What should have been a nice easy morning, as we only had 35kms to complete today, was instead a rude awakening by slamming doors and once again, the people who felt they had the most important voice.

Eventually, I got up out of our bunk, but left James to snooze after frog trombone man had kept him awake most of the evening.

Boiling up some water to make tea, and porridge for breakfast. Then making some sandwiches for lunch.

Eventually, I had to wake him up and we started our day.

We plugged our phones into the power bank we had brought with us, which was showing 82% power – turned away, looked back, it was at 0% and my phone had 52% battery. And we still had 2 days before we had access to electricity again. Great.

Thankfully, we were carrying an emergency locator beacon, so if something was to happen, we could call for help, but it was far from ideal as we had no way of taking photos, and the sun had come out to play!

We packed up our bags, and after signing out of the hut guest book, it was time to head DOWN and reap the rewards of yesterdays uphill.

First up, we descended around 120m on some tight switchbacks and it was awesome to be flying down the mountain. We turned around, and looked back up the hill to see where we had come from – it was incredible.

Then came the fun part, skyline. An exposed rugged, rocky, ridgeline. This was the ‘grade 5’ techy trail which was so fun to ride

Quickly taking a picture and then turning my phone on flight mode to try to preserve as much battery as possible!

Next up, was ‘the stairs‘ which was over 100 rickety wooden steep steps that you most certainly couldn’t ride down, but have to carry your bike down (or up if you’re heading the other way)

James very kindly took my bike down the first section that was really rocky and exposed, then I decided to carry it the rest of the way. I tried carrying it, but as I’m a puny weak armed weasel and my bike was fully loaded, it was really heavy. James had suggested balancing it on my shoulder, which for anyone else would work, but with my collarbone that doesn’t sit properly, the seat was just on the bone, nope. So I had to wrap my shirt over my shoulder and then balance the saddle, whilst grabbing into the down tube, all whilst not falling down the stairs.

We made it to the bottom of the stairs, to see where they are building a bypass track for riders to avoid the steps, but it’s not quite ready yet.

Jumping back onto the bike, we were back into the trees and it was down down down we went. Racing through the forest, it was just amazing. Flowy, clean and just non-stop fun. I don’t think the smile left my face for the entire ride down. Although it was warm, my breaking fingers were cold – which is when I thought up a marvellous idea, heated break levers.

I shared my idea with James, who laughed, and just suggested gloves. No, my hands were warm, but finger was cold, so a kinetic heated break lever was my idea. I’ll get back to you with the science behind it another time.

We passed a couple of walkers who had left the hut earlier in the morning, they all very kindly jumped to one side as we passed.

Eventually we made it to the river, and followed alongside it for a few KMs, passing over wooden bridges, swing bridges and puddles. At one point, I wish I’d had a go-pro on as I took a corner a little too quickly, as I was jumping up onto a bridge, somehow I managed to miss the tree and make the corner and not fall off the bridge, but I’m really not sure how!!!

We made it to the next hut along the route, so we stopped for a sandwich.

The other bikers who stayed at the hut eventually caught up and joined us for a break. Pretty cool, they were two friends from the Eastern Cape, she was 62 and I think he was slightly older – showing age is just a number!

As we were sat relaxing, enjoying hearing stories of these two and their adventures, a phone in the hut rings. We all look at each other as if to say ‘eh, what the hell’ I get up and answer it. “Hello, is that Michelle” erm, nope, you’ve called ‘eh guys, what’s the name of this hut’ no, there’s no Michelle here. “Oh have I called 02…….” Mate, I don’t even know where I am, let alone what number you’ve called!!! He admits that he must have the wrong number and we say goodbye.

We set off again, not really knowing what we were in for, as the map looked like we had a couple of climbs but nothing like yesterday.

We were out into the valley with no shelter, with the sun blazing down it was pretty hot. We climbed up the valley which was rather janky and not very fast rolling. Crossing a few lakes along the way, it was glorious.

The trail took us to the top of the valley and we couldn’t see where the trail was going to send us. I said to James, ‘if this turns into switchback climbs, I’m gonna throw a tantrum’ hey, guess what!!!! It was switch back climbs haha!

As we were climbing, and I was chasing behind poor James who didn’t have as easy gears as me, I looked up and thought it was going mad as I saw something move in the bush. A few hundred meters later, I realise I wasn’t going mad, it was just a herd of goats hiding in the rocks.

We climbed, and climbed, eventually making it to an area with a warning sign ‘NO STOPPING FOR NEXT 1KM DUE TO ROCK FALL’ usually with these signs, you’re like yeah, sure. However the size of these rocks you didn’t want to be messing around. They were huge! Size of a double decker bus kinda huge, all precariously balanced on the hillside. In the evening I later learnt they all got there after an earthquake a few years ago. That would have made one hell of a racket!

We get to the top of the rocky climb and once again head into some woodland, the tree cover was gratefully received, to hide from the sunshine. Before we knew it, it was time for more downhill. This wasn’t as fun as the mornings flow, as there were a few more rocks to contend with, but still, it was so fun to just head down, down, down and it not stop!

Before we knew it, we were back down to river level, and cruised alongside for a few KMs. Eventually, crossing a huge swing bridge.

We catch up to some more walkers, who graciously step aside as we hoon on past, clocking off the KMs, counting the pest traps along the way (pest traps were clearly working as there were so many birds, even heard our first Kererū flappin’ his big ole flappers through the dense forest.

By mid-afternoon, we make it to Specimen Hut, our home for the evening. As we are first in, we get first pick of the bunks and choose what we thought would be the most quiet.

James went out to look for a bathhouse again, for another shower, but couldn’t find one, so I had a quick shower out on the balcony with James standing guard in case anyone arrived. Stupid idea, as soon as I was wet, I was the sandflies feast and they got me good.

A walker eventually arrived, and came into the hut to start boiling some water, for the shower outside, that James had blindly walked past!

All washed and clean, we cooked up some freeze dried scrambled eggs for an afternoon snack, and a few games of gin rummy.

The hut starts to fill up, as we just kick back and enjoy the gorgeous views. We had made an effort to keep the doors shut to keep the sand flies out, but as walkers come in, the swing open the door and leave it open. Cool. More sandfly buffet feasting on my feet.

Eventually, we’ve wasted enough time and it was an acceptable time to eat dinner, so some freeze dried honey soy chicken was on the menu for the evening. We spent the evening with our biker friends, only after about 5 hours of chatting did we realise we didn’t even know their names! Boo and Peter, and yesterday their friend Brian, who was 73 had joined them for the huge climb up and missed out on the fun descent we had! He sounded like a riot, worked with young offenders fresh out of prison and tried to show them how they too can access the mountains and experience the joy of mountain air.

We managed to hold out until 8pm before we admitted defeat and hit the hay.

The bunk we had so carefully selected turned out to be not so great. As someone who had joined our bunk didn’t understand that to walk, you didn’t have to slap your feet down on the wooden floor. Even when you get up at gone 10pm when the entire hut had gone to sleep. (James: you sound like such a princess. Uh-ohhh, he had clearly forgotten what I’m like without sleep!!)

Back to sleep, and ready for a longer day again tomorrow, to leave the forest and head back to civilisation.

Day 6 complete.

It’s good to be adventuring again!