Alpine Odyssey Q&A
 

Matariki will see Huw Kingston and Laurence Mote embark on their ski-bikepacking journey down the length of Aotearoa. Prior to leaving and amidst the mayhem of last minute logistics they found time answer a few burning questions about their epic 4000 km 90 day trip that will see them bike to and ski all 25 Kiwi ski fields.

It's all for a good cause, Huw and Laurence have partnered with Save the Children to raise $75,000 to support Vanuatu’s first climate resilient shipping container classroom. And you can follow the journey live on Map Progress. 

1. How long do you think your days will be, ie. breaking camp to making camp? How much riding or skiing do you envisage each day?

Huw: We're not setting out to break any records with Alpine Odyssey Aotearoa. Our journey is very much a celebration of bike, ski and mountain life, to absorb all the good things and educate ourselves on the lesser ones.

Being winter, the days are short and, as we get further south, increasingly cold. It will certainly be necessary to make the most of the daylight available and, as long as I'm caffeinated, I'm happy to get out there although I'm sure Laurence will accuse me of faffing too much.

An added challenge we have is that Laurence, as a result of mental tiredness from his bee sting induced brain injury, ordinarily sleeps for a couple of hours in the middle of the day. How we fully manage this is yet to be realised as it won't be easy to pull up in the middle of the day, pitch the tent and have a snooze!

On an average for this sort of long journey I tend to work on 75 km riding per day. As far as skiing goes, we plan to enjoy at least a day's skiing at each ski field, staying overnight at most. The ski touring sections will be what they will be in terms of day length.

2. What level of support will you be receiving throughout the journey?

Laurence: I was reading the Tour Divide Race ‘rules’ the other day. And whilst we are embracing the ethos of 'fully-self supported', we’d likely disqualify ourselves immediately from the TD.

For example, if anyone wants to organise a hotel room for us on route, we’ll have no complaints. Equally, if we have to hop over a fence to pitch our tents on nightfall, then so be it.

For sure we’ll be swapping out gear as we go along, picking up snow safety gear at Ruapehu etc. but the skis will be with us from Day One.

3. What contingency do you have in case of really bad weather on the mountain or when you’re riding? How cold is too cold to bike?

Huw: There's bad weather (miserably manageable) and bad weather (miserably unmanageable). Generally we've scheduled a bad weather/contingency/rest day every 8-9 days or so, based on past experience of similar long journeys. Of course we want a big snowy winter but if we get it, it will mean some big, snowy riding (pushing?) days too. And of course there will certainly be days when we hunker down in tent/hut/pub/lodge as rain slams down or blizzards blow.

How cold is too cold? That's actually a bloody good question. Biking undoubtedly amplifies the cold and it is not unusual to relish the uphills (warming up!) more than the downs (windchill induced frigidity!). Hopefully our gear selection, including made for cold, made for New Zealand, Ground Effect clothing, North Wave winter cycling boots and good gloves from Ground Effect and Black Diamond will keep us comfortable enough. Perhaps ask that question at the end of our journey, but ultimately it is all part of the great cycling Wheel of Suffering!

4. What considerations have you made for bikes, ski equipment and clothing in terms of weight vs camping, comfort vs ski/riding performance?

Laurence: We haven’t made a serious effort in terms of weight saving, concentrating mainly on volume and efficiency of use. But in saying that, the brands we’ve partnered with happen to also be the best at managing both performance and function.

So all of our Ground Effect cycle clothing we’ll use for riding and skiing. For sleeping we’ve chosen comfort, each carrying a tent for the North Island leg, albeit Nemo Dragonflys, which are super lightweight and compact.

For our ski setup we have no wish to compromise performance as we really want to enjoy ourselves on the snow. But again, ATK bindings are both light and incredible at their job, and whilst my 95 underfoot Black Diamond Helio skis are the narrowest I’ve had for a while I can’t wait to let rip on the slopes.

We’ve both gone for our trusted steel-is-real steeds… a Kona Unit-X and a Surly Karate Monkey, so we’re expecting no trouble – from the frames at least.

5. How many turns at a ski field will constitute a successful ski?

Laurence: We will be hoping for a full day at each ski area. I had in my mind to ski every run on each hill, but we may at times have to settle for riding every lift. Or at the very least, sampling every pie flavour in the cafeteria. If it’s snowing or whiteout I’m in my element.

6. Is there a connection between skiing/biking and the threat of sea level rise in the Pacific?

Huw: Obviously we are making a very personal connection by linking our journey to fundraising for climate resilience projects in the South Pacific, specifically Vanuatu (and a massive thanks to everyone who has contributed so far).

More widely, climate change impacts pretty much everything we do, and in Australia, my home country, this is manifested in increasing, more intense fires (the horrors and personal experience of our Black Summer in 2019-20 still bring tears into my eyes); coastal erosion from Pacific Ocean storm surges; and endless devastation from record breaking floods. Here in NZ we see similar issues, remembering Cyclone Gabrielle 2023 that wrought immense destruction.

Of course in the alpine country of both NZ and Australia, winter snow depths are decreasing, ski seasons shortening and temperatures rising. This has a direct impact upon the economics of resorts and towns reliant on the winter season, as well as extending into water levels for hydro and agriculture. I have been able to enjoy the delights of snowsports for nearly 40 years now. Will my grandchildren be able to say the same in another half a century?

The impacts of climate change and rising sea levels in the Pacific on biking? Well one could suggest warmer temperatures might extend the general biking season in a temperate climate like NZ or southern Australia, but on the other hand, in somewhere like Australia, will hotter temperatures shorten the comfortable riding season in our summers? And for sure, low level trails that follow coastlines could find themselves under water and more intense storm surges and flooding will destroy trail infrastructure – bridges, causeways, trail treads and more.

7. It’s a tough trip, any aspects you are least looking forward to?

Laurence: Probably the long winter nights in the tent. I’m actually carrying a Nemo bikepacking chair to setup in the tent. Although I need more sleep than the average bear, I couldn’t handle 14hrs flat on my back.

Huw: For decades I've always felt stronger as the weather worsened in a 'bring it on, hit me with it' mentality. Since the government issued me with a Seniors Card a couple of years ago, I have a sense the enjoyment factor in such conditions is a bit less and it is more 'well I've done this a thousand times before, let's get through it'.

Hauling our asses, bikes and trailers up some of those long, steep ski field access roads feels, from the far north of the North Island, like a pain in the said ass. But that is perhaps borne of the usual feeling of not being fit enough for the journey ahead. Perhaps, when those access roads come around, I'll be fitter and more prepared!

Toughness comes in many guises. As always I will find it very hard not seeing my beautiful wife Wendy for 3 months, after she farewells Laurence and I at Cape Reinga.

8. How will you resolve differences of opinion?

Laurence: Classic bike racing tactics. I’ll just ride Huw into a ditch at the side of the road!

Huw: What differences? I won't countenance any!
Seriously though, Alpine Odyssey Aotearoa will be the first time in a long time that I've done a loooong journey with someone else from start to finish. For sure friends have come along for a few days or a few weeks here and there, but 90+ days is for sure a long period. Both Laurence and I have pretty strong personalities. We have done some magical bike, hike and ski trips in NZ over the years, for a week or so at a time, and are driven by some similar passions for the outdoors and the environment. I hope we know each other well enough to communicate concerns and our different needs – not just how fast or slow we move through the country, but understanding the elements that compete with the simple concept of a journey. The demands of the fundraising, filming, writing and thinking – meeting and absorbing all that this beautiful country offers.

Hopefully some time in late September, we will arrive at Slope Point together, or at least not too far apart, given I doubt Laurence will have rarely followed my back wheel since Cape Reinga.

All the finer details of Alpine Odyssey Aotearoa are on www.AlpineOdysseyAotearoa.nz and the direct link to the fundraising page is www.alpine-odyssey-save-the-children.raiselysite.com