This weekend I completed by first Brevet, it sure was a goodie! This one got me excited as it included the Queen Charlotte track which I had tramped & run but never biked & I figured it would be a good kick start to my Godzone training!
These events are VERY social. You get a suggested route but its up to you how much you do & there are always options to add or remove sections depending on how you feel. You can ride as individuals, teams or whoever you feel like riding with!
It was great to see a taster circuit alongside the full circuit & this attracted some newcomers who wanted to see what all this Brevet stuff was about.
There were some interesting gear set ups on the bikes, strange shaped bags, bottles, jandles & odd contraptions strapped in all sorts of places! However as it was just a 2 day event most folks were packing light & making the most of the available accommodation & food on the track.
The circuit started from beautiful Anakiwa. Within a few kilometers of starting I could see the attraction of this style of adventure, it’s a super way to see places! You go at your own pace, can stop when you want to. We travelled on a mix of road, 4WD & single track. The key things to remember as you pedaled away soaking in the scenery were plenty of antichafe, eating & drinking as you definitely burn through a lot of calories & could burn through your bottom if not careful!. Our first day consisted of approx 130km & 3000m of climbing. We finished on some fun muddy QC single track through to Miners Camp where we got the most amazing welcome from Gillian & Graham who are the new owners. They have ducks, chooks & a garden full of fruit/nut tress & vegetables. After a shower and a home cooked banquet (with excellent vegetarian dishes) fit for ravenous bikers we swapped stories with Ian & Wendy then crashed for the night. Breakfast the following morning set us up for another big day of approx 60km & 1600m ascent with heaps of fun muddy single track which was made quite exciting with the extra weight on the bikes. It was sad to see the end of the track despite 190km & 4600m of ascent it was a fantastic adventure & a perfect weekend. Thanks to John, Hannah & Chris for lots of fun along the way.
For upcoming Flahute Brevets check out:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Theflahute/events/
Sounds Fishy Circuit:
Miners Camp
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