Island Saddle (Rainbow Road) mid-winter adv ride

[cooneyr]

For the mad or just very keen how about a ride to Island Saddle (plus a little bit maybe) on Sunday the 22nd of July. Without snow this would be a long day ex Chch i.e. around 7 hours so with snow ????? Point of the day is to go adventuring in snow if we can find some.

Will need good knobbie tyres - I would suggest D606/MT21/EO9 or similar after my experience on Banks P last weekend. Will also need good warm gear.

Leave Chch from the Peg Pub (southern end of the Motorway) at 8.30. If it is raining it will be miserable as hell and no snow so wont go. No guarantees of snow though.

Basic route is via Sefton, Pyramid Valley, Hanmer and return. There are a few pylon tracks of the side of the main Island saddle road that could be worth a look.

Are any nutty enough?

Cheers R

[sAsLEX]

I drove , sorry, over there on New Years eve this year/last year and it snowed for a good hour or so of the journey then........... I don't really rate your chances of not getting snow!

[cooneyr]

I drove , sorry, over there on New Years eve this year/last year and it snowed for a good hour or so of the journey then........... I don't really rate your chances of not getting snow!

Plug rode over there on Boxing day last year or there abouts and got snow so am hopeful.

Cheers R

[warewolf]

Sounds like fun, but I'll have to give it a miss. Hoping to do a cross-country race that day... unless like last month it is canceled due to snow?!

What altitude is Island Saddle?

[cooneyr]

... unless like last month it is canceled due to snow?!

Go the snow

What altitude is Island Saddle?

Bout 1370m.

For the Nelsonites - I don't think we will get through the Rainbow so will have to come down to Hanmer first.

Cheers R

[warewolf]

Nordie will be racing, too.

Were you planning to stay on the publicly-accessible southern side of the locked gates?

[cooneyr]

Nordie will be racing, too.

Were you planning to stay on the publicly-accessible southern side of the locked gates?

Yep - don't intend on getting the key. Point is to play in snow and once past Island Saddle there will be less and less.

Cheers R

[nigelp]

Would love to come but dont think my skills/bike would be up to it! Have fun though!!!!

[Garry.W]

dont think my skills/bike would be up to it

How will you know
if you don't go
and have fun in the snow
with friends down below

Poetry 101

We'd better see some pics of this jaunt from those who are just mad enough to make it

[Transalper]

Are any nutty enough?

Cheers R

What kind of dumb ass question is that of course i'm enough to go.

And including the Pyramid Valley again gives me that start half an hour late wait half an hour in hamner back up plan again. I'll try to get there on time

My last snow ride was Lees valley on the Transalp using Mitas E09 tyres, was a fun day.

[cooneyr]

What kind of dumb ass question is that of course i'm enough to go.

And including the Pyramid Valley again gives me that start half an hour late wait half an hour in hamner back up plan again. I'll try to get there on time

I thought you would be up for it if you weren't busy. I think we should maybe meet up in Hanmer this time All got a little interesting for me last time we didn't (not that not meeting up had any bearing on my incident).

Righty - ones enough, time for me to go find a rear tyre. There will be pics of this trip!

Cheers R

[Skinny_Birdman]

Would you consider waiting for a little ol' two fitty?
I'd probably stay in Culverden with friends, either one way or both, but if you think there's too much road then I'll forget about it.

[Transalper]

Would you consider waiting for a little ol' two fitty?
I'd probably stay in Culverden with friends, either one way or both, but if you think there's too much road then I'll forget about it.

Shoot man, i was just going to send you a heads up on this ride.

[cooneyr]

Shoot man, i was just going to send you a heads up on this ride.

What he said.

Cheers R

[bell]

It's quite possible you'll find a metre of snow at Island Saddle. I was talking to a bloke at last years' Rainbow Rage and he'd tried to get over the pass at some point the previous winter and found more than a metre up there. Suffice it to say that he had difficulty getting over it. He was on a 650GS.

Keen to see the pics from your ride folks.