We’re on a roll! We’ve been busy this Summer planning some MTB orienteering fun. Join a whole community of bike lovers at an MTB map fest. It has a been a long time due to lockdown and virtually what the world has handed us in the last year. But now we are getting ready to meet-up for a  MTB orienteering gathering. We are lucky enough to be in NZ, so let's just relish it and ride together. 

So what is it going to be like?
Matt Bixley is working alongside Conal Boland-Bristow for the long event at Naseby. Matt says it is a pleasure to work with Conal who is one of our top NZ MTB orienteers who has ridden on the international MTBO champs, and it is fab to have Conal bringing his expertise to the course. Matt says he is not really a mountain biker but was surprised how much he enjoyed riding around. He mentions that the area offers different styles of riding, not just strength and grunt, but there are some good technical areas and plenty of route choice.
Viv Prince is planning the middle distance at Chatto Creek with Dave Armstrong as the controller. Viv says this area is very special to ride on. It is different to most MTB orienteering areas, with open rolling farmland and (best of all) no fences. You can ride wherever you wish and don’t have to stick to tracks. But some of the terrain is hard to see at a distance, so there is plenty of unexpected terrain including dips, re-entrants and gullies to keep you on your toes.
Joe Sherriff found, and then mapped an extremely complex bit of forest for the sprint event near Alexandra. Alister Metherell, the controller has found the area quite challenging even whilst he was mooching around and checking the map. In fact he said it took him a while to get his bearings the first few times around. So that sounds like super challenging sprint terrain. It was a little overgrown in places so Joe has been out with Jo Wilson brandishing chain saw and scrub bar to make it bike friendly.
And although it might sound a bit uppity by calling this event the  MTB orienteering champs, they are organised by regular people with full-time jobs, obligations, with families etc and the competitors are mostly regular mountain bikers and orienteers. This event is prepared by those who love adventure on bikes and it is the fun with the maps that makes it challenging. There are recreational courses (non-championship) available, also allowing for e-bikes – so there is something for everyone.

All participants are invited to a social/ meal/ prizegiving/ party at the Alexandra bowling club.

Note: We have had to cancel the Lake Dunstan Trail trip as they have postponed the opening.

Book your accommodation soon, as this will be a busy weekend, and get your entry in here