Drama is good- Awhitu

Sometimes adversity forces you into something much better than what you had planned. At our last camp at Awhitu we stumbled onto something that the campers will definitely want to do again.

Our first drama was the wetness of the big trail loop. The motocross track was absolutely fine, and it is not a crucial part of the camp, but a great way for the older riders to keep themselves out of mischief. Most of the loop was ok, but one section was almost impassible. You could get through on a big bike at full throttle, but the combination of massive corrugations and half a foot of mud to get through before reaching the dry dirt made it very tough on the 85’s.

So what did we do? Extreme Enduro, of course. So long as the riders had someone to ride with, they could get through as a team if need be. Riding through the trees made it extra interesting with big roots to deal with, but it was impressive to see how many of them got through without getting stuck for long, rewarded with the chance to open the throttle again soon after.

The big drama came when we had to give the small loop a rest. This is the main home for the younger riders and there weren’t any easy options for us to use on this side of the road. So, with great care, on day two we escorted the first group to the awesome paddock near the coast and organised to bring water bottles with us.

Of course the riders loved it, a loop working out really well with a level of freedom that kept it interesting. The water bottles came in very handy as we stayed out there longer than normal, before heading back for morning tea and swapping groups.

The older riders enjoyed it almost as much, taking even more creative options up the lumpy stretch and trying to match my big jump. But after lunch they were happy to hit the MX track again while the younger ones had their second turn by the coast, and then the camp was done.