Mining with Rubber
For anyone familiar with mountain biking around Nelson, there is one trail in particular that you will always hear being discussed in the days leading up to the weekend; The Coppermine. Having become firmly established in local mountain bike folklore, the Coppermine trail seems to achieve that magical balance of being physically challenging, having glorious singletrack as well as stunning views, whilst also making you feel like you're out in the middle of nowhere. Proper mountain biking. And it's not like Nelsonites don't have a huge range of amazing trails at their disposal, so putting the Coppermine up there as one of the best is bestowing it with a particularly envious reputation.
The appeal of this 40km loop is wide-reaching and draws in all kinds of folk including weekend warriors, super-fit roadies, downhillers, punters, trail enthusiasts and even travelling tourists. While you are climbing for the best part of 2 hours, it is a consistent gradient that allows you to get into a steady rhythm regardless of how fit you are and it is not uncommon to see grandparents and younger kids making the journey up.
The Coppermine loop is the complete circuit of the Dun Mountain Trail, which is a joint walking/riding track that snakes its way from just outside of the Nelson CBD up through the Brook Valley, around Fringe Hill and up onto the Coppermine Saddle that sits between Wooded Peak and Dun Mountain. This trail is based on New Zealand's very first railway that was designed to transport minerals from the Eastern slope of Wooded Peak back down to Nelson Port, which was about 21km in length. The railway followed a gradient of between 1:18 - 1:20, making it an ideal ascent for walkers and riders that allows you to steadily gain elevation without things getting too steep.
During its construction back in 1861, there were various stations or "houses" along the length of the railway line that contained horse stables, workshops for the carpenters & blacksmiths as well as accommodation for workers. The photo on the left is of the "Third House" that still remains today, providing a historic rest stop on your way up the climb, or even a spot to camp for the night if you're on a hike.
Breaking my Coppermine Virginity
Having only been in Nelson less that a fortnight, the few people I had met all seemed hellbent on recommending me to complete the Coppermine loop. I had ridden a few of the trails around Nelson and had quickly discovered that while the terrain was much steeper and more technical than I was used to, it was also some of the best riding I had ever experienced. To hear that there was a longer, better loop out there that had recently been awarded as one of NZ's "Great Trails" was a particularly salivating prospect. The first time I rode the Coppermine was with a local DH shredder called Jake on December 22nd, 2011.
Climbing up from 3rd House, the hardpack trail begins to get rockier and rockier, with shale and loose stones littering much of track around the many creek crossings. For those less technically-capable riders, it is quite common for folks to turn around at 3rd House and ride the Dun Mountain trail back down into Nelson. After having ridden the Coppermine about 5 times now, I honestly don't know how you could give up all that elevation when only a few km's further you have this view (photo right) to take in as well as one of the sweetest singletrack descents I have ever experienced.
Aside from getting rockier and more technical, the stretch between 3rd and 4th House also becomes more and more like a scene from Lord of the Rings, with moss-covered rock faces, large fallen tree trunks and leaf-litter covering most of the undergrowth. A couple of times I have ridden this section in an eerily low cloud line, and the shortened tunnel of visibility in front of you intensifies the sensation of being in the wilderness. That particular days riding was dotted with light showers that we were mostly protected from, but with wet precipitation covering all surfaces of the foliage that hugged the singletrack, it didn't take long for our gloves, shorts and shoes to become soaked with the rain water.
Past the site of 4th House, you burst out of the tree line into a rock-strewn landscape with low-lying tussocks and scree plants. This sharp contrast to the lush forest you were previously riding in could almost be drawn with a pen, and is the sign that you've arrived at the Mineral Belt. Winding its way in a distinct pattern across the mountain range and defined by the Dun Mountain Peak, the Mineral Belt is the reason the railway was constructed in the first place; initially to mine Copper, but later on to mine Chromite deposits. Because of the chemical makeup of the rock and soil, very little vegetation can grow on the Mineral Belt and is why it is sometimes referred to as a "lunar landscape". Riding the trail between Windy Point and the Coppermine Saddle, Jake and I barrelled over large 'n' loose rocks as we made our way to the 878m peak of the ride, occasionally losing the back tyre as it spun out from climbing out of a dip in the trail...
Check out my next blog update with Part 2. detailing the amazing Coppermine descent, as well as the recent Coppermine Enduro race I took part in that will be forever etched in my memory as one of the best MTB events I have ever participated in.
In the meantime, checkout the promotional video from the Coppermine Epic event below;
Coppermine Epic from bikeworks on Vimeo.
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