DB1k 08 - aka Dusty Butt 08

**NordieBoy** · 12th December 2007, 19:00

Hmmm...
Hey ZeRax this sounds like your riding area.
Any ideas?

**mattsdakar** · 12th December 2007, 19:30

I appreciate most of you are heading up to Nelson early for the street races, but some of us poor sacks have to work so I can only travel north on the 3rd or 4th.
Is there anyone else going up from Christchurch on these days, I'm not that keen on riding up on my tod so would appreciate the company

Cheers Matt

**RedKLR650** · 13th December 2007, 20:16

Originally Posted by PLUG

hope we get some rain in the high country soon ... fire risk is way up & DOC don't like that ... a few years ago Molesworth was never opened for the whole summer ...

Hi all, this won't affect the DB, but down here, the Haka valley and McKenzie is now under total fire ban for the same reason.....

Stu

**zeRax** · 13th December 2007, 21:22

hey, could go scout out more of northbank road this weekend, when i go trailriding up northbank i usually go on this other turn off before it goes down so far.

that is if i can see by then, bunch of rust was in my eye out of nowhere, thought it was chemicals, rust scratched my eye up, which would be ok-ish, but ive only really had the one good eye, so everything is blurry at the moment :\,

have some cream i gotta keep putting on it

**cooneyr** · 14th December 2007, 07:10

Originally Posted by zeRax

hey, could go scout out more of northbank road this weekend, when i go trailriding up northbank i usually go on this other turn off before it goes down so far.

that is if i can see by then, bunch of rust was in my eye out of nowhere, thought it was chemicals, rust scratched my eye up, which would be ok-ish, but ive only really had the one good eye, so everything is blurry at the moment :\,

have some cream i gotta keep putting on it

Would be cool if you can have a look. Couple of us might have a look between Christmas and New Years as well. Hope the eye improves.

Cheers R

**warewolf** · 14th December 2007, 12:06

Originally Posted by Lugzy23

This could mean we could avoid alot of the seal up the Wairau Valley and ride most of the Northbank road. I have no idea what sort of condition it is in and would depend on river flow at the time.

I've often looked at it on the map, and discussed it with outdoorsy friends who go tramping & climbing in that area... a big no go is what I tend to hear, in terms of riding all the way through. Heaps of fords that get worse and worse and are seriously dodgy for even well-equipped and experienced 4wders.

But I would like to see just how much we can do!

**cooneyr** · 14th December 2007, 12:27

Originally Posted by warewolf

I've often looked at it on the map, and discussed it with outdoorsy friends who go tramping & climbing in that area... a big no go is what I tend to hear, in terms of riding all the way through. Heaps of fords that get worse and worse and are seriously dodgy for even well-equipped and experienced 4wders.

But I would like to see just how much we can do!

I know maps are one thing and reality another but it would seem that there are a few bridges (as well as fords) on the way to Glengyle and Partriach Stations from SH6 along the North Bank Road. Councils very rarely tend to install bridges on the way to remote places like this and then leave whole road (bridges, fords and road itself) to turn to crap i.e. I would expect Northbank Road to be better than the Porika. From Glengyle and Partriach Stations to the potential Wairau crossing is about 7km with about four or five fords which look like they "should" be easier than crossing the Wairau.

Of course I could have completely missed your point and you are referring to the Wairau Crossing itself????

Definatly keen to investigate this but we should defiantly not commit the DB route to this without checking it out first.

Cheers R

**Lugzy23** · 14th December 2007, 16:50

Last time we were up that way the track up right to the the Goulter River was absoulutely sweet. However it is the route accross the Wairau that I dont know about. The that continues up past the Goulter and comes out by the Wash Bridge is a dead cert to be off limits due to fire risk in the pines. Ill take the TF up and if she ends up floating off down the river we will know it is a no go for the bigger bikes.

**JATZ** · 14th December 2007, 17:48

Sorry about the picture, not the sort of thing you should be seeing on a bike site, but this gives you an idea of the depth of the ford accross the wairau and what the bottoms like There's another couple of small creek type crossings before this one with slightly bigger rocks.

The Lake Challice track is not far past the end of the Onamalutu loop which would add about another 54 k's to the trip if the Molesworth is shut.

**cooneyr** · 15th December 2007, 08:02

Originally Posted by Lugzy23

Last time we were up that way the track up right to the the Goulter River was absoulutely sweet........

Thanks for that - sounding positive so far.

Originally Posted by JATZ

Sorry about the picture, not the sort of thing you should be seeing on a bike site, but this gives you an idea of the depth of the ford accross the wairau and what the bottoms like There's another couple of small creek type crossings before this one with slightly bigger rocks.

The Lake Challice track is not far past the end of the Onamalutu loop which would add about another 54 k's to the trip if the Molesworth is shut.

That pic is pretty telling. Water is probably not much deeper than about 15/16 inches given the look of the tyres on the truck. The height of the wave upstream is pretty small so would assume that the current is not very fast. Lastly the stones are pretty small and there is enough sand to keep everything stable. I know what assume equals but if that is the worst crossing then this route is looking like a goer (if we need it!).

We defiantly don't need any more distance i.e. Lake Chalice. We were just after a Plan B if the Molesworth is closed that doesn't involve the just riding the State Highway 63 seal up the Wairau Valley.

Cheers guys.
R

**NordieBoy** · 15th December 2007, 10:46

Originally Posted by cooneyr

Lastly the stones are pretty small and there is enough sand to keep everything stable.

But thin tyres + gravelly riverbed = digging in.

I'm up for testing it - Who's coming with me

**JATZ** · 15th December 2007, 11:39

Keen for a look nordie, when are you thinking of going, I think I'm booked up tomorrow,can let you know later

**NordieBoy** · 15th December 2007, 11:41

Not this weekend.
Classic MX tomorrow over in Taparewa.

When are you up this way Mr CooneyR?

**Transalper** · 15th December 2007, 15:04

Here's a summery of our first attempt..
Our version of the Dusty Butt 1000km in 24 hours mostly shingle roads all hilly and winding. This is the summery of our first attempt on the 10th more... March 2007 which didn't exactly go as planned. We had two flat tyres and had to share a key for two gates in the Rainbow. That on top of BusaJim taking a passenger on the BMW and the fact most of us didn't get a decent sleep the night before because we had been riding to the start which was in Nelson slowed us to the point of not being able to finish within the 24hours.
The part in this video is the 5:30am start, over the Maungatapu, through some forestry zigzagging our way to Blenheim, then up the Black Birch range to the top of Mt Altimarloch and back, (two flat tyres already) through the Molesworth in to Hanmer, through the Rainbow Station to St Arnaud where some called it a day. The rest went over the Porika and Braeburn tracks to Murchison where there was another flat tyre and my headlight was only working on high beam. At 11:40pm the rest of us called it there and rode another hour and a half back to Nelson.

There be another video in a few weeks of the rest of the route done on other days, and a 2008 version after we have another crack at the whole thing on the 5th January 2008.

Dusty **** Attempt 1 full version