Karapoti - Devils Staircase/Rock Garden [Archive]

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gunna

11th July 2007, 06:40

Joined up with BusaJim and a good crew of traillees for a great ride through Karapoti on Sunday (see previous Karapoti posting http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=53177 ). Near the Mungatook end we headed up a road that ended in a clearing with a black hole into the bush and a rather ominous "Devil's Staircase" signpost. Amongst the oohs and aahs and horror stories from the crew, I managed to push Glen off his Zonda and launch myself down the hole. It dawned on me fairly early that this wasn't really Triumph country and after the first patch of water and a steepish rocky shute, I kept looking behind for the big rolling boulder from the Temple of Doom. The little Zonda was mighty fine, but when I reached a rather large watery grave with an option to take a right hand drop over the side, figured it was time to pull the plug and head back to the light (a clue here is that nobody was rushing after me). Who's got recent firsthand knowledge of what lies beyond.......... and where you end up if you make it out the other end. (Is it paradise, or the other place?) I imagine the mid-winter thing probably doesn't improve things much although it may provide a softer landing than if it were summer.......
Whose coming, and what breed of horse will we need?

Decided this was too tough for the big bikes, so gunna do it on proper off-roaders see alternate thread here (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=53497)

Fryin Finn

11th July 2007, 08:14

marks

11th July 2007, 08:39

take your trials bike down there - we'll all come and watch (we'll bring sponges to mop up the blood too:shit:)

Actually - why don't we explore form the Karapoti end - much easier to bail form a nasty uphill than a nasty downhill?

upshift

11th July 2007, 11:34

Well timed thread, I was trying to research that very subject last night. Found a number of references, and even some photos, by the MTB's especially in reference to the Karapoti Classic but nothing by motorcyclists.

Best as I can determine from these descriptions is that the rock garden is about a 3Km run downhill with "steep dropoffs" and rocks as big as "soccer balls". Then it's some distance across very boggy and rutted terrain before a 2Km climb up Devil's staircase which is pretty much described as we saw it on Sunday. Sounds like the MTBers carry their bikes most of the way through here. Couple of guys I know have done the KC a few times so will try and quiz them about it.

About the only main track I have not explored in there so would be interested (in summer of course) but thinking even the DRZ250 might be a handful for me.

gunna

11th July 2007, 17:13

The devils staircase and Rock Garden were used in this years Kapi Mana Enduro. I would not recommend riding it on anything other than proper trail or enduro bike. Plus a few mates to help push in paces. I fell off going down the staircase and separated muffler from expansion chamber on the Gas Gas. The rock garden was very slippery and it was the middle of summer there were a few guys grunting and groaning trying to get up. Also the rocky ground completely shagged my tyres.

I see you have a nice bunch of tools in your shed, are we saying this ride would be a doddle :yes: on the TLR, challenging :shit: on the GAS GAS and expensive :nono: on anything bigger?

NordieBoy

11th July 2007, 18:08

I fell off going down the staircase and separated muffler from expansion chamber on the Gas Gas.

I love quotes taken out of context :D

bart

11th July 2007, 19:06

A mate and I had a scary moment down that gully.

We rode down the rock garden side and discovered there was no way in hell we would get up the staircase in the wet. After spending about an hour and a half searching for another way out, and fast running out of light, we decided to go back up the rock garden. Going up the rock garden was easier than going down, as there are a few side tracks we didn't notice on the way down (too busy trying to get down the big drop offs without arseing off).

Not a track for beginners, unless you have a death wish. Need good tyres and a lot of ground clearance. Next time I'd try going down the devils staircase, and start very early in the day.

bart

11th July 2007, 19:16

Don't want to scare ya

denefoster

11th July 2007, 19:55

I'm keen to give it a shot :) Well, any time other than this weekend.. I just need a couple more "volunteers". I'll even videotape it for posterity.. (and my will =( )

NordieBoy

11th July 2007, 20:24

Don't want to scare ya

Looks like a trials rear would be the business.

pete376403

11th July 2007, 20:38

My first trail ride was at Karapoti - 1972 and on a ride organised by the Ixion club. Must have been 200 bikes there, and me on my brand new shiney kawasaki 350 Bighorn. Still had the standard 4.00 x 18 trials universal on the back. Still had the standard factory 40 odd PSI air pressure in the tyre. Oh how I was going to clean up on this ride... oh how little I knew!
the ride was going to be two loops of around 30 miles (as they were in those days) Did I mention it was raining? Going up the staircase was impossible, the club organised teams with rope to haul bikes up, riders crawled after.
I completed my first (and only) loop in 5 hours and 12 minutes.
Both the bike and I looked a lot older after this event.

At least in those days the trails were not the mud bogs that the 4WDs have turned them into

K slider

11th July 2007, 20:50

The devils staircase and Rock Garden were used in this years Kapi Mana Enduro. I would not recommend riding it on anything other than proper trail or enduro bike. Plus a few mates to help push in paces. I fell off going down the staircase and separated muffler from expansion chamber on the Gas Gas. The rock garden was very slippery and it was the middle of summer there were a few guys grunting and groaning trying to get up. Also the rocky ground completely shagged my tyres.

A couple of years ago we had an AG 100 break a hub down the stair case, the next day Cyclone rode a Super Tenere in 2 up and a spare wheel, dumped the passenger and rode down clean, later rideing out the rock garden and passenger rideing the AG.

K slider

11th July 2007, 21:01

Every year the Ixion MCC run a Scott trial called the JRL We use the staircase and rock garden each way on two separate loops , Its much easier on the Beta. If I can find a way of posting some old photos , I have some of My TT500 in handle bar deep ruts Half way up in the 70s with the regional in hot persuit, in those days you had to have a permit.

gunna

12th July 2007, 05:43

My first trail ride was at Karapoti - 1972 and on a ride organised by the Ixion club. Must have been 200 bikes there, and me on my brand new shiney kawasaki 350 Bighorn.

A Bighorn eh (and those were pre-Viagra days). Where's that bike now?
I remember trying to start one of those in the mid-eighties and I've still got the limp on a cold morning (back with the Viagra again) Surely (sorry, it's Pete isn't it) you had the option of changing your front wheel to leading axle or directly under the fork, would've made all the difference up the staircase...not! I once turned the forks around on a KT250 so the axel was behind the sliders, made for good face plants when the wheel hit the motor on full compression. And then there was the time........

marks

12th July 2007, 08:16

gunna

12th July 2007, 08:55

wot about Saturday 22nd or Sunday 23rd for a closer inspection.

Tim - if you fix the beta I could test it out for you (Glen wants to buy a trials bike so we could call it a pre sales test) . Otherwise the mighty zonk is man enough to give it a try....

My calendar says those dates are in September or December, seems a long way off? Ah, yes I'm meant to fix something before the ride so your giving me plenty of time.
Looks like trials bikes will be the go and your going to need a much bigger shed. Here's one I constructed earlier

Fryin Finn

12th July 2007, 12:34

I see you have a nice bunch of tools in your shed, are we saying this ride would be a doddle :yes: on the TLR, challenging :shit: on the GAS GAS and expensive :nono: on anything bigger?

It would be an interesting ride on the TLR It was challenging on the Gas Gas but dooable but I would not like to try on anything much bigger. Back in 1977 I did the staircase with some mates and we onlly struggled going up the staircase. I was riding a Honda XL350 boat anchor and it was beautiful fine day. A mate had a trials bike (KT250) and sailed up.

marks

12th July 2007, 14:44

My calendar says those dates are in September or December, seems a long way off? Ah, yes I'm meant to fix something before the ride so your giving me plenty of time.
Looks like trials bikes will be the go and your going to need a much bigger shed. Here's one I constructed earlier

Picky pick picky

ok how about Sat 21st or Sun 22nd OF JULY.

***feck - no car (to tow trailer) available on Sat 21st so would have to be Sun 22nd for me ****

In recognition of your questionable construction methods I would like to cancel my shed order

young1

12th July 2007, 15:15

Now help solve my confusion. When I rode in there in 2001 to 2003 I am not sure if we ever found the "rock garden".

I think we found it by (now stay with me here .....);

We went in from the Upper Hutt end and through the gorge

We did not cross the river but stayed to the right of it

Rode along way in there (including a nice long rocky down hill - at the bottom you rode along a stream then back on to the trail)

Then up and down some hills

We then came to an intersection where the left dropped down through the trees, riding down there was VERY rocky, big steps down etc.

When we got to the bottom we turned around and rode back up

Could that have been the rock garden or devils staircase

upshift

12th July 2007, 15:59

through the trees, riding down there was VERY rocky, big steps down etc.

Could that have been the rock garden or devils staircase

I have been to the top of both now and from your description that was definitely the rock garden, the key clues are that you didn't cross the river at the end of the gorge track, and there was a section you need to ride along the stream (about 100m downstream I think) to pick up the track again.

Transalper

12th July 2007, 16:14

Don't want to scare yaThose photos look just like a ride I've been on over in Reefton on my little CRF230.

young1

12th July 2007, 16:29

I have been to the top of both now and from your description that was definitely the rock garden, the key clues are that you didn't cross the river at the end of the gorge track, and there was a section you need to ride along the stream (about 100m downstream I think) to pick up the track again.

Cool, I remember the rock step ups were quite big and luckily I managed to stop my son coming down on his (then) DRZ125, although I had to ride his mates XR100 back up.

bart

12th July 2007, 17:56

I have been to the top of both now and from your description that was definitely the rock garden, the key clues are that you didn't cross the river at the end of the gorge track, and there was a section you need to ride along the stream (about 100m downstream I think) to pick up the track again.

See my picture thing by my name. This was taken where the track turns into a stream. Awesome spot.

jrandom

12th July 2007, 18:07

I climbed the Staircase and DH'd the Rock Garden on my MTB in '06.

Those trails are crazy.

gunna

12th July 2007, 18:15

I climbed the Staircase and DH'd the Rock Garden on my MTB in '06.

Those trails are crazy.

Decided this was too tough for the big bikes, so gunna do it on proper off-roaders see alternate thread here (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=53497)

K slider

12th July 2007, 19:14

[QUOTE=young1;1129540]Now help solve my confusion. When I rode in there in 2001 to 2003 I am not sure if we ever found the "rock garden".

I think we found it by (now stay with me here .....);

We went in from the Upper Hutt end and through the gorge

We did not cross the river but stayed to the right of it

Rode along way in there (including a nice long rocky down hill - at the bottom you rode along a stream then back on to the trail)

Then up and down some hills

We then came to an intersection where the left dropped down through the trees, riding down there was VERY rocky, big steps down etc.

When we got to the bottom we turned around and rode back up

Could that have been the rock garden or devils staircase[ Yup Thats the rock garden/QUOTE]

buggsubique

12th July 2007, 21:42

I'm keen to give it a shot :) Well, any time other than this weekend.. I just need a couple more "volunteers". I'll even videotape it for posterity.. (and my will =( )

Mate, I'm there!... but next weekend is pretty well written off with kids b'day party, footy etc. The following weekend works for me, but if it goes ahead then it goes ahead! Keen to do it before I take the knobblies of and put the dual sports back on...