Water, water, eveywhere, nor any drop to drink - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

There will points on the course where you will have views of several of the big Central Otago Lakes. Lakes such as Wanaka, Hawea and Dunstan. And you also be very thirsty at that point but with little in the way of drinkable water to be found!

Remembering that this is a self-supported adventure so how much water you carry, and when to replenish, is your responsibility. That said many have not traveled through the stark Central Otago landscape or may be aware of it's unique geography.

It is also the height of summer and it is not unusual for temperatures to reach mid 30's. Combined with the exertion of some climbs (Ok, a lot of climbing) water will become a focus of your journey one way or another.

We won't belabour the point by listing every possible location to gather water on the course but suffice to say several key sections will need to be managed carefully. On the Cycle Trail sections you should learn to fend for yourself as that is the way they have been designed to operate. However the high passes and ranges do present a challenge.

Omarama Saddle - No water till you descend to the Manuherikia West Branch. The river should be OK higher up but once several crossings have been made it is questionable what will wash off the other riders!

Thomsons Gorge - there are some small creek crossings but water will depend on how dry it has been in the week leading up to the brevet. Tarras would be your next opportunity.

Grandview Ridge - no water of any sort so be prepared. you may be able to get some at Long Gully farm but they may tire of being woken at all hours for cyclists wanting water. Hawea is your next option (the lake or the township?)

Pisa Range - Roaring Meg and the Kirtle Burn both should be drinkable but the choice is yours. Lake Mackay on the other side is largely feed from snow melt so should be alright also.

The Old Woman/Old Man Range - surprisingly there are water options. The first is slightly off track at the Old Woman Hut (300-400 metres off track) and the second is a snow feed stream crossing 2/3rds the way along the Old Woman Range. After that there is nothing till you get to Alex.

Swampy Ridge - nothing till you get to Karitane.

Ramrock Road - this is the big one! Devoid of water (though Bucklands Crossing may be an option?) it is a long, hot ride. There are properties alongside the road so if you are desparate then introduce yourself. But this leg requires the largest store of water. You may not find any available till you reach Hyde!

Oasis in the mountains, Lake Mackay on the Pisa Range

GSB 2016 Riders

With several big ticket events on this years rider numbers were expected to be lower but edging on 50 is not too bad.

For those looking for a last minute ride, or perhaps you don't know your neighbour is riding, the list of riders is below. If anyone needs contact details let know and I can ask to pass them on.
 

Given Name	Surname	City
Rob	Brown	Christchurch
Matthew	Hughes	Christchurch
Michael	Hoogeveen	Cambridge
Dave	Cooper	Christchurch
Rob	Harrow	Christchurch
Brian	Alder	Takaka
Steve	Gwilliam	Whangarei
Scott	Emmens	Christchurch
Ian	Huntsman	Christchurch
Wendy	Riach	Christchurch
Guy	Harvey	Perth
Fleur	Pawsey	Christchurch
Stew	Thomas	Dunedin
Hedley	Wilton	Lyttelton
Dean	Marshall	Dunedin
Stephanie	Smithson	Christchurch
Max	Doesburg	Christchurch
Gareth	Rapley	St Arnaud
Tony	Quinn	Perth
Rosie	Shakespeare	Christchurch
Craig	Shakespeare	Christchurch
Phil	Petersen	Wellington
Mark	Wallace	Lower Hutt
Mike	Sherwin	Lower Hutt
Stephen	Grant	Dunedin
Justin	Maxwell	Dunedin
Scott	Dunavan	Hampden
Jason	Brown	Lower Hutt
Nathan	Mawkes	Auckland
Andy	Jones	Lower Hutt
Jon	Jarratt	Christchurch
Russell	Lawry	Wanaka
Hamish	Pedersen	Whangarei
Rob	Davidson	Alexandra
Bryan	Prestidge	Timaru
Pascal	Saker	Wellington
Kim	Daubney	Christchurch
Allister	Adams	Christchurch
Hana	Black	Lyttelton
Russell	Shanks	Timaru
melanie	jarratt	chch
Aliesha	Pile	Christchurch
Cjell	Mone	Queenstown
Keith	Payne	Lake Tekapo
Hamish	Southcott	Christchurch

Tricky Navigation

There are a few spots where navigation can be tricky and these are highlighted below. If you are using Cue Sheets only and the odd printed map then these sections would be the ones to print off:

1. Cycle Trails - in general follow the signs, but they do tend to cross roads frequently and therefore you will find yourself looking back and forth for the next sign. Not sure how they think an in-experienced rider would fend. The lower Clutha Gold Trail in particular is all over the place.

Get familiar with your Cycle Trail signs

2. Grandview Ridge - it is simple, stay on the ridgeline if at all possible until Grandview Track. The junction with Grandview Creek Track is not marked yet so it can be tricky to find (and worse in the dark!).

NOTE: if you wish to print any of the maps then just click on the image and it will expand to full size. Then right-click and select 'Save Image' to download the image. You can then use an appropriate program to print/re-size/etc.

Joining the Grandview Creek Track is unmarked at the moment

3. Pisa Range - there are dozens of tracks around the Snow Farm and even on the ridge line several other tracks. Having detailed maps with the route here will help.

Access is via Roaring Meg Stream and not the upper tracks which are out of bounds, please heed the warning signs

The three way intersection on you way down can be tricky to get right

4. Swampy Summit - Once onto the bush track you need to know when to turn down to avoid too much bike pushing

A wrong turn could be a whole lot of bike pushing :-(

Be sure to read your Cue Sheet if you do have problems and be prepared to back track if necessary. Any of these sections in the dark and it will be that much more challenging.

Leg Descriptions for GSB 2016

Have added brief descriptions of each leg to help you prepare for what's ahead. Read these with the Cue Sheet and the Elevation profiles to know what each day holds in store for you. Or you could just hop on your bike and experience it all as it unfolds!

Think they know where they are going?

Check out the 'Leg Descriptions' tab above for the notes.

GSB 2016 Cue Sheet

Your directions for the ride.

Raw Cue Sheet done and ready for downloading. It is in Excel format (97-2003). If you have any problems with it just let us know. People can play with the format/layout to fit a size they can print and laminate if they wish.

Link to GSB 2016 Cue Sheet

You can hit the little down arrow in Google Drive to download the file.

Every year I manage to get a single direction the opposite to what it should be so a chocolate fish to the finder of this year's mislabeled turn!

Are you sure that last turn was supposed to be left?

GSB 2016 Course GPX

For those planning on using a GPS, or viewing and/or printing from a map package that can read GPX files, the course is available in GPX format.

The first link is with individual legs as tracks. Works well in Garmin handheld devices.

Link to GPX of GSB 2016 Course

For those having problems with multiple legs a single 'track' is in the second download link

Link to single track GPX of GSB 2016 Course

You can hit the little down arrow in Google Drive to download the file.

If you have an outdoor series Garmin GPS such as the Etrex, Dakota or Oregon then plug it into a USB port on your computer and wait for your computer to recognise it as a USB drive.

Then navigate to the Garmin drive (little blue triangle should appear next to it) and select the GPX directory on the drive (your device). Copy the downloaded GPX file into here.

Your Garmin device

The GPX directory on your device

Then use the Windows "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" to eject the device and unplug it and power it up.

Under "Track Manager" the listing should have the leg titles for the Great Southern Brevet 2016 and you are good to go. When you want to navigate select "Where To" and "Tracks" and the first leg of the Brevet.

Garmin Edge Cycling computer

If you are using a Garmin cycling device the process is slightly different as the directory you are looking for is "NewFiles". Once you have copied the file into this directory, disconnect and power up your device. You will find the Brevet legs under "Ride" and "Courses".

The other option is to use Garmin "Mapsource" or "Basecamp" to upload the GPX to the device. You run Mapsource or Basecamp and select "Import" to import the GPX file saved on your computer after you downloaded it.

Once it is imported you can select it and then hit the icon for uploading to your device (in Mapsource)  or right click and select "Send To" and choose your device (in Basecamp).

Using Garmin Basecamp to upload GSB Course to your device

If you have a non-Garmin device the file upload method should still work but the correct directory will be determined by the manufacturer of your device. Check the device manual or online help.

Either way you should be good to go. Now you just have to make those batteries last ;-)

The 'S' Word - Safety

Just a reminder you will traveling in some remote alpine areas during the Great Southern Brevet and although this is the height of summer the weather can change rapidly. Safety (yours) is paramount and as this is a self-supported adventure you will be the first and last decision maker on whether to proceed or not should the weather, or other obstacle, pose a problem.

The New Zealand Mountain Safety Council's Outdoor Safety Code (see http://www.mountainsafety.org.nz/safety-tips/ ) is a good starting point. Points 1 and 2 are pretty much taken care of as you will be following the GSB route and have a SPOT Tracker with you.  Points 3, 4, and 5 require you to be aware of the conditions. Below are a few of the hazards you should be aware of:

Snow

The 2012 edition of the Great Southern Brevet saw not one but two significant snow dumps in Central Otago during the week of the Brevet. Unusual enough to make the front page of the Otgao Daily Times.

Snap? It certainly was fast in 2012

Snow in the Hakataramea Valley in 2012

Be aware of the weather and know your limits. Crossing the Pisa Range or the Old Woman Range should only be done if conditions allow. There will be alternative routes for these crossings in case of extreme weather. They will be posted and added to the route GPX.

Wind

Yes, as benign as it might sound at altitude the wind can get up to astonishing speeds. The telltale sign is the presence of lenticular clouds. Those beautiful fluffy white shapes just above the ridgelines.

Lenticular cloud above the Cairnmuir Mountains in Central Otago

On the Pisa Range the area known as ''Sally's Pinch' just after Mt Pisa funnels wind through a narrow gap and winds speeds as so high not even lichen grows on the rocks.

Sally's Pinch on the Pisa Range, devoid of any vegetation

Crossing with a fully loaded bike on a windy day is a serious challenge.

Rivers

Rivers rise fast in heavy rain in the Mackenzie and Central Otago. The main river crossings you will encounter are in the Manuherikia West Branch. Although there have been previously reported to be a half dozen or so crossings of the river, more reliable sources put it at 17 to 20 crossings ;-)

A much nicer day to cross the river

Traffic

It goes without saying that you must assume all roads are open to vehicles and you could encounter a 4WD or Quad bike or other vehicle at any time. In general when you are off the main roads and on the back roads vehicle traffic is not so common.

However the route this year crosses several busy busy regional roads as well as crossing State Highway 1 in two places (near Dunedin). Please be wary of oncoming traffic and keep in mind your fully loaded brevet bike is not as nimble or fast accelerating as your usual ride.

Peak hour traffic again :-(

The Coast Road to Karitane crosses the railway line several times so caution is needed. Although there are no passenger services anymore there are frequent freight trains at all hours of the day so please check before flying through a crossing. From recollection most have signals but one or two do not.

Accomodation options

This years edition of the Great Southern Brevet offers many opportunities for spending a night or two away from the crowds. With huts located along the more remote sections you can put your feet up early and have a well earned rest amongst the best of central Otago back country.

With a easy start to the ride via the Alps to Ocean Alternate Trail many may reach the Oteake Conservation Area on the first evening. There are two huts and a conservation campsite down the Manuherikia West Branch.

The first hut in the Manuherikia West Branch is Top Hut:

Top Hut in the West Branch of the Manuherikia River

Further down the river is Boundary Creek Hut:

Boundary Creek Hut in the West Branch of the Manuherikia

And just as you leave the river heading towards St, Bathans there is the old Homestead Campsite. It is pretty basic but has a toilet and shelter.

The Manuherikia Huts are fairly low down and would be fairly comfortable at this time of year. Higher up on the Pisa Range there are two options to stay which may either provide a welcome rest before the crossing of the range, or respite from the weather if you have to wait for bad weather to subside.

Meadow Hut on the Waiorau Snow Farm

Meadow Hut interior

Closer to the top of the Pisa Range is Kirtle Burn Hut:

Kirtle Burn Hut on the Pisa Range

Kirtle Burn Hut interior

Early on up on the Old Woman Range is the Old Woman Hut:

Old Woman Hut

Old Woman Hut interior

Plenty of scope for a comfortable night in the hills!

Access to the Pisa Range

The Snow Farm Access Road is a toll road to vehicles ($20 per vehicle). Cyclists or walkers can travel up the road for no charge. The road provides a mostly rideable climb. The other option was the bike push up Tuohy's Gully.

The top of the access road just visible in the upper left of the photo

The ride up is worth it though!

Lake Mackay on the Pisa Range

The long (and not so winding?) road

Look away now if cycling uphill puts you off!

The rough elevation profiles are below. For the brave this helps plan your day of riding and for the not so committed it might just put fear into your heart.

Really it is not that bad. The scale changes greatly on the vertical axis (left axis) so some of the climbs are exaggerated (or at least that is the story I am sticking to!).

NOTE: if you wish to print any of the elevation profiles then just click on the image and it will expand to full size. Then right-click and select 'Save Image' to download the image. You can then use an appropriate program to print/re-size/etc. 

1070?

That's the magic number at the moment. Might end up a little longer as the GPS track is an approximation but 1070 kilometers is a start. Will try and get the elevation profiles done and an indication of the total climb. As you will hit 1900 metres on two occasions it is fair to say there will be the odd climb.

That's the course pretty much done and checked and hopefully only a few minor tweaks around obstacles. The dry weather (El Nino?) has been problematic with many forestry areas out of bounds due to the high fire risk (HINT: please don't go lighting any fires in areas with total bans).

 And yes, the GSB does reach the ocean! Coastal Otago is still Otago.

Quiet seaside community of Karitane

Will be a contrast from the stark Central Otago Landscape but don't worry you will quickly be back into it after a trip over the famous (or is that infamous) Ram Rock Road.

Will be interested in what people think of the 'Eastern' GSB course. The GSB now has 3 courses which it will alternate over consecutive years. The Original 'Central' course, the more recent 'Western' course, taking in Queenstown, and the present 'Eastern' course. There is still plenty of scope to have slight variations each year but the plan is to have 3 core courses to work with which take in the best of the Central South Island bike-packing.

Cue Sheet, Course GPX, and Leg Descriptions

Just working through the last few sections of access and checking of the route. Things are looking pretty good with a few changes between Lawrence and Ranfurly to be finalised by tomorrow.

The map will be updated and once that is done will look to finalise the Cue Sheet (your turn by turn instructions) and the course GPX (for download for those using GPS). Will also post some details about each leg so you will know what to prepare for and the odd bit to watch out for (obstacles or areas of tricky navigation).

Have tweaked a few areas to make the climbs a little less steep and more rideable while keeping things interesting. Some big country out there to explore! Overall it should be a little easier than the western Great Southern Brevet route used last time. Once you reach Alexandra the big climbs are out of the way (though there is still plenty of hills in Otago which need scaling).

Some scorching weather at the moment so here's hoping you get some of these views:

Lake Dunstan and Cromwell, after the big climb ;-)

First Class accommodation option

Fantastic riding across the top of Otago

And for something completely different! A bit of lush single track

Close up and personal with the local flora