| |
|
 |
Coppermine - MaitaiThis is one of the most challenging rides close to Nelson. Allow 4 to 5 hours. Start with a steep climb up the Fringed Hill Classic from Brook St. If your hill climbing skills are up to the mark you can clean it right to the top of the Fringe. If this isn't your thing take the more sedate ascent up the Fringed Hill Road from Tantragee Saddle. From the top of Fringed Hill head into the bush along Black Diamond Ridge with its numerous challenges to join the Dun Mountain track above Third House. Continue along the Dun Track to Coppermine Saddle then follow the cairns down the other side to enter a track that has been cut through the bush. The track links up with the track down to the Maitai from Dun Saddle. Most of the track through the bush and scrub is unrideable. Once you reach the main track, known as Boulder Valley, there is a challenging boulder strewn channel down the mountain. See how much of it you can ride. Eventually you reach a section that has been upgraded with a digger. There are some good hairpins on this section which leads down into some bush and crosses the South Branch of the Maitai where the track to Maitai Caves leads off. Head on down on a good trail which turns into a 4WD road. This changes to singletrack again if you keep to the true left and takes you to a footbridge across to the Maitai Rd just below the Maitai Dam. Ride down the Maitai Rd back to Nelson. 
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
