In our case we'd had the 42nd Traverse on the agenda for a couple of years before setting a date that a few keen riders could all do. We rode the Traverse in May 09 and the temperature was already getting chilly and recent rain had left the trail pretty damp and streams fairly full. Thankfully the rain held off on the ride day. At this time of year a Southerly and rain wouldn't be that welcome.
Our ride day followed a late night drive down from Auckland to National Park. We were up, fed, and around to Kiwi Mountain Bikes' (www.kiwimountainbikes.co.nz) meeting place in National Park by 8am. We put the bikes on their trailer and by 8.30 we were at the southern end of the trail, the Kapoors Road corner of State Highway 47. After a short briefing we were off.
The trail is pretty straight forward and mostly pedal-friendly in that it drops some 570 metres over 46km to Owhango on State Highway 4. So whilst there are some decent climbs along the way, the downhills way outnumber the ups. In fact, for most mountain bikers the down hills are the reason to be out there. There are some sublime, long, downhill sections that are easy to get carried away on. So good in fact it's easy to forget you're a long way from help should you 'run out of talent' on a particular section. There were also two fords on the day we rode the trail which we considered better crossed on foot than riding. Whilst probably ride-able, a full body dunk in a freezing stream two hours from civilisation had zero appeal. We took Kiwi Mountain Bikes' advice and took off shoes and socks for the crossings as wet shoes at the half way point would have made the second half a bit cool - and after all it's not a race, right?
There are some pretty awesome views but it's being in real back country that made this ride special for us city-dwellers. You're away from assistance, so it's wise to have a good first aid kit, warm clothes, tools, food, drink and a Tongariro Forest Map. We found navigation pretty straight forward, but there are a couple of corners that could have been better marked.
A bit after four hours from the start we emerged in Owhango right next to the pub and gave our ride a call to get us back to National Park. I'm sure you could do the ride quicker, or just as easily take another couple of hours over it. Our pace was quick when riding but we took time for a few snack breaks and to absorb the views. And, sure you could ride back to National Park on the highway, but why would you?
