Bad Internet connection. So Pictures will follow later.
After the five day break in Queenstown I am on the bike again.
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I thought starting early gives me headstart on the traffic. So I got up at 5 o'clock after sleeping very little. I guess I was nervous, because I did not know if I could do the Zigzag in direction of the Crowns Range.
As it turned out, the Zigzag was the least of my problems. First of all I want to thank all the Kiwi Basecampers for encouraging me that I can do it. Next time if I ask Your opinion on a route please say: Yes, You can do that, but You are insane.
I arrived half past seven at the Zigzag. It is really impressive if you are standing at the bottom and know, that you need to get up there. I thought I need to do the Zigzag and the following climbs till ten o'clock to avoid most of the traffic. But as it showed later on, the traffic was not a problem at all. Except those wickedcampers. They always try to kill me.
Moving up the Zigzag was no fun. Shortly after beginning I needed to get off the bike and started pushing. I am not fit enough for these types of climbs. Near the top I got a cramp in my right upper leg too. So here I was. Definitely not the right kind of guy at the definitely wrong place. Backward is like giving up and moving forward is like really hating myself, defying and challenging nature.
I made it to the top of the Zigzag. When an older Lady told me at the lookout, that I must be very ambitious. I replied that I am only very stupid. I believe I made her day.
After the two km Zizag there would be like 15 km more climbing till I reach the pass. So I moved on. Sometimes really cycling sometimes only pushing the bike. I was getting more tired by the minute. I was cursing all people and myself. I really wanted to know why I am hating myself that much. I still don't have an answer.
On the final very good lookout onto Queenstown. A kiwi-guy said to me, that I am nearly there only like two more turns and then it would go down the whole way till Wanaka. At that moment I already used up two of my two and half liter of shitty tasting electrolytes, and I knew when I am at the top there will be no big celebration or bikini girls trying to give the whole torture any meaningful purpose. No way back only moving forward.
As I thought kiwis can't count. It was more like 6 turns and an additional 100m in height, before I finally made the peak. The only bikini girl there was an elderly lady (not in a bikini) who high-fived me for my accomplishment and took a picture, before she set off again down the hill to Queenstown, where she would wait for her cycling husband. The poor guy came from Wanaka. After wishing him well and telling him to be careful, because my way up or his way down will be really dangerous. Fast changing curves mixed with really steep passages.
Some statistics:
12 km till the peak.
800 m difference in height.
Highest sealed road of New Zealand.
2 liters of electrolytes (shitty taste).
4 energy bars.
and don't tell anyone 3.5 hours.
After the break I got on my bike again. One sign said 40 km downhill. Exactly the distance to Wanaka. It lied. Or like all Kiwis it had a distorted reality.
It was fast moving very windy road. I had nearly the whole 40 km strong headwind and the sun shining in my face. And only 500 ml water left. It was by far the most amazing landscape I have encountered so far. I did not take any pictures, because I needed to keep battling the headwind. And when I was in the drive I simply would not stop for really nice attractions. Several historic sites from the old gold digger times flew past me. I believe the bike is a challenging opportunity to see New Zealand but You will miss a lot of the stuff there is to see.
I reached the purple cow at half past two and was in the expected time frame. Half an hour earlier than I told the hostel via reservation. I have a day off now. Tomorrow I will walk a while through Wanaka. Take some pictures and relax. Then I am on the bike again. 150 km to Haast. Without a big climb. In Haast I will reach the sea level again I believe. And then it goes up the west coast. At the moment I am thinking about taking the bus at Greymouth to Nelson and doing some cycling up the coast from Nelson. I will change my cycling behaviour and adding the bus at appropriate locations to make it more fun for myself.
Btw. I am not feeling accomplishment of any kind. Yes, I did it. I did the Bungy Jump, too. But really there is nothing in my emotions that is telling me: This my friend is special or you did well. I am not fishing for compliments either. I pushed my boundary again and went to my limit. But there is no joy or glory in it.
Been there, done that, moved on. How sad is that?
