We are collecting and sharing individual experiences of riding on The Heaphy Track so you can see what others have done. This will give you some confidence and understanding of whether you may be capable of doing the same type of ride.
This story is an active resource (we will be constantly adding to it) and sharing peoples experiences and comments. Information on FAMILIES riding the Heaphy coming soon…
Have you ridden the Heaphy? Your story could appear here…
Simply hit the goRide Sharing button above and complete the questions.
RIDING THE HEAPHY TRACK
Date of ride – include month & year along with a brief description of the weather
Nov 2017 – weather was misty drizzle along the top otherwise fine
Gender: M/F
Female
Age
44
Describe your riding level or how often you usually ride
Experienced intermediate mountain bike rider. When the weather is good 2/3 times a week.
Multi Day or Day Ride:
Two days – from Golden Bay to West Coast
Describe how you did the ride. Time/distance/days etc
Two days riding after spending the night in Golden Bay to start the track early on the first day. Stayed at James McKay Hut around 40kms of riding on the first day including the big 17.5km climb up to the first hut we passed. Second day was a cruisy downhill and out along the beach front – 36km.
Share with us your experience of the ride, what did you think of the trail? Why?
Beautiful, stunning track with diverse landscape and wildlife. Great terrain – challenging uphill but well worth the effort. The section along the beach is super fun, so make sure you have enough energy left to enjoy it. I highly recommend doing this ride but you need to be well prepared by being fit then you can enjoy it
Any tips or comments for others
I managed to ride with most of my gear on my bike – just a water bladder and some food in by backpack this kept me pretty comfortable. I would recommend being very strict with your packing – doing 2 days helps with this. Very well maintained track and easy to mountain bike along but you do get a bit shook up at times – be prepared for flat tyres, our group of 4 riders had one tyre go. Two days makes the experience quick would be a more relaxed trip if you had more time to stop and take in the surroundings – don’t be afraid to stop along the way and explore rather than just stopping at the huts.
Date of ride – include month & year along with a brief description of the weather
October 2018. Started raining on climb up to Perry Saddle. After Perry temp dropped to -4 degrees, heavy rain and a bit of snow, days after were beautiful and clear.
Gender: M/F
Female
Age
43
Describe your riding level or how often you usually ride
Intermediate, ride about once a week
Multi Day or Day Ride:
Multi Day
Describe how you did the ride. Time/distance/days etc
Started from Golden Bay end, with 3 other adults and a 13 year old. Left van which was relocated to the Karamea end. First night at Saxon Hut, second night at Heaphy Hut.
Share with us your experience of the ride, what did you think of the trail? Why?
The first day we had quite a full on experience, got wet, then freezing cold, so cold that we couldn’t feel our hands to use the gears and brakes anymore so had to shelter at Gouland Downs Hut. Tried to get fire going which is tricky when you can’t use your hands and your whole body is shaking, and the chimney was leaking so there was a lake in the fireplace. A guy stumbled in who was quite close to hypothermia, got inside his sleeping bag and wasn’t talking. Eventually we managed to continue on to Saxon, such a relief to arrive at such a warm, beautiful hut. After that the weather was awesome, the ride was stunning, not technical really, very well maintained easy track. For me it was mainly about the scenery and the takahe.
Any tips or comments for others
Watch out for the weather…haha… technically not a difficult ride, definitely good for a slightly older family. On reflection we should have stopped at Perry Saddle and warmed up and rested before heading on with the weather turning so suddenly. The girls behind us did that and ended up staying the night there. Better to be safe. Take your time, enjoy it, it’s not a race.
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