Fush 'n' Chups

For the very few people who care about such things, over the past couple of months I’ve tackled a few new tracks at the Eskdale MTB park, and more recently at “Craters of the Moon” at Taupo.

Eskdale

Dingo & Ziggity

These tracks are heaps of fun, just a good fun ride that’s not too strenuous. Had one nasty fall on Dingo when my front wheel slipped over the edge of the track, but that was just through my own stupidity.Dingo ends with a nice fast run down to the map board at the Taits Rd end of the park.

Blackberry

A pretty short track, rated an intermediate level of difficulty. Few trick parts, most of the track is taken at low speed. Really fun, wish it was longer.

Overall, these three tracks, along with Sandpit, make a nice circuit. Enter via Taits Rd, ride around Sandpit, come back and do Blackberry, then head up Dingo. Come back along Ziggity, do Dingo again, then if you’re feeling energetic head up Zip, and then fly back down. If you don’t use your brakes you should almost make it all the way back to the car park.

Also, they Eskdale crew have put in some snazzy new signs (see below).

Taupo -Tourist Trap

After a big day the day before riding around in the mud in Rotorua, I only had the legs for a short ride at the Craters of the Moon park in Taupo. Decided on Tourist Trap as it sounded gentle, and let’s face, I’m still basically a tourist.

Now, this is only judging from one track, but this park makes up for it’s small number of open tracks (4-5, but decent distance-wise) by having some of the best maintained and laid out tracks I’ve ridden on. It was absolutely brilliant fun, and the few climbs were well worth it for the fast downhill parts you get.

Shall definitely be going back soon to try a couple of the other tracks.