Thanks to the 400+ people who completed our Park Survey! We’ll share insights over the coming weeks, but first we’re going to announce the 2022 Top 10 most popular tracks at Mākara Peak. As voted by you.

10: Leaping Lizard.

Starting along an old farm track with a mix of jumps and punishing pinch climbs, you’re rewarded with a brake burning, arm cramping plummet down to the bottom end of the park. Remote and rough, the track doesn’t usually get much maintenance - until this year when we worked with WCC to fix the drainage and ruts. Feedback says it’s running as good as ever.

What do you reckon? Love it or hate it? Do you ride it often?

Leaping Lizard on Trailforks.

9: SWIGG

The Swirly Whirly Green Goat track (great name!) is a classic intermediate singletrack that winds it’s way back down to the main entrance, through some nice regenerating native bush.

What makes it popular? It’s a trail of two halves so you get a bit of variety: the top is older-school narrow singletrack, the lower (built in 2019) is still pretty narrow, but a bit more flowy. The trees are quite close to you, so it feels like you’re going faster than you probably are 😂.

It’s an ideal trail to help progress your skills, with the bermed switchbacks offering safe but challenging opportunities to practice your cornering skills. It can also be fun for more advanced riders who want to rail the berms and test their nerves dodging the slightly to close (in places) trees.

SWIGG on Trailforks

8: Trickle Falls

Number 8 in the 2022 Top 10 most popular tracks at Mākara Peak: Trickle Falls.

A narrow and steep technical singletrack with some awkward drops and optional jumps. Precise bike handling and willingness to hold speed over chunk can help make it flow. Infamous for the permanently damp rocky drop near the bottom next to a picturesque waterfall.

We recently moved the trail away from the stream to stop it being washed away in heavy rain, building a new rock feature in the process.

Leads to it’s bigger and uglier sibling, Yeah Gnar.

7: Peak Flow

Number seven on our top 10 most popular trails at Mākara Peak in 2022 - the trail that many of you love, and many of you love to hate (btw it’s open!😅): Peak Flow!

A track that for some reason polarises riders, it remains super popular with intermediate-grade riders due to its wide bench and good site lines. It gets hammered by the weather and you’ll regularly find Ranger Mark or TGL smashing rocks to keep things in check.

Did you know: the rough line where Peak Flow was built, was originally earmarked for a new climbing trail (that eventually became Upswing). WCC came up with some budget and @southstartrailsnz built the trail. The pesky climb was necessary due to a massive rock bluff that was impossible to go around.

Peak Flow has also claimed more than its fair share of victims, with the rescue chopper being called out quite a few times!

Whaddaya reckon? Great or grates?

6: Live Wires

Number 6 in our Top 10 most popular track at Mākara Peak in 2022 (as voted by you!)….

Live Wires! A hugely popular trail that started life as a farming access track, was then an OG climbing trail, and then morphed into the electrifying downhill we all know and love.

It’s got just enough features to keep you interested - the rocky chute into the left hand berm can catch you out even if you’ve ridden it 100s of times.

We’re currently rebuilding the easier dark blue/advanced section of trail which had turned into a single long water rut over time. Come along on Sunday afternoon and lend a hand!

Wellington almost ran out of pitch forks when the Park’s master plan recommended Live Wires be returned to a climbing trail. Happily we’ve managed to come up with an alternative option that won’t see that happen!