Sunday, April 23, 2017

Old Man's range - from Roxburgh to Alexandra and back

Welcome to my blog about biking in New Zealand! Note that it's written in Swedish AND English, with the Swedish version first, followed by the English version in italic font. Enjoy your reading!

Jag har inte uppdaterat min blogg pa jattelange nu! Det ar av tva anledningar: 

1) Jag ar just nu i den sa kallade "thesis-writing cave" med bara ett par manader kvar pa min PhD och 
2) min kamera ar usel och jag maste skaffa en ny. 

Jag har gjort en hel del mountain bike turer, och egentligen massor som jag vill dela med mig av. Den senaste ar absolut vart en post, aven om bilderna ar av valdigt dalig kvalitet. Jag och min polare Mary pratade om att gora en tur upp till Obelisk pa Old man's range. Jag cyklade upp till Obelisk med Blair forra aret, och skulle garna vilja gora en tur i ar ocksa. Jag foreslog samma tur till Mary, och hon svarade "kan vi gora en langre tur"? Jag sa bara "...ok... vi gor en langre tur" och funderade ganska skrackslaget vart egentligen gransen gar for henne!  Men jag har ju lange velat cykla fran mitt hus, upp Coal Creek, over till Waikaia bush road, via Old man's range till Obelisk och ner Prospect hill track, sa jag var ju forstas glad att fa sallskap av Mary och Dave. Efter en frukost i Alexandra (den basta frukost jag atit pa lange), klockan 5 pa eftermiddagen, cyklade vi hem till Roxburgh. Det blev 105 km, 2670 m ackumulerad stigning, och det var sa vart det! Det ar fantastiskt dar uppe pa berget, kallt och blasigt, och det branner i benen... men sa vackert och allt gar sa mycket lattare med fantastiskt sallskap! Vi hade inte ens kommit upp till Obelisk innan vi borjade planera nasta aventyr... kan knappt vanta!!!

Kolla in varan tur pa Strava har:
 https://www.strava.com/activities/935925903/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-US&v=1491811352


I haven't updated my blog for a very very long time, of two reasons:

1) I am right now in the so called "thesis-writing cave" with only a couple of months to submission of my PhD thesis 
2) My camera is crap

I have done quite a few mountain bike rides, and I have lots that I'd like to share. The last one I did with Mary and Dave is absolutely worth a post, even though the photos are of crap quality. Me and my friend Mary talked about doing a ride up to the Obelisk on Old Man's range. I biked up to the Obelisk with Blair last year and wanted to do it again this year. I suggested the same ride to Mary, and she replied "can we do a longer one"? I just answered "...ok... let's do a longer one", and I wondered where the heck the limits are? I wanted to do a ride from my house, up Coal Creek, up to Waikaia bush road, via Old man's range up to Obelisk and down Prospect hill track for quite a while now, so of course I was stoked to have Mary and Dave's company. After a 5 pm breakfast in Alexandra (the best breakfast I've had in quite a while) we biked back home to Roxburgh again. The ride added up to 105 km with 2670 m of climbing, and it's so worth it. It's cold and windy and rough up on the Old Man's range, and the legs are burning... but so amazing up there and everything is so much easier when cruising with such awesome company. We didn't even reach the Obelisk before we started planning for the next big mission... I can't wait!

Check out the ride on Strava here:
 https://www.strava.com/activities/935925903/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-US&v=1491811352



Towards Waikaia bush road.

On our doorstep.

Dave chasing sheep. 

Two keen biking fellas.

Obelisk far in the distance.

Hyde rock at 1673 m. I was relieved Dave didn't fall down, he was too close to the edge.

View over Central Otago, from Hyd rock (1673 m).

Finally at the Obelisk, it's still standing there at 1682 m.