Fiordland

[White trash]

Hey has anyone ridden from Monowai to West Arm following the transmission tower track?

Drew did it about 12 years ago in a 4WD when maintaining the lines and reckons it could be quite a good ride.

Just looked as best I could on Google and the track looks pretty gnarly in places with a few good ranges thrown in for good measure. Not sure if it's accessible or not either.

[Eddieb]

Geez, I wouldnt want to do the ride there on a 250.

I'll be going through Te Anau next Thursday but don't think I'll have time for diversions beyond where I am already going.

[XF650]

Hey has anyone ridden from Monowai to West Arm following the transmission tower track?

Drew did it about 12 years ago in a 4WD when maintaining the lines and reckons it could be quite a good ride.

Just looked as best I could on Google and the track looks pretty gnarly in places with a few good ranges thrown in for good measure. Not sure if it's accessible or not either.

If it's the track I'v heard about even the moutain bikers have to carry their bikes in places.

[Howie]

If it's where I think it is then DOC don't allow vehicle accsess to it other than for power line maintainance. You can go from Monowai to the south arm over the Borland road, But not over percy saddle to the west arm. With a permit / Concession you can go over Wilmot pass road to Doubtful sound. Although I don't think you'd get one for riding a bike over as they all seem to be for tourism operators, comercial fisherman, or power station maintainance. You'd also have to take your bike across to the west arm on a boat

see attached pic for map:

Blue = can do

Red = not allowed

Green = permit needed


Cheers

Paul

[FJRider]

The "road" between South arm and West arm does not actually join up ... except as a VERY knarly WALKING track. Racing Dave tried this trip on a bike a few years back with no success ...

[Eddieb]

How long would it take to do a return run out to West Arm and back?

[White trash]

How long would it take to do a return run out to West Arm and back?

I have no fucking idea as I've never ridden "ADV" so to speak so don't know how far you can realistically travel in a day. Looks mean as though.

Monowai to South Arm should be a fairly easy day trip there and back I would have thought.

[Waihou Thumper]

Wilmot Pass from Deep Cove was all uphill....steep and twisty. The cove has a jetty and that's about it, the Manapouri tunnel race is there....
I surveyed that area in the RNZN. Running up each day at 1600 and then back down again....That was it for getting fit over there. The cliffs were steep, the water is deep, and you can saddle the Mozzies and ride them......Huge Fuk...rs they were.

[Eddieb]

I have no fucking idea as I've never ridden "ADV" so to speak so don't know how far you can realistically travel in a day. Looks mean as though.

Monowai to South Arm should be a fairly easy day trip there and back I would have thought.

Didn't expect you to Jimmy, one of then other guys will pop in at some time.

I have 460 mostly road km and a boat across a lake lined up for the day I'm around there so maybe I could do a run up to South Arm and have a nosy if it doesn't take too long. XF650 is telling me it's a bit of a must do down that way.

[Howie]

How long would it take to do a return run out to West Arm and back?

Hi Eddie, I think it is about 90km return from Monowai to the south arm, which is the bit you can do legaly. I have no idea on the time really, but would guess an hour to 1 1/2 hours each way allowing for pics. If you put Borland Road, or South Arm into the DOC site it'll come up with some info. Have good trip down south.

Cheers

Paul

[cooneyr]

No wheeled vehicle has ever completed the South Arm/West Arm route. There is about a 100m vertical step near Percy Shelter. Have a look at the contour lines on this topo and don't take any notice of what looks like a connected route. Only way to West Arm is by boat unless you walk.


If you get the opportunity its worth doing the tourist trap trip up the lake, down to Manapouri power house and over to Doubtful sound. My last year at Uni of Canty doing Eng. Geology course we got to have a look at all of this and about 500m up the new tunnel from the outlet. That's the sort of stuff that makes little boys want to become Engineers.

P.S. tunnel was about 1/2 constructed at the time!

[White trash]

If you get the opportunity its worth doing the tourist trap trip up the lake, down to Manapouri power house and over to Doubtful sound. My last year at Uni of Canty doing Eng. Geology course we got to have a look at all of this and about 500m up the new tunnel from the outlet. That's the sort of stuff that makes little boys want to become Engineers.

Yeah my dad worked at Manapouri when we first moved here from Port Hedland and then went on to Monowai. We used to spend holidays fishing the Waiau and on Manapouri in the boat. Can't really remember too much of it except for the boating and the snow in winter though so really want to get down there for some exploring.

[LBD]

I 4wded up to percy saddle from West Arm side about 5 years back, nice drive, very rough, especially over the active slip section with large boulders strewn over the road. No you cannot ride the Borland side.

Best bet if you want to ride the west side would be to natter with the power station barge operator...Meridian...and take the barge accross for the day. If you want to ride to Deep Cove you will need to buy a Wilmot pass permit from DOC in Te Anau. (Privately maintained road)

[FJRider]

No wheeled vehicle has ever completed the South Arm/West Arm route. There is about a 100m vertical step near Percy Shelter. Have a look at the contour lines on this topo and don't take any notice of what looks like a connected route. Only way to West Arm is by boat unless you walk.


If you get the opportunity its worth doing the tourist trap trip up the lake, down to Manapouri power house and over to Doubtful sound. My last year at Uni of Canty doing Eng. Geology course we got to have a look at all of this and about 500m up the new tunnel from the outlet. That's the sort of stuff that makes little boys want to become Engineers.

P.S. tunnel was about 1/2 constructed at the time!

The tunnel has "a bit" of water in it now ... I got a look inside the ORIGINAL tunnel whe IT was being built ...

Google earth has the Percy saddle clearly ....

During the construction of the transmission line, with an unlimited budget ... a connecting road was not possible. Shortest possible route for the line meant "difficulty" with a connecting road.

[almoto]

Here is a read out from a couple of MTB'r (not hard core kiwis) who did it from the West Arm side:

Quote:

The Missing Kilometre

We'd heard it was bad, but from up here it didn't look that bad. There was a note half buried in the dirt, about a week old.

To biker at Deep Cove
This are not fun!
Went to Percy's Saddle but returned.

Rasmus (Denmark)

He thought it was bad, and he must have been strong to get this far. Undeterred, we set off, following the marked route. To call it a path would be a compliment it did not deserve. After ten minutes I'd covered less than 50 yards and I was sweating like an Otago fruit-picker. It was that bad.

I removed my pedals and panniers, and the portage began. There were loose stones, loose plants, ensnaring bushes, slippery grasses, the works, and almost as steep as the leaning tower of Pisa. A pannier would roll down and have to be fetched. It was too rough to wheel the bike, and too steep and loose to carry it on my shoulder. I had to drag it along, lifting it over the tussocks and rocks, all the time making sure that I and my possessions didn't slip down. It wasn't long before I stopped worrying about the paintwork.

And then we got into the bush. There were fallen trees, great boulders, banks to climb up as well as down, and all slippery now it was raining again. Sometimes I'd get just ten yards, and think, I'm tired, time to go get the panniers. They say bikes have been abandoned in these woods.

It was getting late. We were tired and wet, out of water and snacks, and we couldn't see how far it was. From the top I had seen a flat area where the track restarted, and I thought we could camp there if we had to. So I set off with just the panniers. But it wasn't so far, and within half an hour I had the bike there too.

Four and a half hours for one goddam kilometre. Simon kissed the track and said, "Well that makes the Lairig Ghru seem like a Sunday picnic."

-Unquote

Of course the only possibility for motorised vehicles is from the South Arm side that means UPHILL what those guys did downhill.
Scree slopes and fallen trees, big rocks...lots and lots of swearing and swatting sandflies continuosly...just the way we like it
A super light bike, 2 people minimum, lots of time...and no rain (Tui anybody?)
and having to return again the same way...yeeha
Who gets the furtherests?
Who facks their bike the most doing it?