Clarence River ride - Sat 6 March

[Woodman]

Just got home ,after nearly 1500km,s,& read this. As a matter of fact ,some of us DID sneake up Mallings ,& ride up Fowlers.

But too stuffed to report now-----will do so later.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz------zzzzzzzzz---------zzzzz

11 pm? thats a late one. Remember you gotta get up and load those bulls. Good to see you again, pity the clarence was closed.

[countryguy]

Just got home ,after nearly 1500km,s,& read this. As a matter of fact ,some of us DID sneake up Mallings ,& ride up Fowlers.

But too stuffed to report now-----will do so later.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz------zzzzzzzzz---------zzzzz

did you get to Lake Guyon

[alane]

First----WOODMAN----Actually i got home @ 9.35pm last night,after getting off the ferry @ 4.30 pm. (same as when I did the Dusty Butt) ---was,nt bad 257 k,s in 5 hours.The start in Wellywood rush hour traffic crawl, --still dunno if your allowed to ride cycle lanes beside cars.I followed a guy ,who went along with his blinker going,so I did the same .And the last 35k,s is as winedy as hell--slow in the dark.
No---I rang my wife in the morning & told her to tell the truckee I would,nt have em in--(Bulls)but she did,nt-- So the brown stuff hit the fan.
------COUNTRYGUY----Read --on.
First,thanks to the guys who helped with the (second) puncture drama ,with my crap Chinese tube.especially ZERAX,who,s panda got me into Kaikoura.
It had,nt taken long to turn the journey into an adventure ,when the bloody thing first got a hole @ Tangimoana ,just befor Foxton. It ment I had to transfer to a later ferry,& only got to Picton Fri. night & not Kaikoura.
Moveing on-----after the ride was cancelled I went round to Hamner ,takeing the River road @ Waiou ,on Nordies suggetion
When I was gassing up two guys ,one on a DR 650 The other ,a near new DRZ400.They were Brothers--I,ll call em "THE BLUES BROS" & the were headed for the open weekend on the Clarence. After telling em it was all off,we desided to give Maling & Fowlers pass a shot,starting by camping @ lake Tenison.Had a bit of drama getting there ,as young B,bros,hit a big rock,& got a two hole puncture,which we had to fix twice,as the glue did,nt work,the first time.
Also came across NORDIE, cruisin to Tennison etc.
Anyway we camped @ the lake with Willy Nelson & his brother
who were on BMW gs boxers.
So---next morning after the fog lifted a bit we set off to attack the gate to Mallings pass the we,d heard was locked---it was a bit of an anticlimax as we got through easy.As COUNTRYGUY said,the track is in the prossess of being upgraded & was no real challenge,although its quite steep down into the Waiau valley.The views are just awsome .After going down the Waiau a couple of K,s or so,we came to a new "microroad" ---I presume its a walking track,but it took us right to the road that leads up to lake Guyon.Just a couple of challenges@ a "stepup" bridge & another creek ,where the bridge was,nt completed.At this point "WILLIE" & his brother turned up on the Beemers.
We checked out the beautifull Lake GUYON,and went on.across a bit of swampy stuff to the Stanley vale hutt that looks up the Fowlers pass valley.After talking to some goose shooters & haveing lunch ,the "blues bros" & I had a go up the Fowlers pass. Willie & co whimped out,----not a good look for Beemer---but they were @ a more sedate pace.----Well---it was a challenge allright,the matagauri was tall ,the creeks rocky,or boggy & the track ,that had been bulldozed,here & there ,years befor,hard to find @ times.-----SO---we battled on ,the "blues bros got haditt (it was bloody hot) & I carried on ,on my own.
But I only got less than a Km & came to a place where a slip had come down on a bit of track that went from one terrace to another.It would have been possible to get a light trailbike up the stocktrack that was there & manhandle a bigger bike down. At a guess Id say we were 2/3rds or 3/4 the way up to where the pass left the valley floor. (the gooseshooters showed us a "topo' map.)
So anyway,we had to admitt we were,nt going to "knock the bugger off" but had sussed another section.So we turned back & headed for civilisation.
Going back seemed easy,like turning back ,after heading into a gale. We met a hunter down the valley a bit ,& gave him a good grilling abought the pass as he,d been over it,earlyer. He said he,d seen bike tracks up there befor,so weather that was COUNRYGUYS,or others that had come right over,I dont know.He said the zigzag was O.K. ,but there was abought 50 mtrs of scree ,with just a small-- ,what I interpreted as a "stocktrack" --i.e.--narrow path --accross it,with a biiiiiiiiiiiiigggg dropp below.
So------I think it might be possible,if you have a light bike---balls of steel & a blinding determination,you might "knock the bugger off"
Anyway --to continue our journey,it was quick & easy realy,compared to going the other way ,but Malings pass is a big climb out.
What a fantastic day,even if we did,nt reach the ultimate goal.
After packing the tents @ tennison the "blues bros went home to Golden bay & I went to Nelson ,arriveing @ 7.30pm. buggered,but happy.
If you want to do it,---I,d recomend SOON befor Doc get it all organised for trampers etc. I get the feeling our bike tracks wont be looked on favourably,even though we were carefull not to damage anything etc.
--- AL.

Will try posting pics soon.

[Woodman]

Good wok Al. Did you do it all fully loaded or did you dump your gear somewhere?

[alane]

Naa ----left what we could @ L. Tennison,in the tent & picked it up on the way out.

[countryguy]

Bloody good stuff...pleased you enjoyed yourself. Maybe its easier doing it from The fowlers Pass end. An old fella who worked there for over 40 years told me you used to able to drive a landrover all the way. BUT another mate who hunts out there says that the ridges comming down into the creek make it really hard to get a bike through. Still think it would be worth a go between 3-4 with some pushing. Anyway looking forward to seeing some pics...awesome scenery eh!

[Underground]

good stuff Alan, at least your trip south was'nt in vain and you got some adventuring in.
Not a bad effort for an old codger and it makes me feel as though my adventure riding days have just begun

[alane]

Bugger-----can,t get pics up------Sorry ----need to visit "JERRYATTRICKNETT" to learn how to do it.
COUNTRYGUY-------At least there is only one section to check out (on foot if nessesary) now.

[alane]

good stuff Alan, at least your trip south was'nt in vain and you got some adventuring in.
Not a bad effort for an old codger and it makes me feel as though my adventure riding days have just begun

I presume your calling my bike "an old codger"

If I Email the pics to someone,maybe they can post em.
P.M. me if its a go,er

P.S. Still did Clarence river,afterall it starts @ lake Tennison---just upstream a bit.

[helenoftroy]

good stuff Alan, at least your trip south was'nt in vain and you got some adventuring in.
Not a bad effort for an old codger and it makes me feel as though my adventure riding days have just begun

Lol!!so there's hope for an old codgeress as well!!

Pleased you had a good weekend alane

[alane]

good stuff Alan, at least your trip south was'nt in vain and you got some adventuring in.
Not a bad effort for an old codger and it makes me feel as though my adventure riding days have just begun

Also ---had to get SOME adventure in,after spending all that $$$$$$$$ on the ferry ride

[countryguy]

I presume your calling my bike "an old codger"

If I Email the pics to someone,maybe they can post em.
P.M. me if its a go,er

P.S. Still did Clarence river,afterall it starts @ lake Tennison---just upstream a bit.

Actually it starts above Lake Tennyson flows into then back out of the lake...but close enough ;-)

[alane]

HEY!!!!! ------- COUNTRYGUY--------- Are you going to give Fowlers pass another go????
I think you should.

[countryguy]

HEY!!!!! ------- COUNTRYGUY--------- Are you going to give Fowlers pass another go????
I think you should.

Yep..might ride to the top in the next couple of weeks and go for a walk down the other side. (not sure I want to try and push the DR though, not as young as I used to be ) How far did you get from the Stanleyvale hut up the gulley towards Fowlers?

Fresh snow up there this morning so would be impassable for a couple of days.

Local chopper pilot tells me new bike track to the lake is a bloody disgrace and DOC should be held accountable for carving up the land. He said you can spot it from 5000ft.

Any chance you could email me some of your pics?

[monchopper]

Hey CountryGuy
Have you ever had a look at Peters Pass? On the Cadastral map there are a number of tracks from the Tophouse Rd to the Waiau River and then links up to Lake Guyon via the Stanley River. I had a quick look on Google Earth and there are some tracks on the ground. Have a look at the Peters Pass Photo on Google Earth. It is definitely motorbikable.

cheers