2007 Makara Peak Rally

Race report from the 2007 Makara Peak Rally - I entered the "Super Sport" category (every track in Makara Peak MTB Park, Wellington, except for Vertigo and Trickle Falls). Report written December 2007.

Overall, the Makara Peak Rally was the hardest and the longest race I've ever done. I've always competed in shorter lap/Recreational events beforehand, which are generally over in 1-1.5 hours. Yesterday was a challenge, both mentally and physically, especially in the hot, hot sun. I entered Super Sport (I was very tempted to enter the Rec course but got told I couldn't/shouldn't!), and had my course all planned out: LF, SA, ML, 4WD to ULL, ULL, LL, Possum Bait, Nikau, ML, Aratihi, 4WD to Makara Rd, up Varleys, Zacs, down Ridgeline, RE, SWIGG/Starfish, then up Koru, MC, and Livewires at the end. The aim was to make it back in time for prize-giving, which to my calculations gave me roughly about three hours. Eep!

For some reason, I ended up in the front row of the start line (that was completely unintentional! I had intended to start closer to the back so the fast guys could go ahead!), but ah well. Up Lazy Fern I went - it was nice under the trees!, then into Sally Alley. Yup.. nice clean run there. Missing Link was fine too.

And then it was the uphill. The 4WD up to Leaping Lizard was horrible in the hot sun - it felt like I was getting hot flushes climbing up (urgh!). Was grateful to see the turn-off to ULL. It was my first time down Leaping Lizard and I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! I was looking out for the sketchy section at the bottom of LL, so was very surprised when I came up to the turnoff to Possum Bait without feeling like I had ridden any majorly sketchy sections. The climb up Possum Bait was a bit of a challenge, but I did manage to clear a few of the corners, which I was pretty stoked with. Again, nicely sheltered under the trees which was good. The climb back out of ML got hot again. The climb up Aratihi even hotter. I may have contemplated pulling out at that point, knowing that I still had to climb up Varleys and Zacs yet! But I persisted, spinning a smaller gear than I normally would up Aratihi, because it was all I could really manage in the hot weather! Boy was I glad to see Colin at the checkpoint near the top! (thanks for the licorice!).

To the summit (YAY!) and down the 4WD to Makara Rd. A nice easy pedal on the road to the turnoff to Varleys, where the lovely Jo filled up my waterbottle from her camelbak, and I was away, pushing/riding up Varleys and Zacs. Had a bit of a backwards superman-like moment at one point on Varleys where I tried to dismount up a steep pinch and couldn't quite make it! Was holding onto the left brake with one hand, while trying to reach out to the bank with my right hand - sliding backwards down Varleys for a few metres with my tummy on the seat! Weeeeee! Well wasn't that fun!..

So onwards and upwards I went. Up the rest of Varleys and Zacs - first time I'd ridden these up, and I think it won't be the last - a nice challenge up the switchbacks and little steep pinches. Reached the top of the summit again! and YAY! What an awesome downhill to recover from the uphill. Ridgeline, Ridgeline Extension, SWIGG, Starfish. Mmmmm FUN! Ended up back at HQ but it wasn't quite over yet.. still had Koru, MC, and Livewires to go. So off I went. Legs felt a bit fresher after that break coming down from the summit, so Koru went pretty well, MC even better, and a nice clean run down Livewires. Across the stream at the bottom, and YAY! It was all over!

So there we have it. Managed to ride all the tracks in the Park except for Vertigo and Trickle Falls (approx. 27km in total) in 2 hours 49 minutes. Managed to make it back in time for prizegiving. Managed to ride all the downhill sections (I was a bit worried about the technical aspects of the course beforehand), and as an added bonus, ended up coming second in Senior Women.

All in all, a pretty good day!