Sprint Brevet in Early January 2012?

Well not quite a Brevet but navigation practice that may come in handy once you start your adventure on January 21st, 2012. Check out http://www.otagomtbo2012.co.nz/ for a weeks worth of mountain bike orienteering events in Central Otago.

www.otagomtbo2012.co.nz

Distances will be a tad shorter (~20km/day) compared with your days out on the Great Southern Brevet but you can get a taste of the landscape, riding and food around Central Otago. A great way to get back on the bike if you have overdone the Christmas/New Years Cheer and need some motivation. The navigation practice certainly won't go astray!

GSB 2012 Leg Mileages

These are estimates from the GPX track of the route.  Checking against routing calculations on the GPS and actual GPS tracks would indicate the error over the distance covered on the ground would average 2 to 3 %. So overall the ride would be 1042.2 * 1.025 = 1068.2 kms. Not that far really! Average 133 kms/day over the 8 days ;-)


Leg 1   Tekapo to Otematata           102 km
Leg 2   Otematata to Oturehua       104 km
Leg 3   Oturehua to Wanaka            105 km
Leg 4   Wanaka to Cromwell            57.7 km
Leg 5   Cromwell to Garston            81.1 km
Leg 6   Garston to Waikaia               88.8 km
Leg 7   Waikaia to Alexandra           99.4 km
Leg 8   Alexandra to Middlemarch 141 km
Leg 9   Middlemarch to Ranfurly    60.2 km
Leg 10  Ranfurly to Kurow             100 km
Leg 11  Kurow to Tekapo                103 km
                                                        --------------------
                                                            1042.2km

The longest distance without a shop/store is the 141kms of Leg 8 Alexandra to Middlemarch (there is a pub in Poolburn and accomodation in Moa Creek). By comparison, the longest leg without a shop/store on the Kiwi Brevet is the 205kms of Leg 1 Blenheim to Hamner Springs. Thats over double the distance GSB riders will have to travel on Day 1 to reach their first replenishment stop in Otematata.

Leg 1 Tekapo to Otematata Description

Leg 1 is designed to ease you into the weeks adventure. It is relatively easy riding on 'mostly' good back country roads. The climbs are gentle and the views spectacular.

There will be a neutralised section on the road from the Church of the Good Shepherd (the official start/finish point) till hitting the trail proper. This is to allow all riders to safely cross State Highway 8 in Tekapo township. The start could have been down an obscure track but the shores of Tekapo set the scene much better!

The track exits the streets of Tekapo and follows power project roads to the Tekapo river (riding alongside the Tekapo/Pukaki Canal).

Tekapo/Pukaki Canal

The next section is a more vague track alongside the Tekapo river as you head towards Lake Benmore. There will be a little navigating your way around the informal summer campground at Haldon Arm before heading towards Black Forest Station proper. When checking the course, this section was under water as water was being spilled from Tekapo for the first time in 12 years (fingers crossed 2012 won't see a repeat!)

Haldon Arm - Lake Benmore

Once approaching Black Forest Station you will hang a sharp left after crossing a small bridge to begin the climb into the hills. Some spectacular views over the heavily turquoise waters of the Lake await (and the odd hill). This is a remote section on private land so it is important to stick to the track and travel through as quickly as possible. Little drinking water available from Haldon Arm onwards until you pop out at Benmore Dam so prepare to carry what you need.

Benmore Dam

A quick cruise across the top of the dam and downhill to Otematata (campground, small shop) and your first 100kms should be behind you. It will be a long first day but with extended daylight hours, and good roads, it will  be achievable.

Course length and Leg details

The good news is that the course should be a little shorter than the 1200kms originally proposed. Just finished converting and merging files and course comes out at 1051kms. Of course this doesn't take into account the ups and downs and all the twists and turns. If you look closely at the Google map you will notice it approximates the route in several places. Had to filter it down to allow Google Maps to handle all the track points. I would estimate based on a more accurate sample section that the actual course length should be around the 1130km mark.

Over the next few weeks we will add a brief description of each leg from the Google Map. This will be short and general as not to spoil it for those wanting the surprise but it will mainly focus on advice and what you can expect or need to prepare for each leg. Some legs will present challenges not visible on the map (extra sharp Speargrass or difficult navigation at night) so the description will provide guidance. Remember you can cycle as far or as little each day as you wish, the course is merely broken into legs to help manage the file sizes and convenience.

October Update

Seems there has been some confusion over the dates for the Great Southern Brevet.

An email has been sent to all currently registered riders to clarify this ride is taking place in January 2012 and not February 2012 as rumour has it. It was scheduled in January to not clash as a courtesy and to allow some time between rides for those wishing to do both.

Please, and this is important, if you think you have registered for the February ride by emailing greatsouthernbrevet@gmail.com or visiting the website www.greatsouthernbrevet.blogspot.com then you have not. Either of these methods mean you should be riding in January. Please email us at greatsouthernbrevet@gmail.com immediately so we can take your name off the list if you have registered for the wrong ride. With limited resources it is important we know ASAP if you have mistakenly registered.

With over 95 riders currently registered we have passed our available resources. We have not set a limit at this point as a number of riders will obviously withdraw once they realise that the Great Southern Brevet is in January in Tekapo and not in February in Blenheim. This should bring numbers in line with resources. We are still keen to accept interest (should you wish to ride in January) so visit the website or email us.

Am off to Australia for a weeks riding (and encourage a few more Australians to enter). In the meantime feel free to write us on greatsouthernbrevet@gmail.com or visit us on www.greatsouthernbrevet.blogspot.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greatsouthernbrevet.

Enjoy your riding and hope to see you on the shores of Lake Tekapo in January 2012.

Less than 6 months to go!

Finally recovered from the sleep deprived month of July? Hope you enjoyed watching those late nights from that other famous cycle tour in the northern hemisphere! Watching the battles through the Hautes Pyrenees inspire you to do a little of your own hill climbing? The drama on Alpe-D'Huez made you hungry for a some mountain air?

Well it is less than 6 months to go before you will be enjoying the crisp rarefied air of the Mackenzie Country. While we cannot promise the crowds lining the route cheering, you will enjoy stunning scenery and feel the sting in your legs from cycling a multi-day tour. And the vineyards of Central Otago will have to pass for those of  the Languedoc. 600 year old Chateaus will be replaced by 150 year old miners huts and we might be able to convince a local farmer to setup a crop circle :-)

We have been fairly low key with communication up until now to save your inbox from an extra influx of email but with the big week fast approaching we will be making contact soon to start getting the details rolling.

First up is the setting up of a Google Groups email list with all those that have registered. This will be used for main notices and is also available if you wish to pose a question or observation. Emails to greatsouthernbrevet@googlegroups.com will go to all members of the group. If you haven't registered but still want to follow along vicariously then hit the subscribe button below:

Subscribe to Great Southern Brevet Group

Email:

Visit this group

More updates will follow (via email and this website) in the next few weeks. One more trip down south is on the cards to finalise some route options and a much more detailed course will be put up on Google Maps. We will also look at other forms of new media to keep you informed and up to date (don't be surprised if we don't pop up on Facebook and Twitter!).

PS. As I finish typing this it has just starting snowing here in central Wellington (at sea level!). Bring on summer.

Start date and what a scenic start!

Midday (12 Noon) on the 21st of January, 2012 at the Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of beautiful Lake Tekapo marks the start of your 2012 Great Southern Brevet adventure.

Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Tekapo

Have been working to coordinate the start date with a few other events and also to avoid the crowded roads and accommodation of the holiday season. The 21st to the 29th (Saturday Midday to the following Sunday Midday) of January seems to be the best compromise. Pressure should be easing from the peak holiday period, and although few secondary roads are used during the ride, accommodation could be a challenge otherwise. Weather wise it should be settling with fairly warm weather down low but still cool at altitude.

The first day of the ride begins with long flat stretches leading into a gentle climb to the high point (Monty's Saddle) and then downhill to Otematata. With extended daylight hours riders should manage the journey through Black Forest and Benmore well before dark.

So pencil it in your calendar and hope to see you on the shores of Lake Tekapo in 2012.

Food and accommodation?

A few people have commented on how challenging the route will be and that there are few places for food and accommodation.

The route was selected to be an adventure and to highlight the Mackenzie Country and Central Otago. However it was carefully planned to also allow options to re-stock supplies and have varying levels of accommodation from camping to motels/hotels.

Although riders of Brevets have noted that a day pack and an EFTPOS/Credit Card would be all you need, the Great Southern Brevet visits high altitudes and remote places so traveling that light is not encouraged. A few legs have been designed to ensure a bit of planning effort, and judging of personal fitness and ability are required. This is part of the adventure, a little uncertainty goes a long way to making a challenge ;-)

So if you are keen to do your own planning and map your own adventure then you may not want to read below, but to help those hesitant rest assured you shouldn't starve or go without a bed with a little planning. Some days you will enjoy a morning latte with Rail Trail riders and others a sip from your camelbak with just the spectacular view. Below is a sample of options and locations:

Tekapo - 4 Square supermarket and accommodation options from campgrounds to 5 star hotels
Otematata - small store, campground with small shop as well
Omarama - medium size store, petrol station, cafes, campgrounds to motels
Oturehura - pub, rail trail accommodation options
Lauder - small store
Omakau - 4 Square supermarket, summer campground and rail trail accommodation options
Wanaka - New World supermarket and accommodation options from campgrounds to 5 star hotels
Cardrona - historic pub and accommodation
Cromwell - lots of fresh fruit! New World supermarket and accommodation options from campgrounds to motels
Garsten - pub, cafe and hotel
Athol - cafe/shop
Lumbsden - 4 Square supermarket, shop, cafe, various accommodation options
Waikaia - small shop, Piano Flat DOC campground
Old Man Range - DOC huts
Alexandra - more fresh fruit! New World supermarket and accommodation options from campgrounds to motels
Poolburn - pub
Middlemarch - shop, cafe and various accommodation options
Ranfurly - 4 Square, small shop, pub, campground and motels/hotels
Naseby - small shop, cafes and campground, motels and historic pubs
Kyeburn Diggings - historic pub
Dansey's Pass - campground
Duntroon - cafe and summer campground
Kurow - shop, cafe and various accommodation options

Registration of interest

In case some visitors haven't kept up with the comments, information about expressing registration of interest has been added. Cheers,

Registration of interest in the The Great Southern Brevet can be made by email to greatsouthernbrevet at gmail dot com. For now just a few details such as name, brief contact info, date of birth, whether you will need to hire a SPOT Tracker and brief summary of cycling experience will suffice. All information be will treated as confidential and not shared (your name only may be listed in the list of participants). Later in the year we will need further details (emergency contact, etc.) and will be in touch.

A simple form is available through the link on the right. You fill out the form before clicking on the "Email my Registration of Interest" button and it will generate an email on your email program. Then just hit the send button on your email. Blogspot doesn't seem to support sendmail so this is a basic solution.

An email list has also been setup so as the adventure approaches and people have questions about gear choice, etc they can share and discuss them with fellow participants.

What is the course like?

For those wondering what the course is like, well it does have it moments. A total of 3 weeks (spread over 2010) was spent riding and checking out the course (and alternatives when problems presented). Given I had to return to the car after each ride that would mean I have done the ride almost twice ;-)

There is a section (~8-10kms) I haven't ridden. I was just plain too stuffed that day to continue. Free SPOT Tracker hire to the first person to guess where it is ( I will drop hints between now and January).

In general the terrain is quite good (cyclocross riders rejoice?) but there are a few steep hills. That is steep going up and others steep coming down. As I didn't have full Brevet gear on when doing the pre-rides there will be a few sections made more challenging by the weight I suspect.

There is water, mud, rocks, grass (and grass with sharp bits) and everything in between. Some of the puddles(?) on the Waikaia Bush Road will easily swallow a bike and on the Old Dunstan Road the ruts do swallow bikes. But then there is cruising along the Mt Ida Water Race dropping a meter for every kilometer (not quite a screaming downhill then).

There are many tools available today to check out the course remotely, ranging from your reliable standby the printed topo map to 3D video flyovers (see links to the right for these). But remember they are no substitute for the real thing!

Elevation Profiles for legs added

Just adding elevation profiles for each leg. More detailed info can be found on Map my Ride. Check them out.

GPS track and the course

GPS devices are becoming more common and also more useful as they shrink in size (price?). I used one for much of my rides checking out the course. As you can see from Google maps the course doesn't follow the road accurately at all times. The snap to road feature on Google Maps creates some bizarre routes and of course in many places there are no roads or tracks (Google roads that is). A more accurate track could an interesting and useful tool.

Closer to the event time I hope to have a better GPS track of the course for those interested in carrying a GPS. Of course paper maps are still recommended as their batteries don't fail ;-)