The Old Ghost Road Mountain Bike Adventure, New Zealand
The Old Ghost Road. Even the name sounds mysterious. The old Lyell and Mokihinui Road was a long-forgotten gold miners’ road which ran from Lyell to Seddonville in the 1860s to serve several mines and gold towns. In 2007, it was described as a “ghost of a road” when the idea of reviving the road into a mountain biking and hiking trail was first floated. After some initial issues, work finally started in January 2009 and it was officially opened in December 2015.
SKYLINE RIDGE
What Is The Old Ghost Road?
The Old Ghost Road (OGR) is an advanced (grade 4), single-track adventure usually ridden east to west, starting at Lyell campground and ending at the Rough and Tumble Bush Lodge in Seddonville some 85kms later. The trail is shared with hikers and during your journey, you will rise to above 1200m elevation, 1100m above the lowest point of the track. Located at the top of the South Island of New Zealand, on the West Coast, the Lyell campground is approx. 2 hours from Nelson.
THE OLD GHOST ROAD MAP SHOWING ELEVATION CHANGES
Along the way, there are overnight huts, which need to be booked in advance. Most people take 2-4 days to ride the 85km trail. There are car relocation services available so your car can be waiting for you at Seddonville as well as options for heli food/gear drops. There are quite a few car relocations services: Buller Adventures, HikenBike, or Natural Flames.
And if time doesn’t allow, there are one-day adventures available. We couldn’t dedicate four days to do the whole ride from Lyell to Seddonville, so opted to spend one day on The Old Ghost Road and were dropped via heli at Ghost Lake Hut.
Check out either Murchison Heli Tours, Helibike Nelson or Heli Charter Karamea which cater for one-day adventures or gear/food drops. We used Heli Charter Karamea and were very happy.
What Makes The Old Ghost Road So Special?
As an experienced mountain bike rider, I’m always looking for new riding terrain, something a little different, which really comes down to challenging myself and getting out of my comfort zone. I’ve ridden plenty of enduro trails, usually 1-3 hour rides, and have spent many a day throwing my downhill bike off jumps in lift-assisted bike parks. When one of my close friends first mentioned The OGR, I really liked the sound of it. It ticked all the boxes for me – challenging mountain bike riding, which was set in remote, breathtakingly beautiful Kiwi wilderness, offering variable terrain and covering big elevation changes.
As the official website describes it, “Can you ride along a narrow winding trail that is only 400-600mm wide in places? And are you competent and confident riding along a trail with steep, exposed edges and drops on one side?”
After the initial ‘wow’ factor, my doubts started to set in. Would I be able to handle it? Could I ride 60kms in one day where my normal day riding is 10-15kms?
Hopefully, sharing my experience will make you realise with a little planning, any intermediate+ mountain bike rider will not only ‘handle-it’ but will leave in total awe from the experience. The terrain covered, the views experienced and the demanding trails conquered, results in a massive sense of achievement which leaves you buzzing long after your butt and leg pain have faded. Enjoy my journey!
My Old Ghost Road Adventure
The OGR experience formed part of a week-long mountain bike holiday. Our journey to The Old Ghost Road started in Queenstown on a clear March morning in 2019. With a couple of mates flying over from Australia, and a local friend from Queenstown forming our adventure group, we thought Queenstown would be a great place to start our adventures. It would give the out-of-towners a chance to ride some New Zealand mountain bike trails before tackling The Old Ghost Road.
Preparation and Packing Kit
The MTB riders. Lots of time on the bike leading up to the ride for skill and fitness – no surprises there!
The Bike. I had a full service done, with new chain and chainring. My tyres were relatively new and I popped some new brake pads in.
Camelback and snacks.
Wet weather gear and some additional layers. Weather can change quickly in New Zealand so you’ve got to be prepared for anything.
Tool Kit. Multi-tool, pliers, tyre levers, tyre & shock pump, zippy-ties, duct tape and chain breaker.
Spares. Each - 1 tube (we were all running 650B so figured four tubes between us would suffice), chain quick-link, derailleur hanger, brake pads. One of the crew had spare spokes and I would probably add this to my list, along with spare brake levers.
We wanted to mitigate the risk of having non-repairable issues on the trail due to the remoteness and money invested so between the four of us we loaded up on spares. Sure, the backpack was a little heavier than usual, but imagine breaking a chain 10kms into your ride and pushing the bike for the remaining 50kms…
Booking The Trip
As mentioned, we booked our helicopter leg with Murchison Heli Tours and accommodation at the Rough and Tumble Bush Lodge. We stayed the night before allowing for an early start and finished up again at the lodge once the ride was over.
The Itinerary
We left Queenstown early morning the day before the ride. We travelled north to Wanaka and then up the West Coast to reach the Rough and Tumble Bush Lodge at Seddonville that evening. Take your time travelling up the West Coast because there’s plenty to see and in particular make sure you stop at Pancake Rocks.
If you’re taking more than a day (and if you have the time it would be advisable as total driving time is around 9.5 hours) check out Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers.
When we arrived at the lodge, we were welcomed by a good hearty home-style cooked meal, basic but very comfortable accommodation and somewhere to lock up our bikes.
Up early on the day of the ride to enjoy a large cooked breakfast. We grabbed our provided lunch and then headed up to the helipad for an 8:00 am start. The helipad is less than a kilometre from the lodge.
Load the bikes on the A-frame bike rack which dangles from the helicopter and enjoy the 15-minute heli ride to Ghost Lake Hut.
Ride The OGR – journey details below!
Return to the Rough and Tumble Bush Lodge, have an ice bath treatment in the Mokihinui River (aka swimming in a very cold river!) and then settle in for another great meal, reliving the day’s adventures over a beer or two.
Mountain Bike Riding The Old Ghost Road
Coming into land on a small helipad at Ghost Lake Hut was almost worth the admission price alone. The adrenaline was pumping as the pilot navigated the tiny landing zone and as we jumped out of the cabin we were greeted by a large group of enthusiastic onlookers (who were staying overnight at Ghost Lake Hut). It was a pretty surreal experience and it definitely pumped us up for the ride.
Ghost Lake Hut To Heaven’s Door
The original plan was to land the heli at the peak of the ride, near Heaven’s Door, but the early morning fog redirected us to Ghost Lake Hut. We decided we should back-track a little and do the 5km or so ride up to Heaven’s Door before turning around and heading back towards Seddonville. Saying goodbye to the heil pilot and onlookers, we headed up towards Heaven’s Door and were immediately rewarded with magnificent views to the southwest.
And then things became sketchy and eerie – the trail narrowed to less than a metre, it became a little rocky, with the northern aspect of the track dropping pretty much vertically as far we could see and the thick fog rolled in. Once we became accustomed to the conditions, we settled in and enjoyed the not too strenuous climb to Heaven’s Door. Mandatory photos were taken and plenty of ‘aha’ moments telling each other how lucky we were to be experiencing this.
From this point, our journey back to the Rough and Tumble was approx. 60kms and as it was only a little after 9:00 am, we had plenty of time to make it back.
And then I had one of the scariest moments of my mountain bike life. I was navigating a narrow, short uphill section, just after leaving Heaven’s Door, when I stalled on a rock, couldn’t get my foot unclipped in time and tumbled over the edge.
If you’ve ever watched, “That’s It, That’s All”, I had a Travis Rice experience (when he was caught in an avalanche). As I watched my bike somersault down the cliff, I did my best Wolverine impersonation and tried to dig my claws into the rocky mountainside to kerb my increasingly downward trajectory. Miraculously, I managed to stop tumbling about 20m from my entry point and just above a vertical rock drop, where I could see my bike had landed at the base. I sat up and did a quick body scan and was thankful to acknowledge nothing was seriously hurt or broken. Yes, bruised, battered and grazed but nothing which would stop my journey. Well, apart from my bike which I’m guessing at this point would be pretty totalled…
By this stage, one of my friends had scrambled down to make sure I was OK and to help recover my bike. After getting over the initial shock, and realising I used up another one of my nine lives (shit, how many do I have left?), I navigated over the edge to retrieve my bike. And to my absolute surprise, apart from a slightly bent but useable brake lever, my Pivot Mach 6 came out of it unscathed (later I realised the front wheel was ever so slightly buckled but nothing to stop me riding). Kudos to Pivot on making such an indestructible bike (and no I’m not sponsored by Pivot and I’m pretty confident they don’t know I have one of their bikes).
When we climbed back to the trail, dusted everything off, we just sat and contemplated how close that was to being very, very bad. To say I was rattled for a good couple of hours after the incident was an understatement.
Oh, and the other casualty was a cracked GoPro lens and you’ll notice some sun-flare on the videos following the crash.
We arrived back at Ghost Lake to find all the previous onlookers had left for their day of adventures, so we chatted to the hut caretaker while enjoying the spectacular view and eating our first snack. Lucky to be alive. Literally.
Ghost Lake To Skyline Steps
Descending to the Ghost Lake from the hut was a beautiful, smooth singletrack. A little further on, the downhill got pretty technical, with some seriously tight switchbacks, often requiring dismounting. Super enjoyable as long as I stopped looking over the edge! The climb up the other side was somewhat challenging, and keeping my momentum up over the rocks and roots was difficult at times (my confidence hadn’t quite recovered yet). Cresting the climb, we were rewarded with an amazing ridgeline, Skyline Ridge, with views both off to the north and south.
Skyline Steps are actual steps so navigate the best you can – we held our bikes vertically, bouncing the rear wheels from step to step and covered the back brake to stop the bikes getting away.
Skyline Steps To Stern Valley
Oh man, this was it! Talk about being in the fun zone. The ordeals from earlier faded quickly as we bombed down through the forest on well-formed, smooth and forgiving trails. A slight decline most of the way meant little pedalling for a good 20-30 mins.
Once you arrive at Stern Valley Hut, things flatten out before you get to The Boneyard. Already, the crew had mentioned how quickly the trails and landscape changed from one area to the another – plenty of ‘wows’ going around!
Stern Valley To The Hanging Judge
The biggest and longest climb of our adventure, rising about 300m vert. The Boneyard looked like something out of a lunar landscape before we popped back into the forest again and crested at Solemn Saddle. By the time we reached The Hanging Rock, our jelly legs were crying out for a break so we decided to get out of the saddle and have some lunch.
The Hanging Judge To Goat Creek
Fully refuelled by our amazing sandwiches supplied by the Rough and Tumble, we set off down towards Goat Creek and another highlight of The OGR. Great downhill trails but this time in the open air as opposed to under the tree canopy of Stern Valley, we absolutely hammered our way to the bottom of the valley descending from 750m to 160m. A bit of everything – fast straights, flowing corners, tight & loose switchbacks. Keeping the momentum up took concentration but it was so rewarding and some of the best riding I’ve done. Plenty of high-fives when we reached Goat Creek hut!
Goat Creek To Mokihinui Forks
Things flattened off a little after Goat Creek. Still slightly downhill but some easy pedalling involved. Fun, easy to ride trails, you can switch off a little (without the fear of falling over a cliff!) and enjoy the scenery. Stop at The Resurgence under the trees and marvel at this amazing little lake and enjoy the view up the glacial valley when you reach the fork of the north and south arm of the Mokihinui River.
Mokihinui Forks To Specimen Point
A short segment, starting from the glacial valley, riding alongside the Mokihinui River, darting in and out of the trees. Very enjoyable and ended at the Specimen Point hut for a much-needed chocolate and carb break! There were a few sandflies around so we sat inside once we took even more photos of this amazing part of the world.
Specimen Point To The Rough And Tumble Bush Lodge
After leaving the Specimen Point hut, the trail meanders along the Mokihinui River for quite a while. A little narrow in sections but there are plenty of safety rails along the track preventing you from falling into the river. There are a few undulations in the final segment just to make sure the last bit of energy in your legs is spent. Nice and flowy though, with some smooth trails makes the run into the finish line very rewarding.
The Finish
Over the last few kilometres, we hit another gear and it was with a great sense of achievement (and probably a little relief!) when we crossed under the archway signalling the end of The Old Ghost Road. We had made it, experiencing some of the most rugged New Zealand wilderness we had ever seen. The frigid swim in the Mokihinui River was welcome, alleviating the muscle pain and washing the dust and grime off, and the beer afterwards never tasted so good!
Should You Do The Old Ghost Road?
Are you a competent mountain bike rider looking for something out of the ordinary? Do you want to get out of your comfort zone, experience a challenging ride and take it to the next level? Do you really want to feel a sense of achievement? If you answered yes to these then do yourself a favour and plan an Old Ghost Road adventure.
There’s no doubt riding your favourite trails with your friends improves the friendship, but nothing compares to the camaraderie formed when you experience something like The Old Ghost Road together. The unspoken words when you look at each other and say, “Yeah, we conquered this thing!”, is a pretty cool feeling.
I read this saying a while back and I think it sums up The Old Ghost Road very nicely:
“What comes easy won’t last. What lasts won’t come easy.”
The memory of your OGR experience will last a lifetime but it definitely won’t come easy. However, with some careful planning, tackling The Old Ghost Road is easily achievable for any experienced mountain bike rider.
If you have questions or would like to share your mountain bike adventures with me, please comment below.
And I’ll leave you with one more quote, Ralph Waldo Emerson once said,
“The world belongs to the energetic.”
I couldn’t agree more – go out and get amongst it!
Mick
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Mick is a lover of speed runs and hitting every feature on the mountain. Ex road bike and motocross racer with plans to dabble in mountain bike racing. Spends a lot of time looking at fast cars and bikes. Jen’s instagram model and selfie camera holder due to long arms. Sometimes an optometrist.
