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Mark Watson
Highlux Photography
Mobile: +64 2040132232

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Otso Voytek, Peru

All of your long-distance bikepacking questions answered here…

Recent Posts

Tramping Browning Pass and Hokitika Saddle to Sir Robert Hut April 23, 2024
Three out of Three: Racing the 2024 Tour Te Waipounamu Bikepacking Ultra March 1, 2024
Bikepacking Packing List for the Andes, South America (Updated 2023/24) December 17, 2023

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Heading from Port Levy to Pigeon Bay to bag a few

Heading from Port Levy to Pigeon Bay to bag a few more dead end peninsula roads. Our project for the spring & summer is to ride every road that we haven't previously explored - and despite a good few years of riding out there, it's quite a lot of roads and they're mostly out-and-backs from high ridges to the sea, or from sea level up lonely valleys.📍#explorebybicycle #bankspeninsula #cyclingmotivation

A beautiful spring Sunday exploring more of Banks

A beautiful spring Sunday exploring more of Banks Peninsula. This spring we're aiming to ride the rest of the roads we haven't checked out yet. Most of these are big descents on dead end roads, but so often the trip's worth it with some remote Banks Peninsula sights, history and rugged coastline to see. This time is was Stony Bay, from Akaroa.

#bankspeninsula #explorebybicycle #cyclingnewzealand #canterburynz

📢 Don't forget to enter the draw to win a @biga

📢 Don't forget to enter the draw to win a @bigagnes_ Rapide SL sleeping mat and a copy of the Bikepacking & Off-road Cycle Touring Guide e-book!

Head over our feed post 'Bikepacking Giveaway' to enter.

🚴 To enter:
1. Follow both: @highluxphoto & @gearshopnz
2. Tag at least one friend in the comments. 1 tag is 1 entry; you may enter multiple times but a different account must be tagged each time.

For 3 extra entries, share this post to your Instagram story. You must tag @highluxphoto and @gearshopnz in the Instagram story for your extra entries to count.

The prize consists of 1 Rapide SL Sleeping Mat Regular and the Bikepacking & Off-Road Cycle Touring Guide (e-book). The total is valued at $500.

This competition starts on the 23rd of August 2024 at 4.30pm and closes on the 09/09/24 at 10 pm NZT and one winner will be notified within two days of closing. Keep an eye on your DMs,

The giveaway is open to anyone living in New Zealand.

The prize can’t be exchanged.

This giveaway is organised by Gearshop, please contact 0800 432 774, if any problems.

This competition is not in any way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram or Facebook.

#bikepacking
#biketocamp
#explorebybicycle
#bikepacknewzealand
#bikepackinglife

Spring (nearly!) Saturday on the one and only Ban

Spring (nearly!) Saturday on the one and only Banks Peninsula. Heaven for hill climbing and quiet gravel. Although we've been cycling out here for years, there are a lot of dead end roads we haven't 'redlined' yet. Time to tick them off! #bankspeninsula #cyclingmotivation #cyclingnewzealand #canterburynz

🔥 Giveaway alert! 🔥 Keep an eye on this fee

🔥 Giveaway alert! 🔥

Keep an eye on this feed tomorrow for a Bikepacking giveaway. It's super easy to enter and you could win product worth $500.

📷 @beinghana setting up camp on the Pisa Range, Central Otago.

#bikepackingadventure #bikepacking #biketocamp #bikepackinglife

The variety of forest encountered on the Old Ghost

The variety of forest encountered on the Old Ghost Road, Paparoa and Pike 29 Tracks is something that makes these tracks really special as you traverse from the lowlands to the subalpine zone. We're pretty lucky to have such great singletrack in environments like this.
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#oldghostroad #paparoatrack #pike29memorialtrack #singletrack #bikepacking #bikepackingroute #bikepackingadventure

Two different @otsocycles set ups for our recent w

Two different @otsocycles set ups for our recent winter bikepacking trip linking up the Old Ghost Road with Paparoa Track and Pike 29 Memorial Track.

We had one back country hut night and the other two were in a hotel and campground cabin, so we just carried very light Big Agnes sleeping bags and a Toaks titanium alcohol stove. This enabled a light & compact set up.

🚴 First bike is my Fenrir Stainless 29er, running 2.6 Maxxis Ikons. These are relatively fast rolling and the plush volume of the 2.6 gives a comfortable ride with predictable cornering and traction. The seatbag is the tiny Revelate Designs Shrew, which is a good option for smooth dropper compatibility if you don't need a full seat bag as it just attaches to the seat rails. I used the lightweight Pronghorn up front for a small front roll and two Mountain Feed Bags and Magtank for a variety of snacks, and items I like to access while moving.

🚴‍♀️ Hana's Voytek 27.5 is set up with 2.6 Maxxis Ardent and a Vittoria Mezcal in the back, which has a generous volume for a 2.6 tyre. With a smaller framebags Hana needed more space in her seatbag so used a dropper compatible Vole (being updated). The rest of her bag set up was the same as mine, except the Jerrycan, which I keep my tools handy in. Hana also had a Passschier bamboo handlebar for all-day comfort.

We ran 28t chainrings with 12-speed cassettes, which is our go to for longer trips overseas. I use a bigger chainring much of the time in NZ, but for this off-the-couch trip a small chainring is great for keeping the legs and connective tissues happy during big days and long singletrack climbs.

#otsovoytek #otsofenrir #bikepackingbike #bikepacknewzealand #bikepacking #bikepackingrig #oldghostroad #paparoatrack #bikepackinglife

Here's a few photos from a Matariki weekend missio

Here's a few photos from a Matariki weekend mission on the West Coast with Hana, Anna and James. Over 3.5 days we rode a 335 km loop including the Old Ghost Road, Paparoa Track and Pike 29 Memorial Track. Considering it's mid winter here in New Zealand we got lucky with really mild conditions and only a half day (the last one) riding in the rain. These tracks are well managed and in amazing condition - even at this time of year you barely get muddy!

📷 All photos except the last one are from my trusty Sony A7RII which is nearly 9 years old and very well travelled! Might be time for a replacement.

#oldghostroad #paparoatrack #bikepacking #bikepackingroute #westcoastnewzealand #pike29memorialtrack #bikepackinglife #bikepacknewzealand #mountainbikingnewzealand #singletracktrails

BIKEPACKING Pike 29 Memorial Track We included thi

BIKEPACKING Pike 29 Memorial Track
We included this amazing track in a 4-day, 335 km loop that featured the Old Ghost Road, Paparoa Track and Pike 29. 📷 @highluxphoto @beinghana
& James Morris. #bikepacking #paparoatrack #pike29memorialtrack
#bikepackingroute

Day 9/9 The final stretch of our trip from the Sty

Day 9/9 The final stretch of our trip from the Styx to the Whitcombe with two crossings of the Main Divide, via Browning Pass and Hokitika Saddle. Our early start from Frew Saddle dropped us into the lower Whitcombe for lunch amongst the mega-boulders. Rapid Creek was trivial, unlike last time we'd crossed it a few years back, and the cableway provided some final fairground fun to conclude a deeply satisfying journey through the mountains of Central Westland.

#tramping #trampingnewzealand #hikingadventures #hikeinnewzealand #explorenewzealand #centralwestland #hokitikacatchments #whitcomberiver

Day 9/9: The long haul from Frew Saddle down to th

Day 9/9: The long haul from Frew Saddle down to the Whitcombe River and out to the Hokitika Gorge. I've been in the Whitcombe a couple of times and each time I've found myself in wonder at the relentless force of this river and the landscape it has carved. The beautiful turquoise tone of the water, the jumbled dark grey streaky schist boulders and the wild bush clad valley make an amazing end to 9 days in the hills.

#trampingnzstyle #trampnz #tramping #whitcombevalley #whitcomberiver #westland #hokitikacatchments #centralwestland #hiking #swingbridge

Day 8/9: Looking down on Frew Saddle and the Meta

Day 8/9: Looking down on Frew Saddle and the Meta Range from partway up Pt 1860m. We arrived at Frew Saddle with three hours of daylight left, on a perfect calm and warm afternoon, so while the others hung out and brewed up at the historic biv, and set up camp, I missioned off with my camera to bag a peak and catch some evening light. The additional 500 metres vert on top of a regular tramping day was well worth the effort for some cool rocks and stunning golden light.

#frewsaddle #trampinghut #trampingnewzealand #tramping #hokitikacatchments #hikinghut #hikingnewzealand #explorenz🇳🇿

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Blog
Alaska to Patagonia
Countries
- New Zealand
- North America
  - Canada
  - Mexico
  - USA
    - Alaska
    - Arizona
    - California
    - Colorado
    - Idaho
    - Montana
    - New Mexico
    - Wyoming
- Central America
  - Guatemala
  - Belize
  - Honduras
  - Nicaragua
  - Costa Rica
  - Panama
  - Cuba
- South America
  - Colombia
  - Ecuador
  - Peru
  - Bolivia
  - Chile
  - Argentina
- China
- South East Asia
  - Cambodia
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