Overseeing Cromwell and Lake Dunstan

The route goes from Cromwell to Northburn to start climbing the mountains east of Lake Dunstan, running completely on loose gravel and rocky trails except for the road bit. The last part of the descend before returning to Cromwell is a very technical single track hiking trail and wearing helmet is a must.

I have to admit I totally underestimated this route. I borrowed an old heavy bike and I was set to go on a ride on my own. Traced a route on Basecamp and quickly checked it on Google Earth. It didn't look too bad, but I only realised how steep it was (both uphill and downhill) once I was there in the middle of the action. Neither could see in Google Earth the last technical descend, which is the main reason why I rated this route as hard: you need some experience and a bike in good working order.

The steepness combined with the loose rocky terrain made my rear wheel slip often and I had to push the bike more times that I'd like to admit, to be honest. You've been warned. On the other hand, the views are amazing and the effort is well worth it.

There are some fences along the way but only one very close to the top had a private property sign on it. Normally I abide by the rules but at that stage I reached the point of no return and I was close to run out of sunlight, so I went through anyway. Just make sure you close them behind you so cattle doesn't escape.

The bit on the State Road 8 is not crazy busy and although some cars will be roaring past you, there's enough room on the hard shoulder. Definitely the section I liked the least but didn't feel unsafe.

Must bring: helmet, water (no water points anywhere in the route), sunscreen if like me, you're doing it in the summer and some snacks, as it is quite intense. It was very windy when I did it, so be careful with that in the narrow sections and bring extra layers if it's not summer.