Chipmunk niuntain - airport curcuit 2

Chipmunk niuntain - airport curcuit 2

A nice route which can be completed in either direction the only thing to consider is whether you want the wind behind you on the way out or on the way home. As the wind usually comes from the North we followed the route North into the wind along the side of the airport and the sea to our right. At the end of the runway you pass through a large storm drain, the gravel in storm drain is deep and very soft so expect your wheels to sink, make sure you are in a low gear and power through and be ready for the an immeadiate steep climb to the left as you exit the storm drain before levelling back out on the track which runs parallel to the road all the way to El Matoral. Once at El Matoral there is an option to pause for refreshments at the roadside café (I can highly recommend the “Café Con Leche”). We then turned West to go out of El Matoral were eventually you will pick up the off road track, this will then take you all the way back up chipmunk mountain. The final section is a quite difficult with soft ground making the steep uphill section a bit tricky to begin with, once past this the track becomes a narrow trail which is requires a bit of technical ability in order to negotiate a couple of areas. If you’re not sure about your ability to negotiate these small sections then I'd strongly suggest coming off the bike and walking the 5 to 10m required before jumping back on the bike.

A great route with plenty of areas to stop for a break as well as enough uphill sections to give you a decent workout.

Picture 1 - the route along the airport
Picture 2 - My trail Buddies Red and Steve
Picture 3 - Red fixing a puncture (he will do anything just to get a 5 min break)
Picture 4 - The Storm Drain
Picture 5 - Taking a short break with refeshments