Camden Cookshop to Molesworth Cob Cottage

March 25, 2025

I did not ride on this day. This 50km (30 mile) stretch is the most challenging in terms of hills with the route guide describing the Upcot Saddle as ‘fierce’. I was still not feeling right.

Instead I was lucky to be offered a ride with four people who taught me a lot about riding long distances when you are not young and bulletproof.

What follows here are a few snippets that I hope are interesting and maybe useful.

The sun rose on another bright day with the promise of heat in the afternoon.

There was a sparse but constant stream of cyclists going in both directions. From the top of the Upcot Saddle there was a spectacular view of the gravel road winding up the hill for several kilometres.

This shows the valley below the saddle and the lower slopes. The road extends northwards through the trees in the valley

The next few photos show the progress of one fully loaded cyclist up this path.

Grit and determination

We came to the Cobb Cottage campground, our stop for the night. This is the start of Molesworth Station, which is the route for tomorrow.

I was able to have a chat with the Ranger who oversees the campsite. Rangers work for the Department of Conservation (DoC) and are often volunteers. This is not some sheriff’s deputy toting a sidearm. Instead picture your grandma. She was about 70, retired and was there for two weeks. She told me she volunteered because she enjoyed being in a remote location as it helped her to sleep. I imagine she spends a lot of time chatting to people from all over the world.

There was a bit of light rain just as the sun set, with a ray of light just finding one of the tops before it was dark for the night

Back on the bike tomorrow

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