Not long ago I hiked to the Casey Hut, this time I will be cycling (mountain biking) there, the start is at this car park. It looks like I won’t be the only one on the track

Always good to see the Pukis, especially with a topping of snow

The track is 20 km that way

Unfortunately some &^*&#@$# pigs have routed up the track making it hard to cycle, in the photo you see the damage they have done and it’s all over the track

This track, advertised as the ‘only mountain biking track in Arthur’s Pass National Park‘ is absolutely brutal. I am not enjoying it to be honest. The parts that pigs destroyed can’t be cycled, a lot of the track is too steep to be cycled, the track goes up and up and up and my heart rate is through the roof. The only thing that’s nice so far is the scenery

Peveril Peak (1755 m)

The Turnbull Bivouac should be somewhere in this area, maybe worth a visit some time

I remember this flat area from the last time, it shouldn’t be far to the hut now, and it had better not be because I am absolutely exhausted

Casey Hut, I made it! I took my tent and inflatable mattress with me but don’t need it as there is room enough in the hut, so in hindsight I could have traveled considerably lighter

The next morning, I am the last one to finally leave the hut. What was absolutely terrible was putting on my wet, dirty, stinky (from the mud puddles) shoes again, yuk!

Casey Hut again, Brown Hill behind it

One of the many streams I need to cross, the water is cold

The scenery is worth the trip, so beautiful

Aaaaargh!! DOC!!!! At 2 places in the track there is a fence and you are supposed to simply lift your bicycle over it, but when you’re exhausted and have a heavy bike (lots of people having heavy electric mountain bikes nowadays) that is just too much. So stupid

The Binser Saddle, for when you hike the track and start at Andrews Shelter and Campsite

Looking back to the part I just ascended, it was absolute torture. It doesn’t look intimidating but it is steep and pushing your bike up a hill with all those stones takes ages because you keep slipping back. I think it took me at least 20 minutes to get to the top of this little scree slope

I overtook a hiker and asked him to take a photo of me. Even when I give directions on how to take the photo people always manage to cut off your feet or in this case part of your bicycle instead of having a nice margin around the subject. Oh well

Almost back at the car! Can’t wait. Exhausted and there is cold Diet Coke waiting for me in the fridge in the Jimny, and a bag of cookies!

I have had my drink and something to eat and am driving home here but wanted to take this photo of the train tracks, one day I would like to do the train ride from Christchurch to Greymouth, it’s just so bloody expensive (‘from $249’ one-way)

Map and height profile of the return trip