Karapoti - Devils Staircase/Rock Garden

**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/sh...ad.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

**Fryin Finn** · 11th July 2007, 08:14

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.

**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

)

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

Originally Posted by Fryin Finn

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

on the TLR, challenging

on the GAS GAS and expensive

on anything bigger?

**NordieBoy** · 11th July 2007, 18:08

Originally Posted by Fryin Finn

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

I love quotes taken out of context

**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

Originally Posted by bart

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

Originally Posted by

Fryin Finn;1127884

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

Originally Posted by pete376403

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

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....