The Life of Sloth

May 2006 - Posts

• Shall we buy Westbeach?

  Right, how much money can we get together between us? I've just found a lucky dollar on the road, I think there's a 20 in my wallet too - have a look down the side of the sofa y'all! Here's why: Bankrupt Westbeach seeks new owner Otter and Company-Man-Of-The-Moment - can you borrow a few notes off Mr Spielberg? Jarmarl - sell the decorating arm of Affleck (you'll still be left with decorating). Bob - sell the Ridgeway! King - you will have a new job. Westbeach sales manager. Perfect. Dan Black - you can get some cranes. We always need cranes. Everyone else - you can just love it. Back to me, on my back, stay away from the backside. Posted May 31 2006, 08:43 AM by le_sloth with no comments

• HowTo: Write a new blog entry

  Read all about it here Posted May 30 2006, 09:35 AM by le_sloth Filed under: Site Announcements

• Mr Dumpy cancelled my flight

  Just returned from Queenstown airport having sat there for about 4 hours waiting to see if my flight to Auckland (then to Sydney) was gonna go or not. If it had been about half an hour earlier it would have gone no problemo, but oh no, Mr Dumpy got carried away and covered everything in cloud. Damn cold out there now and through breaks in the cloud it's been dumping up the montagnes - down to 600 metres apparently. I sort of expected this to happen - great weather for the last couple of weeks then on the day I want to leave, he takes a big *** everywhere. Now hoping that he will clear for a bit 2moro morning so I can get over there. If it had been an Air New Zealand flight it might well have gone - some of theirs did - but not these Qantas ones with the FEAR! Posted May 11 2006, 04:46 PM by le_sloth with 1 comment(s)

• More Queenstown rides

  Just been up around the Gondola station above Queenstown. So many downhill trails up there it's ridiculous (round about 10 marked ones and countless other side-shoots and alternative lines). All graded according to difficulty: Blue: Flowing, small jumps and berms Black Diamond: Bigger stuff, big berms, tight corners, trees, compulsory dropoffs etc. Double-Black Diamond: Stupid stuff, compulsory gaps, huge drops, things that scare the crap out of me. Well doesn't that all sound great? Especially for the likes of Nick, Jason, Guy - you lot would absolutely love it up there. I would have too, if it wasn't for: being unable to find the route up there and being directed to a walking trail that was so steep I thought I was gonna freefall off it. No idea how I made it up, but took about 40 minutes of hauling Mildred up it and feeling sick! Never again! even once I'd got up the walking trail, having to ride up a never-ending steep double-track choosing to ride stuff that was a bit out of my league i.e. Vertigo, RockGarden and Original (though that was just about rideable) finding that my mini-monos are not really up to that much braking on stuff like that. Noticed a strong burning smell and serious lack of stopping power Anyway, there's still plenty of time before it gets too cold to ride that stuff - next time I'll be taking the gondola up! Fernhill loop is the one for me - 'sposed to be the locals' fave and much more my kind of thing. Oh, and the Moonlight trail - 3 to 4 hours one way - as recommended by Mr King via Sschockwave Nottingham. Over and out and back to you, front to me Posted May 10 2006, 03:24 PM by le_sloth with 5 comment(s) Filed under: MTB

• My local trail

  My local trail Have been out a couple of times now on my local trail (local meaning it starts on the opposite side of the road to our house! Don't think I was ever as close as that even when living in Kent!). And I have to say, it is as though somebody has plugged into my brain to find out the design for my perfect trail and built it here for me! Starts off on a double, which is a great warm-up, taking me round the edge of lake Wakatipu as far as the Kawarau River, where there's a rickety old wooden bridge to cross, before rejoining the edge of the lake. From there, the singletrack starts pretty much immediately and gets more and more technical the further you go. Great surface (no mud!), flowing, sweeping curves, climbing now and then to reveal a sheer drop down into the lake below (some of the corners you just got to hope nobody's coming the other way, cos one or both of you will end up in the drink!!). Further on, it's into the trees, with big boulders to avoid, then round the edge of a golf course before climbing back up a bit and finding that "Gracious Dave passed this way": No idea what that was all about, but obviously deserved a photo! Getting further away from town (bit over an hour's ride so far), becomes very quiet, can't see any sign of life, just the snow-capped mountains all around and a perfectly still lake. Well, that's as far as I've got on it so far bcos these were only midweek rides! Coming back is more of the same (well, it would be bcos it's the same trail back again!). Genius, I tell you. Mildred loves it, I love it, you'd all love it. Riding for all of you out here. Sloth Posted May 04 2006, 08:23 AM by le_sloth with 8 comment(s) Filed under: MTB