Freeride NZ 3 week NZ multi day tour

My name is Callum Jelley I’m a member of the MBUK Wrecking Crew and I’m going to chase summer around the world with my bike in tow. My bike is a Giant Reign X frame, the perfect tool for both fast DH, big hitting freeride runs and all day single track. Component-wise DT Swiss hooked me up with the new E2200 all mountain Wheel set, Fox 36 vans backed up with a DHX 5 rear shock, Formula The One brakes, Funn bar and stem, Hope ceramic bottom bracket and Sram gear assembly and Ride On cables. Hitting up New Zealand from 5th to the 25th of April with www.freeridenz.com and then on to Whistler for a whole season of shred all the Whistler and British Columbia has to offer.

The view from the van trip from Queenstown to Wanaka

For the New Zealand part of the trip I’m going to be travelling with Freeride NZ, started by Dan McMullan in summer 06 the company specialises in Freeride and Downhill tours ranging from 1 day to 3 weeks on both north and south islands. As well as Freeride and Downhill they offer single day cross country tours, heli biking days and loads more. The two guides, Dan and Glenn are super friendly and accommodating so if you want to do a trip that they don’t advertise they will do there best to sort you out.

Cool, calm and collected.....Glenno

Dan and Glenn picked me up in their van with a big sprayed painted trailer with 3 Commencal’s on it and the ability to carry up to 12 bikes and more! We pick up Dan B from Oz who is going to be with us for the whole of the south island section of the trip. Then we headed off to the trails! Our first trail we rode was virgin single track snaking its way down a valley just outside Queenstown. The trail was amazing it just flowed so well and the dust billowed behind us as we shredded down the mountain. The road back up was one of the scariest shuttling roads I’ve ever been on, it’s an old access road to the gold mines that used to exist around Queenstown. We spent the rest of that day riding the trail and warming up to the 20 days of riding ahead.

Dan invited some of his friends along today so there were bikes aplenty!

The second day began early with a plan to hit some local downhill tracks around Queenstown and then session the Mini Dream Track baby brother to the infamous Dream Track build by Nathan Greenwood and shown in both New World Disorder 5 and Drop In NZ. The great thing about the trails is how close they are to Queenstown itself. We start off on a track called Wynyard’s, it’s a pretty fast steep dh track with lots of berms and a couple of wooden features dotted through it, it also run’s straight through Mini Dream Track so we stop off here and ditch the bags and don the pads and get ready to get our dirt jump on! Every jump there is so well maintained and with plenty of backing from the council and the locals. A great training ground for every rider to get in the air, beginners to advanced riders.

Local Wanaka ripper Theresa McGeragle showing the boys how its done

Callum Jelley signing off