Category Archives: GPS

Asia, bikepacking, bikes, GPS

Lake Khovsgol out and back from Murun

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After five days of traveling from the south of New Zealand to the north of Mongolia, we were itching to get riding – even if it was a rather damp morning. Somehow my wish to travel a bit further north to Lake Khovsgol (Mongolia’s largest lake, holding almost seventy percent of the country’s freshwater) for a look made it into our plans – I generally stayed out of route planning in Mongolia. Doing a three-day trip north, where we didn’t have to carry all our gear, worked well as a shakedown and reintroduction to bikepacking.

Even the locals were looking bedraggled as we set off into the rain.

Not many photos initially as the light rain got heavier and heavier over the main pass of the day.

Being on a rare sealed road helped with all the water around and the traffic was light and considerate – at times very friendly with a lot of toots, waves and occasional offers of food and lifts. Bit of a shock for the legs riding a loaded bike again, especially as the road would be a gentle gradient for long periods before suddenly climbing steeply to get over a hill – no switchbacks here.

Pleased to find a tearooms for lunch after one such steep climb, especially as the rain had cleared and it was getting hot.

Typical broad valley with a short, sharp, steep climb out.

Ger camps, of varying sizes, would become a common sight for us – families out for the summer with their animals grazing. We saw signs of some of the forests dying too, never found out why.

A little clamber above the stalls at the top of another rise.

Throughout the afternoon the northerly strengthened to make riding rather hard work, before the heavens opened again as we got to Hatgal – the town at the foot of the lake.

We found a small restaurant to shelter from the rain in and started the fun of trying to decipher the menu – this time with some help from a child at the next table. Fed, there was not much appetite left for riding further and camping in the rain – so we found a guesthouse and settled into a ger for the night.

Of course the sun came out; but after we’d showered and warmed up, it did help to dry some things out.

Bigger than my tent. Nice to have after an alarmingly tiring day first up!

A clearer day next dawned, as we sought supplies for a short ride around the lake and camping overnight.

Decaying buildings continued to intrigue me.

As do contrastingly colourful ones.

Leaving town, we soon turned off the previous day’s route to cross Egiin Gol – which drains the lake, the water taking over a thousand kilometres to get to Lake Baikal which is only two hundred kilometres away.

One little rise,

before dropping to the lakeside.

Turning off the gravel road to get closer to the lake, the tracks we were following soon turned to wetland and bogs. Progress slowed as we tried to find the best route through. That meant we had plenty of time to look across the lake to the colourful town and meet our first herd of yaks.

Through some pretty deserted tourist summer camps (Hi De Hi vibes), a fairly flat rise then took us to a deserted area where we could find just enough dry ground to make camp.

Not a bad spot to sleep in a new tent for the first time.

But still many hours left of the day, unloaded we headed north to find a view up the lake (it’s well over a hundred kilometres long) from the Wishing Monument.

Sign didn’t say we couldn’t go through the imposing, closed gates.

Wildflowers!

Can confirm, it’s a big lake. Russia just beyond the end of it.

Up to the Wishing Monument.

It was surprisingly busy, noisy speedboats bringing people from the more developed western side of the lake.

As uncrowded a snap of the monument I could get.

Afternoon storm starting to get a bit closer.

Back to find where we’d stashed the bikes and try to outrun the storm.

Fairly typical surface in these parts.

We returned to camp just as the rain started, hid for a while in our tents before it cleared again for some swimming and cooking. Day after dawned clear and we enjoyed a slight tailwind back towards Murun, first taking the longer and less-boggy route back to the road.

Remembering some passing snaps of the holiday camps.

And friendly yaks.

We didn’t have time to go and see the reindeer people up in the mountains near the Siberian border, but some had brought their animals down – but tied up with nothing to do, it was faintly depressing seeing them so.

We returned to the same teahouse for lunch, and managed more conversation than the previous day. I was pleased to try these pockets filled with minced meat of some description – after being denied at dinner two nights before. The salty milky tea became a favourite too.

A lot of vultures hanging out.

Back through fifty degrees north, hundred degrees east.

Trying to outrun another afternoon storm – successfully this time.

A much easier ride back – net descent helps, along with even quieter roads as most people seem have gotten to the summer Naadam festival – that we managed to keep missing by a day or so everywhere we went.

Back at the guesthouse in Murun, we reclaimed our extra gear and set about spreading out and packing for the touring proper after a successful shakedown.

bikepacking, bikes, GPS, NZ

Old Woman Range

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Far too long since I’d been bikepacking on my actual bikepacking bike, the lure of finally exploring the Old Woman Range in good autumn conditions did the trick – having biked past, or around it, a number of times my curiosity had long since been piqued. So we downed garage-building tools a day early and I headed to Clyde partially packed for a night in the hills.

A leisurely start across the fields, Leaning Rock in the distance.

We found the calm morning changed to a noticeable headwind as the breeze funnelled down the gorge on the Lake Dunstan Cycle Trail. Concern that the rental-bike traffic would be overwhelming was unfounded – except at the narrowest part of the trail (of course!).

A lovely morning’s riding, even if my legs aren’t used to a loaded bike anymore. Wasn’t long before future plans were switching to this bike, away from the faster, lighter gravel bike.

(Rachel’s photo)

Autumnal; out of the gorge and the wind all but gone.

After lunch in Bannockburn we headed for the Nevis Rd, somewhat overwhelmed by a long convoy of vehicles heading that way. What was going on out here? Turning onto the gravel we spied a solitary classic beribboned Rolls Royce, but unattended. Curious.

The Shepherds Creek valley and grovel out of it were baking with no breeze and a thirty degree afternoon. I stopped at a thread of a water race to cool off. A few more pick-ups passed us heading up, and then the motos started coming down. Identical adventure bikes, individually numbered into the 100s, they just kept rolling down – we never discovered what big organised ride they were on.

(Rachel’s photo)

With the grade averaging close to ten percent, I was soon off and pushing at anything over that – which was familiar from the last, more-heavily loaded, trip up here. As we climbed there was still no wind, but the air temperature cooled a bit.

The reason for all the traffic became clear as we approached the summit – suddenly feeling rather underdressed amongst a hundred-odd wedding guests enjoying the views and a few drinks to celebrate. Don’t think they could have got a better day for it!

Extraordinary.

Finally got to see Mt Cook from up here.

With two options to get from the road down to actual Duffers Saddle, we chose the one that took us over the summit of the road to pose with the incorrect Duffers Saddle sign.

(Rachel’s photo)

Quite a drop from the road to the saddle and what looked to be a big push to get on the Old Woman Range.

Some of it I could ride. (Rachel’s photo)

Well pleased with the clear views back to the ranges around home, and that I can now name them all and some of the peaks.

Approaching five o’clock, with only sixty kilometres but over two thousands metres of climbing, I was pretty toasted. Another two-plus hours to get Boundary Hut didn’t sound fun or sensible to me – not when Old Woman Hut was so close and it was new to me.

An easy decision to turn-off and roll down to the hut. A couple of young fellas were already there, having come up on motorbikes – but they clearly didn’t like us, so left after an hour or so. We settled in to a very comfortable hut – it’s recently been relined inside with ply and the sleeping platforms are also new. A short walk up from the hut gives good views of the Nevis Valley, and Mt Cook again.

(Rachel’s photo)

(Rachel’s photo)

After a fairly decent sleep, it was another slow start – that worked well as the hundred-odd motorbikes from yesterday reappeared and were initially using the same route we were. Waiting them out, we only got passed by nine or ten after rejoining the route along Old Woman Range. Having done most of the climbing the day before, it was far easier going – not as steep and not nearly as much of it. We snaked up and down for a few hours glad there was little wind and the forecast weather deterioration was staying away. I was surprised by the number of tarns.

Generally a good riding surface; there was the odd bog from 4WDs to avoid.

Mostly we enjoyed the wide open expanses at such altitude.

Heading for the little bump on the right horizon.

A couple of hours in we passed the turn-off to Boundary Hut – I was particularly pleased to have not pushed that far on Day One. Curiosity was not so strong to want to drop the best part of a hundred metres to see what we’d missed. We joined the Old Man Range at Hyde Rock – which was not at all notable on approach from the tops.

Far more prominent from the valley – of which it gave expansive views.

The rain looked closer out west, so north to the Obelisk we went. Back on a route I’d done before, the track and surroundings were familiar but were completely different without the gale wind blowing riders into fences or turning loaded bikes into kites. I think about my previous visit far too often.

At least I got a few photos this time – this the climb that needed the most effort that day.

The transmitter was visible far back, but only got bigger annoyingly slowly.

Made it and managed not to get clean blown over this time. (Rachel’s photo)

I was particularly looking forward to the Omeo Gully descent. The downhill, dropping 1500 m did not disappoint in any way. It was rough, rocky and loose in parts – as well as steep as I’d want to ride on a loaded bike, encroached by giant tussocks and, when waiting, it gave great views. An absolute blast – loved it. Alas, I was having too much fun to get pictures of the best parts.

Still on the ridge, approaching the turn-off right. Track already rougher than the transmitter service road we’d just been on.

(Rachel’s photo)

(Rachel’s photo)

The lower reaches mellowed out through grazed hillside.

What a great way to get back into bikepacking, finally got up there and motivation is back for more trips. Thanks to Rachel for the idea, impetus and, as always, being a great adventure buddy. Thanks to Mark, Paula and Eilish for the accommodation, untold cups of tea and terrific post-ride cookies that went a long way to replacing any lost calories.

bikes, friends, GPS, NZ

Kawatiri Trail loop

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With more of the local Kawatiri Trail open than my previous visit to Westport, I was pleased that a quick loop was on the cards – dodging the weather if possible. Almost thirty kilometres of route from Westport south towards Charleston is open, our plan was to ride road to the southern end of this and ride the trail to Westport for a late lunch before closing the loop home on the highway.

An easy warm-up on highway south and Virgin Flat Road had us at the trail after three-quarters of an hour. We seemed to have caught peak rural traffic on the gravel road, having to share the road with a few vehicles. The easy, Grade Two, wide, well-surfaced (it’s new after all) drops to cross the Okari River before climbing away from it through a patch of native bush. I’m told there are kiwi around, but midday was not the time to see or hear them.

It’s a fun section of trail in the lovely forest; before long farmland is reached. Here it felt that one was hopping from one stand of bush to the next through little bits of pasture – they’ve done well to get access and keep the trail on the border of bush and grassland. We were heading to the sea, Tom and I had some fun speeding downhill on the more open sections.

Out in the farmland, we enjoyed looking back to the Paparoa Ranges and trying to name peaks. Famous scientists seems to be a theme with Mounts Kelvin, Rutherford, Euclid, Faraday, Curie, Mendel, Priestley up there somewhere.

At the coast, the trail parallels the quiet gravel Okari Rd a few flat kilometres to Tauranga Bay. Familiar territory to me now.

Steepest climb of the day towards Cape Foulwind beginning. We managed.

Near the top there’s this handy labelled silhouette of the peaks (that’s the oxidised steel, not Rachel).

Signs of the old cement works popping up around here; part of the trail to Carters Beach is on an old haul road.

We battled the increasing wind to and through Carters, the section near the Martins Creek estuary was new to me and pleasant. A detour into town for lunch and we were soon home.

That’s an excellent little local cycle trail and I really enjoyed it – recommended if you’re in Westport and the weather is fair, looking forward to one day be able to ride the rest of it to Charleston.

bikes, friends, GPS, NZ

Lady Lake and Lake Brunner loop

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A later start for a less ambitious ride today – a nice gravel loop out of Moana. Recovering from the Paparoa, Pike29 loop I did have the planned advantage of being on a faster, rather than slower, bike than the others – life was a lot easier trying to keep up on the road! I see now that most of the loop was on roads I first rode in my first bikepacking event – the Kiwi Brevet back in 2015, I think about that day every time I drive over Arthurs Pass now. Past the little house at the old Kotuku School, the road turned to gravel as we began the climb to Bell Hill – not a particularly big climb, just the biggest of our day.

Farm land for a bit, looking back towards Lake Brunner, Mt Te Kinga (left).

Turning south, the drop to Lady Lake through native forest was both beautiful and fun. Alas, no great viewpoints were obvious as we whizzed past. We did stop to drop jaws at the clarity and colour of Crooked River.

Wasn’t difficult to spot big trout in there too.

Te Kinga again.

Back on the seal for forty minutes to return to Moana, Richard sure showing signs of Tour Divide prep – keeping a fair clip on his hardtail up the rises. I enjoyed the fun and ease of a lighter bike. Rachel was keen to check out the new, not quite completed but open to ride, Lake Brunner Scenic Trial that starts in Moana and runs around the lake towards Mitchells. A previously existing bridge took us over the lake’s outlet – the Arnold River.

Difficult to believe that’s a river.

Past a few houses and across a grassy section, with a surprising sand trap, we found the trail. It’s a cracker, a credit to the community – it being managed and built by them. Following the edge of the lake through native bush, there are plenty of twists, turns and small rises to keep it engaging. Great fun at the front – with care, as already it’s a well used trail, plenty of others out on foot and wheel. The surface is already mostly good, just one section in the middle was, at the time, bone-rattling on a rigid bike.

After seven kilometres, the trail just stops – currently.

But it’s easy to see why.

It looks that once the Eastern Hohonu River is bridged, it’s not far to join up to the existing Bain Bay walkway back to Mitchells, and then it’s twenty kilometres of backroad to Kumara and the West Coast Wilderness trail… Alas, we had to turn and head back.

Not without stopping at Irishmans Landing, snacking and pointing at things.

Te Kinga again, really should get up there one day.

A fun few hours stretching the legs and seeing some different sights, we parted ways – some back to Christchurch and some of us to Westport for more time with friends and riding bikes.