Mountain Biking: Trails a gift that keeps on giving

QUESTION: What's great about mountain biking? Everything.

Last week I was interviewed by Rotorua research company APR. It was part of ongoing work to put together a 10-year strategic plan for Rotorua cycling.

One of the questions was, what makes Rotorua's mountain bike trail network special?

It's a long list: free-draining soil, pretty much all-weather and every season - and it's just over the back fence for most of us (and most visitors to town). For me, that unique mix of exotic and native flora is also a big part of the riding experience, even if it's gradually shrinking.

Our trail network caters for a wide range of tastes and abilities. You can cruise around the core network. Or climb to the roof of the forest (or shuttle up) and then blast down a marvellous variety of trails, then repeat.

Or simply head to the rebuilt New Challenge mini-network at the top of Nursery Hill and go round and round for hours, until your head falls off.

Challenge Roadside, Challenge or Down the Guts: all very different in style, all packed into a tiny footprint. They are Grade 3 or 4. They require a level of skill, though most riders could roll them. Last week we saw a Dad following his young daughter on a 20-inch bike down Challenge Roadside. Awesome is an over-used word, but ... awesome. They all look reasonably straightforward, but take care. They can bite.

And then there's Boulder Dash. The logging of the Challenge block revealed a natural rock formation that shouted out for a steep, near vertical drop. I'll leave that for the gladiators of MTB. Just standing at the exit of Boulder Dash looking up is terrifying enough. No surprise that it's a Grade 5.

One condition of redevelopment after logging is that rebuilt trails have to reflect the shape of the original one. I don't remember old Challenge being this good. Nice work, Rob Smail from the Rotorua Mountain Bike Club and the trail builders, Empire of Dirt and Spadewerx.

From the not mountain biking desk: there was a media conference in Chamonix, in France, a couple of days ago. It was the launch of an Ultra Trail Running World Tour.

In 2014 there will be eight world-class long-distance running races on the Tour - in Europe, USA and Asia ... and in Rotorua, New Zealand, the Vibram Tarawera Ultramarathon.

It was a proud moment for Tarawera Ultra race director Paul Charteris.

He's done a magnificent job taking this race from a crazy dream six years ago to an event that sells out very quickly - and attracts some of the real rock stars of the long-distance running world.

He's got a full-time job at SCION, as well, so it's all been in evenings and weekends.

I've seen this sort of vision and sheer hard work in the mountain bike world.

It's a risky business and, even with sold-out entries, it's expensive putting on any event. Personal financial security often goes on the line.

The Tarawera Ultra shares a lot of the same real estate as the mountain bike trail network. As part of the Ultra Trail World Tour it will shine an even bigger spotlight on our town and region and reinforce our reputation as a major adventure sports destination. Well done, Mr Charteris.