Tuhoto Ariki Trail was a first for the Rotorua area... a dual use MTB and walking (running) trail through Department of Conservation (DOC) land. The name of the trail celebrates Tuhoto Ariki, the famous Tuhourangi
tohunga who predicted the Tarawera eruption and then survived it. He was
dug out of his debris covered whare after being trapped for 4 days.
The bad news first... Tuhoto Ariki starts at the highest point of the Redwoods/Whakarewarewa Forest Park.... so climb, climb, climb.
There are many different ways to get to the trail, Keith Crook and I ran it the other way a month or two back. Running it in reverse makes the trail a steady climb followed by a rapid decent... todays route made it a steep climb followed by a long steady decent through fabulous native bush trails.
Ok the first step is getting there... turn into the main Waipa Mill entrance just out of Rotorua on the Taupo road. Drive straight by the main MTB carpark on the left and carry on down the road, you will see the Mill barrier arm appearing ahead... however just before that take a right turn. Follow this road for about one and a half kms and you will see the hoist off to the left of the road for lifting logging trailers onto the main truck bed when empty. Just past this the road sweeps around to the right and on the outside of this curve is a parking area. Find a spot and get ready to run.
Head past the barrier (above right) and you will see a map ahead (left). Take a left here into Larch Road and a hundred or so metres along the trail veer right into Nice Road... and it is a nice road. Follow this to the end of the road and then turn left and follow the road to a 4-way intersection... you will find it hard to miss as it is just after a nice wee climb. At the intersection you will see another MTB map... but you don't need that, turn hard right into Direct Road and climb.... for me, this is a walk, run, walk, run road... there are two intersections of roads on the way up, take the right hand option both times - take the left at the first if you like punishment as it comes out at the same place but you just work harder.
Eventually you will climb a road that ends at Hill Road, If you veer left here you will see another MTB map (they get looked after well here) and to the left of that the entrance to a MTB trail called Frontal Lobotomy - yup, that's where we are going. Despite the name, this is a nice climb for that takes you all the way up to the start ramp for the National Downhill MTB trail. Carry on past the start and head up the road for the last part of this climb to the start of Tuhoto Ariki.
Before you head down the trail, if you head to the towers opposite the entrance you will get some glimpses of distant Mt Ngongotaha and some idea of how high you have climbed.
Ok, so this is what we climbed up here for, head into Tuhoto Ariki and enjoy... right at the start you will see the start of a new trail Te Tihi o Tawa... this was still to be opened when I wrote this and is due to be opened on the 1st December 2011 so you can be sure I will be testing my Salomons either up or down it soon.
Tuhoto Ariki, is great forest running, roots, mud, flowing downhills and sharp corners. There are 4kms of running from the start, although we will be leaving it slightly before the end to extend the run through the other trail through the DOC land.
On the run you will come to a nice grass clearing.... just run through and look for the continuation of the trail off the left of the clearing. Shortly after this you get a bit of a wake-up with a 50m (vertical) climb... but it is all runnable and then it's off down again... lots of fun here with more roots, mud and tight turns.
Keep an eye out for the sign (left) and head right down Hatupatu. This is a Grade 5 MTB trail, but makes for a nice downhill run. Knarly at times and a couple of "ooh, better be careful down here" spots. But overall it is a nice run that finishes on Moerangi Road almost directly opposite the start of your next trail (signposted with an exit only MTB sign).
That trail is an 'almost never used' MTB trail that winds down nicely to another MTB intersection (right). You can do as I did and head down Chestnut Link into RollerCoaster or you can take the right-hand option and follow the road through to the road at Hill Road. If you take this option, take a left at the road and follow it down to the intersection where you will see the Shuttle queuing area, follow the road to the left here and follow it back to the start.
If you take the route I took down the MTB trails, beware of MTB riders behind you (you can usually hear them a long way off). They don't generally mind as long as you give way to them. As you head down the trail is pretty cool to run. You will see the sign to RollerCoaster and the only split in the trail is a t-junction where the main trail appears to go right and that's the way you head. The trail will eventually come out on another forestry road with the continuation of the trail just over the road.
At the end of the MTB trail you come back to the road. Take a sharp left and follow the road for just over 1.5km and you will find yourself back at the start having covered just under 16km. Keep an eye out for a short road to the left just before the finish - especially if it's hot - because it leads to the Waipa Spring which provide much of the water to Rotorua. On the post is a tap with pure spring water... a great way to cool down and fabulous days like today.
There are a myriad of ways to get up to Tuhoto Ariki, but they are all worth the effort (during summer you can even cheat and catch the MTB Shuttle up 90% of the way). Best time to run is during the week as there are less MTB riders around, but today was Sunday and the weather perfect and I only saw 5 riders on the trails I was on and as I got out of the way quickly there was no problem. Below is my link to my Garmin and as always, give me a bit of notice and I will come with you and show you the way!
Nice, Direct, Frontal L, Tuhoto Ariki and down Roller Coaster by mike3950 at Garmin Connect - Details
I went home from Auckland pretty deflated. Yes, I had achieved a goal I had set some 20 years earlier to run a marathon, but the way my body broke down towards the end of the run was a real kick in the guts.
It was about 10 days after the marathon before I laced the shoes on for a 'loosen up' run in the Redwoods .... and realised that I still liked running... just not marathons.
Then a bit of luck, on one of my runs the Redwoods was alive with people setting up tents and cones and arrows and tape. "what's happening?" I asked one of the workers. "An nDuro Trail Run", was the answer.
As I was only about 1.5km into my run I stopped and asked a bit more... this was the first of the years series and they had 3 distances. The middle - between 10km and 15km - sounded pretty cool, so as I had time I quietly jogged back home for my wallet and started my trail-running competitive career.
The nduro runs were great for me... although I only ever ran the middle distance, staying away from the 18km - 24km category. I was happy in my comfort zone and anyway, all the good runners ran the longer distance allowing me to win most of the 10km events (most only had 3 - 5 entrants in my division - a couple only had 1!)
The rest, as they say, is history, in the last 4 years I have completed firstly 2 nDuro Series, then, when they were cancelled, I discovered Xterra Auckland and after missing the first event in 2010, I have run the last 11 straight with lots of early mornings to get to the back-blocks of Auckland in time for start. I have done two 19km Big-O runs at Okataina. 3 Xterra National Trail-Runs (1 at Rotorua and 2 at Waihi). The first Kinloch Off-Road Half in Taupo and the Brooks event this year at Mt Tauhara as well. Also this years Rotorua Off Road Half... and just recently the first Tauranga Trail Run in TECT Park over 28km... the list goes on.
The Xterra Series have been great, particular favourites for me are the Shakespear Regional Park run around the rocks and the Hunua event, which I missed the first year. The downside is that many times they conflict with other trail runs and so next year I will probably pick and choose, rather than enter the whole series.
Highlights this year have been the Fix Tussock Traverse... what an amazing race. 27km through some of the most amazing scenery in NZ... and to make it harder running into headwinds of up to 60km for the last 15km.
Then I did something I said I would never do... I ran another marathon. Not just any Marathon, the T42 from National Park to Owhango, through the bush. Yes I was knackered at the finish - but you are supposed to be after a Marathon - 4 hours and 43 minutes... but I was still running at the finish and even 'put on a burst' at the end.
So, that's a brief summary of how I got to here... my aim with this blog is to describe my runs... even the training ones, as some of the trails are quite cool. I try to find somewhere new to run (or climb if it's to steep to run) as I travel around this wonderful country and with the aid of my trusty Garmin Forerunner, I will share these runs with whoever wants them!
Head past the barrier (above right) and you will see a map ahead (left). Take a left here into Larch Road and a hundred or so metres along the trail veer right into Nice Road... and it is a nice road. Follow this to the end of the road and then turn left and follow the road to a 4-way intersection... you will find it hard to miss as it is just after a nice wee climb. At the intersection you will see another MTB map... but you don't need that, turn hard right into Direct Road and climb.... for me, this is a walk, run, walk, run road... there are two intersections of roads on the way up, take the right hand option both times - take the left at the first if you like punishment as it comes out at the same place but you just work harder.
Eventually you will climb a road that ends at Hill Road, If you veer left here you will see another MTB map (they get looked after well here) and to the left of that the entrance to a MTB trail called Frontal Lobotomy - yup, that's where we are going. Despite the name, this is a nice climb for that takes you all the way up to the start ramp for the National Downhill MTB trail. Carry on past the start and head up the road for the last part of this climb to the start of Tuhoto Ariki.
If you take the route I took down the MTB trails, beware of MTB riders behind you (you can usually hear them a long way off). They don't generally mind as long as you give way to them. As you head down the trail is pretty cool to run. You will see the sign to RollerCoaster and the only split in the trail is a t-junction where the main trail appears to go right and that's the way you head. The trail will eventually come out on another forestry road with the continuation of the trail just over the road. 
At the end of the MTB trail you come back to the road. Take a sharp left and follow the road for just over 1.5km and you will find yourself back at the start having covered just under 16km. Keep an eye out for a short road to the left just before the finish - especially if it's hot - because it leads to the Waipa Spring which provide much of the water to Rotorua. On the post is a tap with pure spring water... a great way to cool down and fabulous days like today.
