Da Alpine Epic Bro

Months ago I signed me 'n a bro, Byron Wright ;) , up for this 4 day 5 stage mountain bike race from Mt Somers to Lake Tekapo called the Alpine Epic. This short 243km ride with a measly 6300m ascent was the first of it's kind in New Zealand and Aroha Nui Nui ('Big Big Love' NZ Style) was going to knock it down. In case you need some assistance with the metric conversion: 150.9932 miles and 20,669.2913 feet of Ascent but really it was more, I just don't have the details handy 8)

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If you want the Google Earth tracks let me know and I'll email them. Below I'll include a map but it's not the route we took.
Click here for my pictures and here for Bryon's and here for race results
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I had done a few training rides but Bryon Epic Wright figured he'd just wing it. Now that takes balls. Our goal from the beginning was to finish and have a good time so we stopped here and there to take photos whilst people zoomed past us with perplexed looks like "WTF mate, are you a tourist?!?!" We did finish and with every passing minute after that point BW's hind sight was convincing him that he had a great time. Many things were said and I found his quote the day afte the race to be most suiting "What is said on the mountain stays on the mountain." In all my years not of riding w/ the guy I've never heard him whine so much LOL I love you B!

It was an auspisious start; the forecast looked good, our bikes were not damaged during the flight and we were together for another big long ride.
We took off from Mt Somers on the tar seal (asphalt) for a bit then onto some shingle (gravel) roads and then onto farm land using 4wd tracks, mud bog paddocks, tussock hills and of course the occasional sheep and game trail. Day 1 was pretty short and easy we started around noon and finished the 35km ride in under 3 hours. Camp was made at Inverary Station (Farm/Ranch) on soft, luscious green grass that had sheep shit all over... I'm pretty sure I've now eaten more than my fare share of shit. My tyres (tires) and those of the people in front of me had me covered in mud and dung each day.
After a quick clean up of me and the rig we had some time to kill before dinner so we watched an episode of the Simpson on my PSP. Of course I brought entertainment: 5 Simpsons episodes, The Bucket List, Family Guy season 6, Once Were Warriors and ... I brought a book too, An Empire's New Cloths, but that didn't get much use on the trail; airport and plane reading. I also brought my IPOD which got destroyed by water from all the stream crossings on day 3! :( It plays still but the screen is completely dead... Hey there's a gift idea for ya ;D
Day 2's start time was pushed back, hell ya, from 8 to 9am but breakfast was still from 6-7 :( Grub then back to bed for another hour. Today was going to be our first real test. Two stages: 35km-1250m and 15km-220m. Today's routes were changed so the 35km was little shorter and the 15km was longer, I think it was close to a wash. Stage two was a difficult climbs at times up to Brown hut. BW's egg beaters were destroyed and we were just hoping they would make it the rest of the day. On the back side of Brown Saddle was our first real downhill. There was a check point at the saddle but B just wanted to get it over with, he's not happy when he doesn't know how many climbs to expect; damn route changes... This downhill was over 600 m in less than 5 k and dropped us out into a valley and then the Rangitata River where rafts were working to ferry all of us across(t). After an hour of waiting around we were finally on the other side with cold muscles and not so ready to start stage 3. This was all on shingle roads to the Rangitata Rafting company. Here we found out why BW was struggling so much, his BB was shot and it was pushing against his chainring. What a struggle he had today. We stopped some 4 times to tighten it up as best we could w/ a leaterman and rock hammer. Camp was a great location with hot sausages, a bike wash and warm showers; high school style, with towel snapping and all.
Another great dinner and we had the luck again. Dinner was served buffet style and each table was called individually. Three of the nights we were first in line whilst others waited at least another half an hour to grub, we blamed it on the Headless Horsemen and they said it was us. Either way we ate good and made some pretty cool new eating and riding buddies. Well at least B will have some new riding buddies, they were from Auckland. It was a fitful night of rain and an ontime start the next morning.
Stage 4 was to be the monster 80km-2150m. A big climb up and over Coal Hill then a long and steady climb up the Hewson River Valley down then up to Meikleburn Saddle before making the short 17km road ride, complete with head wind, to Sherwood Hall. More sausages, bike cleaning, drying of wet cloths and the tent and chating up a storm w/ the other riders about the day's rugged ride. We were riding w/ some of the best riders in the country, many men and woman that are or were national champions in mountain biking and cycling. Which brings us to the last day.
Day 4 an 8:30 road race starts out on the shingle road for about 15km. Mountain bike racers are sketchy in draft formation! So many brake taps and gaps opening up constantly. Today BW and I were in race mode. Not really by choice but we weren't about to be working outside the pelaton when there was energy to be saved. This went on for a long time like 40minutes until the first real climb and the group broke. O well back to kick'n it mode :D Well not really but we didn't keep race pace for sure. The Horsemen finally passed us and we didn't see them the rest of the day. The route had been changed again and we were told at the first check point we had an hour and a half to go... over 3 hours later and many many endless climbs, riverbeds and valleys we pulled into Lake Tekapo! B's spirits were low and I've never heard the guy go on like that. It was a hard day and raining the last 30 minutes of it to boot. Nothing at the finish :( no ride set up, no sausages... We got our gear to the campgrounds, drama, cleaned up with a 4 dollar shower; damn good shower by the way and it was time to get our drink on. We had to hitch to the awards ceremony... There was Moa beer and wine to drink while we looked at the $10/each photos taken by the official picture taker dude. We both bought 2, I'll get them in the post soon and he said I could get jpeg's too, we'll see. There were awards, much banter amongst all of us and then a drunk'n stumble back to the campgrounds. What a great race! There's probably some more tidbits but I can't be bothered just now. It's 1am! Say good night Gracy!


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