Fringed Hill

Fitness level required :    Time to complete:         Technical level :

Good fitness required Anything from 1-2 hours depending on fitness Easy - Moderate

This is another very popular training and fitness ride easily accessed from Nelson. To get to the start of the loop, ride out from Nelson up the Brooke Valley road until you get to the turn off to the beginning of the Dun Mountain Railway track. Waypoint 1  (S41 17.403  E173 17.560)  Start of Dun Mountain Codgers Connection. From here travel up the track for about 15 minutes past the waterworks and up to the top of the Tantragee Saddle. This is a multi use track so please give way to the walkers and watch for bikes coming the other way as this is a very popular piece of track. Waypoint 2  (S41 17.628  E173 18.553) Tantragee Saddle From the Tantragee Saddle carry on upward and over the gate at the start of the Fringed hill Road. From here it's a long grind all the way up to the top of the road to the carpark at the top, this can be a real gut buster if you have been out on the town the night before! Waypoint 3  (S41 18.654  E173 18.640)  Top of the climb at the Carpark.	View over Nelson from top of the Fringe.
From here you can have a bit of an explore further up the hill if you like to the transmitter tower and viewing area at the very top of the hill. Or if you are into Downhill and can handle a bit of grade 6 there is always the Devils Tail National Downhill that heads off down the ridge from the carpark and brings you out at the gate at the bottom. Presuming that you want to carry on and do the loop, take the 4x4 road off to the left at the carpark, over the gate and get ready for a downhill blast. The track down is great for all grades of riders depending on the velocity they choose to do it at! Eventually you come out at the 4 way intersection with the Dun Mountain Track. Waypoint 4  (S41 19.202  E173 17.750)  Intersection with Dun Mountain Track From here take the track to the right that goes uphill and follow the Dun Mountain Track back down to the gate at the bottom. Once again making sure you give way to walkers and other riders on the way up. Waypoint 5  (S41 17.758  E173 18.270)  Gate at bottom of Dun Mountain Track From here you can either turn right and blast back down the road or the Codgers Connection you came up on, or turn left and take the track back down to the road. Assuming you turn left, follow the track down, negotiating the steps at the bottom and avoiding the drainage cuts in the track. Waypoint 6  (S41 17.721  E173 17.955)  Bottom of Dun Mountain Track From here turn left and take the road back to town, or turn right and then left by the gardens to ride through the park and down the river track back to where you started.	Descending the track from the top of the Fringe