layers. Shona had to have a prayer meeting on the way to get feeling back into her hands. The road back on Lillybank Road was a bit of a sweetener. The bikes felt like they were motor powered with the firm packed surface and tail wind. That night we rewarded ourselves with a delicious restaurant meal. That ride will be remembered for a long time.

Sunday greeted us with a beautiful fine day although still a bit on the cool side. Will we do the “Tuff Nut” ride originally planned for Saturday? It was unanimously decided that we owed it to ourselves to at least have a look at it, so after breakfast it was off to the Cass River Valley. We parked our cars at the beginning of the track. A well formed metal track rose up over a saddle into the expansive valley of the Cass River. The mountain scenery was truly panoramic. What a contrast to yesterday, no strong winds, a firm-riding surface, and even sunshine. We were in paradise with the magic of those mountains surrounding us. We set a goal to get to Waterfall Hut for Lunch (about 15 km up the valley). The hut site was slightly elevated and proved to be a brilliant spot to take in the views down the valley and beyond. This place deserves a lot more time. The track extends another 20 km up the valley.

After lunch we rode effortlessly down the valley to the vehicles then back to the “Niwa House” to pack and clean up the house before heading back to Christchurch. A great weekend mountain biking, I need a lot more of this and will be back there again sometime to explore the rest of the Cass River.