Straight up, it costs $30 for an Adult ride pass, where you can ride all day from open to close. If you want to do three days or more / season pass, there are pricing options. Do I think it is value for money? Well yes. These guys have done a great job of this bike park. Shop, Cafe and Bike workshop as their base camp. Ample parking (although I rode in). Very well established facilities.
Registration is quickly done online along with an electronic waiver, which speeds up the processing as you come through their main office.
In typical Park Park fashion, you have paid options for bike shuttles, and you can hire E-bikes or normal full-suspension or hardtail bikes.
I turned up on my non-suspension, Fat Boy, with two feed bags for comfort, ready to ride. (On the track, there were some strange looks)
The Park is relatively new; the idea came together in 2015. They were granted consent for 50km of tracks in 2018 after the founders undertook extensive environmental impact analysis of the “How-to-do, without killing the land.” In 2019 they announced to the world that the Bike Glendhu was coming, but it didn’t open until January 2020.
I first discovered it on social media, and they have a stunning website to boot. It’s been on my too list to ride it on our Wanaka visits. So I took the chance, the Family went boating, and I hit the tracks.
Gate Entry, using a printed QR code
From the entrance, you follow one track up to Jacks Spot, a bit of a Junction with several ways leading down of various ride grades.
Above it are more tracks, where you need to zig-zag climb up the side of the hill (/ mini mountain)
The Fatboy isn’t suited for the bumpy and “fine’ rolling up and down terrain of the Bike Park. I’m not the type to be doing bike jumps; simply because if I push it too much and fall, I will likely take a while to heal. Still, I did pop over a few rises, and my back wheel did step out a few times.
I was running 8psi front & rear, so the actual jarring wasn’t too bad even when I was going off some rocky parts.
Where the majority of the riders were on Ebikes, I did come across about five regular bikes.
I like climbing, up I went on a track called “switch it up.” I wanted to head to the very Top, which is called Falcons Nest. As I didn’t pay too much attention to the map, I climbed up to another Junction called “The Crossing” but jumped on the wrong track, “Lower Baywatch,” which took me back to Jacks’s Spot.
So up I went again. I got to The Crossing in what seemed like less time than the first. But stuffed up once again and took the farm track to the right.
(Was a bit confused by the crossing sign)
The farm track took me up to another destination called “Boulders Cross.” Here I meet some dude riding an excellent Specialized Epic, which he then went up to the boulder and down to the right of it, disappearing into a short gully.I walked on to see where he went and instantly understood why that part of the track had a sign declaring that track “HARD.” It dropped quickly down then came up. Not today, I thought.
Then I meet a lady who was coming off one of the tracks above. (which I later found out was the down section of “Upper Bay Watch.” She said it was her first time riding her bike and this track. (Her bike was quite old)
I asked which track was the “Up” part. She did not know, stating that she got dropped at the Top.
I noticed her pedal was broken with a bit of its cage jutting out. I suggested we smash that before it slices her calf muscle open, which I did for her using a nearby rock.
We parted ways, and I carried up the 4WD track. I decided I should walk, and about 20 minutes later, when I came across this STOP sign for 4WD vehicles when they cross trails track, allowing the MTBs right of way. I thought I better download the Trails PDF to find out where I went wrong.
STOP! Calibrate and Listen!
I did and could then see that I was supposed to go through The Crossing down to the ADZE Up track and not directly up the 4WD route that I had been climbing. Jumping on the trail, called the “Upper Bay Watch.” took me back to the Crossing, and on my way to the right track, I went.
This section was cool. I must say these tracks are well made and maintained, with berms for rolling around corners and off-camber areas that get you through the track parts at speed. Cutting through the bush, it was fantastic.
I found the “ADZE Up” turn, and down I went further. The FatBoy was handling this section quite well, although a full suspension would have been more comfortable.
The ADZE Up winds around the mountainside and zig-zags up up UP. It is quite long. There is little shade on this section of track, and I must have been about an hour climbing slow up. My water was getting low, and all I could think about was Nachos at the Cafe, a Coffee, and a Cool Drink. Unfortunately, The Cafe is back at the Base, and there was this bloody big mountain to get over first.
I was passed by one E-bike rider, which was a bit depressing. However, I pressed on; I will admit it was a slow grind. The temperature was about 28 degrees with no wind. (I later found out it was actually 40 degrees)
When I arrived at Falcons Nest, it was so worth it. The Views are Spectalur.
So worth it.
I was there for about 10 minutes, and out of nowhere, like an ambush, about 6 Ebikes appeared from both sides of me.
Several of them were amazed that I rode the FatBoy up, indicating they took the easy way, pointing at their E-Bikes, then almost on Queue. Two of their mates + bikes got dropped in by one of the shuttles. Out they got grabbing their e-bikes to take in the view.
At this stage in the ride, I had run out of water. (I only took up a 600ml, filling up at Jacks Spot. My bike can carry three bottles totaling about 2 liters, but I didn’t want to have the extra weight)
I had thought at the time it would have been handy if the Shuttles sold water to riders at the Top. (It wouldn’t have mattered what it cost)
I don’t mind E-Bikes. But I think you have to work for views. The experience is as much of the ride up as the ride down—anyway, each to their own. (ps: these shuttle e-bike guys looked healthy and way younger than me)
I let the crowd go first and followed down about 10 minutes later. This was the start of the “Upper Baywatch” track, which took me back to The Crossing.
At this stage, I decided to check out what one of the other tracks was like and head back to Jacks Spot and onto the Cafe. Plus, being out of water + I had eaten all my bars, I thought I better wheel it in and get some lunch in me (it was about 3 pm at this stage)
The Track I ended up on was Stags point, the rocky part. Which it was as its sign, rocky. As I got through this track, I passed one young guy on a nice full suspension bike coming up. Around the corner, I saw his mate with a large video camera, the section where he was set up, is a prime strip for big jumps.
The Fatboy wasn’t camera-worthy enough for him, and he didn’t take any footage of me “not jumping.”
This track took me back to Jack’s Spot, where I finally got some water. I rolled in, and two guys had just turned up on their ebikes.
One of them commented on the size of my wheels, and we stuck up a conversation.
He asked if my bike was heavy, which one would think it would be since the wheels are 4.6″ wide, looking like they are motorbike tires. Both were taken back when I said my bike only weighs 15kg.
I told them where I had ridden and where I was going, and we briefly spoke about the Motatapau.
One said he was buggered from just riding his Ebike up from the base camp. His mate said that I probably ride every day where they rode “not so often.”
They both decided then and there that I was very fit, (which they proceeded to tell me so) I didn’t argue with.
Being new to the tracks, I had to determine which track would take me to the Base camp. Of course, all the tracks going down do take you to the base camp. I picked the longest one. “Karariki Loop,” and down I went. Man, the berms on this track are awesome. MOVE OVER DEANS BANK.
Again, these tracks are well made and maintained.
At Base Camp. It was refreshing, to finally get a cold drink, a coconut coffee, and some Veggie Nachos for lunch.
I reset myself and biked 10km back on the main road to the Aspiring Camp Ground where cold Cider was waiting.
All up, I did about 30km of the GlenDu MTB tracks, and the highest point was 753 meters above sea level.
I had no mechanicals with my bike. I did run out of snacks and water.
Great Times. Need to bring the boys next time.,
Strava has documentary evidence of this adventure
