Thursday, June 9, 2016

Mt Taranaki

Mt Taranaki has also been on my bucket list for several years. After two days on the Forgotten World Highway we spent Sunday night in New Plymouth. I got up early on Monday morning (it was a long holiday weekend) and drove 50km south to Stratford to climb the access road to the ski field.


Its not a big climb by world standards, although it is by Auckland standards. The elevation gain is approx 700 meters with the gradient starting at 1-2% and gradually increasing to 8-9%. It was also cold; only 1-2 degrees celsius. 

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Forgotten World Highway: Day 2

Day 2 of the FWH was a 60km ride from Wangamomona to Stratford. Although we awoke to fog, it completely disappeared and turned to a stunning day once we crested the first pass.


Our hotel at the end of day-1 was not ideal for post-ride recovery. Not only did our room not have wifi or a TV, but the bathrooms and showers were shared! You can see a few photos below of the hotel and Whangamomona followed by the westward ride to Stratford.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Forgotten World Highway: Day 1

FWH has been on my bucket list for 4 years. I first read about FWH in Cycling Tips in 2012. Finally, I had the chance to ride it this past Queen's Birthday Weekend with Camila. 



We chose to break the ride into two days. Day 1 was a 90km ride from Taumaranui to Wangamomona. Day 2 was an easier 60km ride to Stratford at the foot of Mt Taranaki. Traveling west gave us the benefit of a slight tail wind, and a night in New Plymouth. 


Saturday, January 16, 2016

Friday, January 8, 2016

Medellin!

Camila and I were back in Medellin for the last 3 weeks. It was great to be back. I did a few rides but unfortunately I don't have the form for big rides like I did back in 2011. The riding was awesome nevertheless.