I posted a recce for the’Puffer track a couple of days ago. Since then there’s been a wee bit more snow 🙂

So I figured I’d do it again for the benefit of the ‘Puffer entrants. Here’s a few pics, but click on the pics to go to the Flickr photostream because I’ll only show a few here. I didn’t bother with the bottom part of the course because that’s mainly fireroad and reasonably firm snow.

Last time the haul up the fireroad was painful because of the deep snow, so I have done this one in reverse so I could actually pedal down the hill instead of push up it. 🙂

Revolving chair

On path to revolving chair

Snakebite Gully

Above Bridge of Thighs

ST down to Bridge of Thighs

At gate in deer fence

The steep slab – it’s rideable. I had a go but the small wheel got caught and I crashed at the bottom.

The rocky bit near the start of the top single track

Top of the fireroad zigzag

Fireroad – bit deep but rideable going down – you can see by my tracks I had difficulty keeping it straight 🙂

Singletrack near View Rock turn off – nice and crunchy

The snow is basically nice and crunchy. Stronger riders than me could probably ride it ok, but I had difficulty getting enough momentum not to get stopped by frozen ruts or footprints. Say 60% rideable, and of that half is only just rideable.

Definitely worth pushing through the deep stuff for the fun with the rest of it.

If it’s 60% rideable on that thing, it will surely be super easy on an bicycle…

For any other race I’d have looked at those pics and thought “It’ll be cancelled”.

However given it’s the Puffer I actually looked and thought “Mmm, not too bad really”.

Fortunateson09 – Member
If it’s 60% rideable on that thing, it will surely be super easy on an bicycle…

but I was cheating – it’s got gears 🙂

I was estimating 60% for a normal size wheel. It was more like 40% on this thing. There was a lot of 10 yards and stop stuff…

looks good, can you tell me more about the bike?

Dahon Groove. Only made for one year.

When is the Puffer?

StrathPuffer 15/16 January

Gets run regardless of conditions. Blizzards, 80mph winds, sheet ice, knee deep snow. Good fun.

Gets run regardless of conditions. Blizzards, 80mph winds, sheet ice, knee deep snow. Good fun.

You forgot about 16 hours out of the 24 being in darkness!

kennyp – Member
‘Gets run regardless of conditions. Blizzards, 80mph winds, sheet ice, knee deep snow. Good fun.”
You forgot about 16 hours out of the 24 being in darkness!

You’re right, that’s the best bit, makes the blizzards etc more interesting…

I think this year the big question will be not which tyre, but which snow shovel? 🙂

If you can get there ❗ I would have thought

Just a dusting then…