The brokeback mountain ride.

**Crisis management** · 7th March 2010, 14:03

Seeing as I'm too broke to go to the CCA, it's a there and back again type ride and there's a mountain somewhere near.........

Latte riders would like to invite any willing participants to turn up at 10.00am on saturday 20th March in the middle of Te Aroha to re-enact your favourite Paris-dakar scene up Thompsons track in the Kaimais.

My usual disclaimers, I have never been there before (I don't even think I've been to Te Aroha so thats two navigational firsts in one day coming up) so have no idea what we are going to find but what I am expecting is: clay track up a hill and down the other side with some muddy bits, the worst of which is on the downhill side. Obviously if it pisses down before the 20th it will be slipperier and my half worn tyres will become marginally useless......should be entertaining!

Following the conquering of the Kaimais a suitable pub will be located where we can tell lies about how good we were and try and get a cohesive story knocked into shape for public consumption.

Thats the organising bit, post any suggestions in here, gems of wisdom and rash commitments to turning up.

So in summary.....10.00am saturday 20th March in Te Aroha (somewhere) for a 10.30 departure...I'm on a discretely coloured bright orange KTM 640 so fairly hard to miss.

If anyone wants to ride down from Auckland I'm taking the Firth of Thames coastal route down!

**dino3310** · 7th March 2010, 14:10

awesome mate. Just remember to go around the puddles on the eastern side. if you have any issues with bikes getting up the western side then i wouldnt atempt the eastern decent.
i would love to join you but the pig wont be ready by then.

someones gonna bite at that name

**Waihou Thumper** · 7th March 2010, 14:16

Okay...sounds good.
Saturday is a very busy day, if the weather is fine, every man and his dog will be up there in their 4WD cages. having said that, it would also be prudent to really be careful on the blind corners. It is a second gear, first gear track anyway Iain. A little different to the 42 Traverse but fun all the same. I can't commit to this yet but if things pan out I might be a starter seeing this is in my back yard an all....I do know of a good ford on the way back, the guys can rinse the bikes off and have a bit of fun going in and out...(ford that is) not brokeback style...

**Eddieb** · 7th March 2010, 16:49

oh goody, please please please take lots of cameras for the carnage, especially if it's been raining in the few days before.

**Padmei** · 7th March 2010, 16:55

Damn I should have bought that bike Eddie. Wadidit go for in the end?

**Eddieb** · 7th March 2010, 17:06

$4K and it's one of the most fun bikes I have ever owned. It just lapped that stuff up and plowed through it.

**Crisis management** · 7th March 2010, 17:06

Originally Posted by Eddieb

oh goody, please please please .............................

Where's the momentum Eddie, none of this paddling your way through.....

No doubt there will be incriminating evidence produced after!

**Eddieb** · 7th March 2010, 17:14

Originally Posted by Crisis management

Where's the momentum Eddie, none of this paddling your way through.....

You can't see what I'm riding over

There were tree trunks laid across the track under there at irregular intervals, it certainly wasn't smooth.

It's a fun track, lots of variation and every time you go up there it's different. it could be extremely wet or bone dry, smooth as a babys bum or a rutted nightmare. If it's wet it's better to be REALLY wet as otherwise the first section is gluggy clay with the consistency of wet cement.

You won't get out of 2nd but there's sections where you will romp along in 2nd, then you will turn a corner and it will be first gear balancing along some ridge between 4x4 tracks or dodging rocks.

**.chris** · 9th March 2010, 18:39

I would be keen for this ride just about any weekend other than the one you have planned.

damn.... next one eh!

**MXNUT** · 9th March 2010, 19:07

Originally Posted by Crisis management

gems of wisdom and rash commitments to turning up.

So in summary.....10.00am saturday 20th March in Te Aroha (somewhere) for a 10.30 departure...I'm on a discretely coloured bright orange KTM 640 so fairly hard to miss.

My gem of wisdom would be to take the 200 instead ....... its easier to drag out of the mud bogs

**dino3310** · 9th March 2010, 19:35

Originally Posted by MXNUT

My gem of wisdom would be to take the 200 instead ....... its easier to drag out of the mud bogs

or get through them quicker to get camera ready

**rogerh** · 9th March 2010, 20:51

Originally Posted by c.h.r.i.s

I would be keen for this ride just about any weekend other than the one you have planned.

damn.... next one eh!

Me too. Maybe another time??

**Crisis management** · 9th March 2010, 20:54

Originally Posted by MXNUT

My gem of wisdom would be to take the 200 instead ....... its easier to drag out of the mud bogs

But then it's just a trail ride! Looks like I'm praying for no rain for 10 days, I promise to post a truthfull and fully photograpically documented account.

Bunch of girls blouses........

**Motu** · 10th March 2010, 11:46

It would be a good ride for old trials bikes Iain....you can go a lot further than you can on an ADV bike,and less sweating too.I'm not up to a real trial these days...but a bit of a trail ride might be doable.