NI XC Cup 2009

Mt Victoria, Wellington, New Zealand

This is the course for the North Island Cross Country Cup, held on 18 January 2009. Competitors in the Cup did from 2 to 5 laps, depending on the class. The course provides a sample of the track variety that Mount Victoria has to offer.

Intermediate with some advanced bits

Bike and Foot

Stage 1: Velodrome to Alexandra Road (0.7km)
Start from the metal barrier on the southeast side of the velodrome. Do a clockwise partial lap of the velodrome then head north through the car park and up the sealed exit road. Turn sharply left and go up past a metal barrier at the steep start of Hataitai to City until you reach and cross Alexandra Road.

Stage 2: Alexandra Road to main summit car park (1.1km)
Turn right along Southern Mt Victoria and shadow Alexandra Road for 0.55km until just past a loop road. At that point leave the Southern Mt Victoria (which drops down into the trees) and take the loop road up to the intersection of Alexandra Road and Lookout Road. Continue around to the left and then the right on the verge of Lookout Road until you reach the main summit car park.

Stage 3: Main summit car park to grass area (0.9km)
Turn left down the steep end of Lookout Walkway. Stay left through a couple of intersections for 0.45km, leaving the Lookout Walkway via some single track to briefly follow the Southern Mt Victoria track. Take a shortcut down to the right and follow Mt Vic Summit north for 0.25km. Veer right at the next Y intersection up Lookout Scenic for a 0.1km long steep climb up under the Macrocarpa trees. Then take the very steep rooty right turn up another 0.1km to the top of the open grass field.

Stage 4: Grass area to Charles Plimmer (0.4km)
Turn left and descend Southern Mt Victoria across the grass. About 20m into the trees turn right down a single track. Turn left then acute right to the top of an extremely steep ski slope chute. Plummet down (or go around) the chute, watching out for the step down at the bottom. Continue down some rolling track then, instead of dropping down to the sealed path, turn left up a narrow and rooty track to an open grass area where you join the Charles Plimmer track.

Stage 5: Charles Plimmer to Grove (1.2km)
Follow Charles Plimmer for 0.2km until leaving it and heading up hill from a hairpin corner. Climb up for 0.05km then drop down for almost 0.1km to the right towards Charles Plimmer Park. Climb 0.05km up the grass to follow the cliff edge above Charles Plimmer Park. Head south for 0.8km, crossing the Lookout Walkway, Dovetail, and then Mt Vic Summit as you climb up into a circular grove of mature trees close to Alexandra Road.

Stage 6: Grove to Alexandra Road (0.9km)
From the grove, turn sharply right down an initially steep and tricky piece of single track and continue around to the right for 0.4km until you drop on to Hataitai to City. Turn sharply left on Hataitai to City and head south for 0.5km, climbing back up to Alexandra Road (to the point that was also the end of Stage 1).

Stage 7: Alexandra Road to Fever Hospital (0.7km)
Turn right down the single track and at the Y-intersection veer right and continue a total of 0.4km to Alexandra Park. Cross Alexandra Park and climb up the middle of the bank opposite. Take the single track up and along the cliff then down a tricky and twisty track, complete with drop off the end of a wooden structure, to exit on to the seal outside the old Fever Hospital – or take the easier path down Southern Mt Victoria to rejoin on the seal.

Stage 8: Fever Hospital to roundabout (0.8km)
Don't cross Alexandra Road yet – instead, jump the kerb and head 0.35km south along some single track that runs parallel to Alexandra Road, cross an open field then around to a small parking area off Alexandra Road. Now cross Alexandra Road and turn right to head south on Southern Mt Victoria for 0.45km, passing through mature trees and across an open field then more trees, to a hairpin bend adjacent to the roundabout at the intersection of Constable Street, Wellington Road, and Crawford Road.

Stage 9: Roundabout to Velodrome (1.0km)
At the roundabout fly around the berm then gather enough speed to climb up the steep bank 0.1km opposite – known as the Big Dipper. Continue another 0.15km up through the trees and cross the same field as before (though 10m downhill). Exit the clearing into the trees and continue for 0.3km then take the first left uphill for 0.05km. Turn right at the T-intersection onto Newtown to Hataitai and follow this track for the remaining 0.4km back to where you started next to the velodrome.

Starts and ends at the velodrome.

For further information see PNP Cycling Club and BikeNZ.

7.82km

Single track

10 Sep 2009 by Ian

Ian