THE OLD GHOST ROAD ： Riding New Zealand’s Longest Single-Track with My Gravel)

At the beginning of the year, we headed to New Zealand for a two-month trip with my boyfriend. During the first few weeks there, I've been hearing a couple of times about a trail named the Old Ghost Road. Finding more details about it and learning that it is the longest single track of New Zealand, I was curious to adventure myself on that trail. We looked for the best weather days and once we had that window, we drove to the start. We were now off from Lyall to Seddonville with a stop for the night at the Ghost Lake Hut. We are off for the Old Ghost Road which is a track usually done by MTV and we're going to try to do it. I'm going to try to do it with my gravel bike. It is a 90 kilometer ride with 2,200 meters of elevation with a night in a hut. So we're doing it in two days and the first day is not even 30 kilometers for a little bit more than a thousand meters of elevation and tomorrow will be like the biggest day with less elevation but a lot of kilometers. So it's going to be fun. I am excited to see if I can ride it. Hopefully not pushing too much. I'm only three kilometers in but for now it's been super nice. It's actually perfect for gravel. It's either some like single trails with some grass or like here, I don't know if you see behind me, and sometimes some rocks but nothing too technical. So let's see how the following is. We are now entering the native forest. We're about like 10 kilometers in to today's ride and it's becoming a little bit more rocky and it's been raining last night so it's a little bit slippery but oh my gosh it is so pretty. First climb done. We are on to the second one right now. There's 500 meters left for today and then a little bit downhill and we'll be at the hut for the night. We've been seeing quite some people actually since the beginning. Some mountain bikers, haven't seen any gravel yet, and some other hikers. So it's nice to know that there are people on the trail. I mean for me because I sometimes have a hard time being alone somewhere where there's like nobody but luckily I'm with Cleanne so that's fine but you know if I had to do it by myself it would be nice to know that there are people like riding or walking it too. It is pretty cool the feeling of having everything with you like your sleeping bag, your food for the night and the next day and everything you need literally just with you, your bike and you know just being free from everything else. Like you've got the essential and I'm loving this feeling. We arrived at the ghost lake hut after riding for about three hours and we had the chance to witness a beautiful sunset from the hut's big window. We booked some bunk beds for the night and I'm happy we didn't forget because the hut was full and to give you an idea this was about mid-march. You can also book some little private huts if you're a small group or just want some privacy for the night. But please don't forget to book your stay on the trail because this contribution helps directly to keep the trail and the hut well maintained and accessible. So last night we learned about the story of the august road. It's actually pretty interesting. So at the time of the mines they wanted to join two cities that were kind of separated by some mountains and they decided to do this very long trail. But once they started they went until the Lyle hut like at the really beginning of the trail and they gave up because they were like this is way too much. Not long ago I think in the 2000s some locals got the map out, the old map, where they saw where they stopped and what was the original trail they wanted to build. They counted where we want to do that trail for cycling, for hikers. So they first went on a hike to see how the beginning was of the trail or was the work what it represented and then they were like okay let's do it. They got a lot of people on board. It took nine years to build it and it has been open for bikes and hikers since 10 years. But the trail is really well maintained. It's really nice and it's just an incredible trail to do if you're here. The fact that this trail has been man-built for nine years make you appreciate even more being in a place that previously was not accessible. So big shout out to the amazing community who made this happen. It's day two. We are already out. We wanted to film and to get on the trail for the sunrise. It was really beautiful. Right now around me it's really beautiful too. Today we have 50 kilometers and about 800 meters of elevation gain. So it's supposed to be a lot of descent. I think there's almost 2000 meters of downhill. So we already went downhill a lot from the hut right now and then going up a little bit more and then it'll be supposed to be downhill. But yesterday was a lot of rocky sections. Today is also the same for the start. So hopefully it gets a little bit better for me for the remaining part. The trail from the beginning of the hut is pretty technical. I think it's the only technical part really of the trail. It's written on the map anyways. I think it's a grade four but rest of it is grade three. So it's honestly with the gravel bike it's very nice and even in the bike park grade three is nice. Grade four like never take one with your gravel. I mean especially in the bike park. But here the grade four is okay. I had to walk a lot though at the beginning just for security but I think if you're a really experimented rider in the gravel you could go. And actually you start by one like when you start from Niel. Like you start on a suspended bridge so it's pretty amazing. Memories? Yeah. But yeah you find a lot of remains of the mines like this ones. There are like plenty of these things on the trail. It's pretty funny. And now I just uh just tore my uh bib shorts. Very nice again. But oh well let's go find other artifacts from the mine. I have started the first climb of today. It's the the biggest one that we have. It's only one of 300 meters today and then it's like some little like 50 meters here and there. But uh at least we get the toughest part out of the way at the beginning. But for now it's not too bad for the climb. It's very pretty. It's in the sun. It's nice out. Back in the climb. It is a little bit tough. There are a lot of zigzags actually with big gravel rocks. So on the turn it can be tricky with the gravel bike. But it just kills the elevation. Goes straight so it's pretty nice. The view is amazing too when you gradually climb. The view behind me is amazing. And uh there's many zigzags to go up here. But it's totally doable with the gravel bike. It's something that I have not mentioned yet. But in New Zealand there is not like a network of trails like in France for example where you can go on pretty much any mountains. There will be some trails built. Here there is a few. And not all. You can't go on any mountains and be like I'm gonna go on a hike on this mountain. But however they have such amazing trails like this one. Built from like one place to another on the on the second day. It's a lot of big rocks sometimes. And like here you know there's like lots of rocks too. So you gotta be careful. But overall like I haven't had to like get down with my bike like too much. I think it's um it's it's completely doable with your gravel. And this is how I reach my goal to ride the entire trail with my gravel bike. And show you that it is completely doable. So if you're in the south island of New Zealand I highly recommend to take the time to ride this beautiful track. I promise it's an amazing experience. Last kilometer after 84 kilometers from the Olgothrae. It was a pretty nice adventure.