Awesome mountain biking in New Zealand, the unmistakeable leader. You only have to set eyes on that incredible, jaw-dropping scenery with its wild-running sheep and massive peaks rising out of the ocean and see some crazy-ass rider descending from a knife-edge ridge top into the land before time to know — oh wait, let me guess…that must be New Zealand, right?
Super Scenic New Zealand and its Awesome Mountain Biking Trails
One of the most awesome things that stand out to us and our riders who join us from around the globe is just how simply scenic the mountain biking and trails are throughout this wee little country of ours.
Awesome Mountain Biking at its best in New Zealand on a sunset ride over the Paparoa’s West Coast backcountry.
Ride through the rainforests, to the glaciers and towering high dry plateaus of the Southern Alps, then sip your brew in the desert all in one day. That’s awesome mountain biking in New Zealand.
It’s amazing the amount of diversity that riders get to experience within a few hours to an action packed full day. Many of our days take in the very best rides in an area, which has us riding in the morning after a good strong Flat White (the Kiwi name for the iconic best coffee in NZ) to travelling a few hours to a completely different terrain with another incredible trail waiting for us. Oh ya and don’t forget, the whole drive is this instant car commercial with mind blowing views at every angle of the van’s windows.
“We like to mix things up a lot, and deliver not only super fun trails, but also by creating a lot of WOW factors along the way,” said lead guide Ben Laffan. “For us that means carefully planning our awesome mountain biking trips with a lot of thought as to where we ride in the day, and then the environment we’ll be embracing at the end of our awesome day, as we as we bring in the sunset over a different scenic vista that’s so opposite from where we started in the morning .”
With New Zealand Mountain Biking, It’s All Possible and More
The other side of things here mates, is that adventure was born here. Kiwi’s know how to impress when it comes to doing adventures right. Heli drop? Or how about two helicopter rides in one day? No worries mates, everything been done here before, and with damn right finesse. Our helicopter pilots that we use on our South Island mountain bike adventures are on speed dial #2 on our satelite phone, because in NZ that’s the way a lot of people like to get around. And that’s how we like to add in a few specials along the way on our awesome New Zealand mountain biking tours.
Ok, So Who’s Down for Chopper Ride Number Two Today?
We seldom resist the opportunity to get high above the clouds and land along a rocky ridge where towering peaks surround you, and a thin slice of dirt reveals itself to a whole lot of fun. Choppers are pretty rad as is — but to strap your bike on and your daypack with essentials, lunch and take off into the mighty Southern Alps for a really sweet descent of 1200 metres plus — life is pretty good mates. New Zealand has the most non-military choppers per country in the world. And did we mention that NZ has produces some of the best pilots in the industry? Ya that’s a whole lot of crazy stories from back in the country’s Venison Recovery Days. You may need another brew for that one!
Diversity, technical gnar, smooth flowy bliss, killer climbs and endless descents
The other important factor to discuss here is the diversity of trails on offer in one location. New Zealand trail builders have and continue to create some amazing ripping good single track, lending itself to a dose of techy gnar and flowey bliss , but always after a good steep climb somewhere on that trail…go hard or go home, right?
One thing to keep in mind when exploring your options for awesome mountain biking trips in New Zealand is that Kiwis have a real knack for describing trails in their terms, which isn’t always the way we would view a trail as Kiwi’s are pretty tough, so a nice short ride can often require a bit more effort, but it’s so worth it! And what kind of a ride doesn’t entail a little hike a bike?
The backcountry hut system allows for sweet access into remote areas
Another key factor to what makes New Zealand so amazing is the incredible amount of super cool backcountry huts that this little country has to offer. Going back on the topic of the old venison deer culling days, history and mega adventure, that era left a mass of backcountry huts where the hunters and cullers would set up a shack or bivvy to keep them out of weather when they were hunting. The South Island alone has over 900 backcountry huts ranging from small two-man bids to larger 10- 20 person huts. Some are more on the luxury side of things that cater to the mass of great walks, and others range from cute characterful six-man cozy shacks. Now since mountain biking has become so popular and with the multitude of incredible mountain bike trails in New Zealand, some newer styled huts have come on board such as those along the well-known Old Ghost Road where huts range from four to 20-bunks. This area is very much on the popular side of things nowadays since its huts allow riders access into supreme alpine riding and West Coast rainforest day after day. The best part about it, is Kiwis just keep their vision going with more and more backcountry trails and hut systems on the mend.
Kiwi’s like to ensure you have the ride of your life
That’s right. If your arriving home after a ride without feeling exhausted or with a dirt eating grin on your face, you haven’t been riding hard enough. Our team at New Zealand Single Track Adventures loves to ensure our riders are experiencing a ride at their pace while pushing their limits that extra touch, and taking in all that NZ mountain biking has to offer from start to finish. It usually entails a few scuffs, and swearing along the way, but for some reason riders keep coming back for more with us! That satisfaction of riding and accomplishing a trail or section that you never thought you’d get on your own.
As mountain biking continues to grow in popularity around the globe, there’s one thing that sets New Zealand apart from the rest of the world and its riding meccas. New Zealand has pretty much all of the best trails you can ever imagine, and the most beautiful scenic vistas, all in one place. It’s what makes New Zealand mountains and this country in general just so awesome that way. You can ride into your dream state on two wheels while taking in your favourite trails and impressive scenery day after day, never leaving you disappointed.
Happy Riding Mates,
New Zealand Single Track Adventures – South Island
-Specialists in multi day mountain bike adventures –
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