Chain Reaction Challenge Update — Day4

Fox Glacier to Haast

Well, hello there cycling fans! It’s me, your friendly neighbourhood Chain Reaction cyclist, back with another update on our wild adventure through the stunning landscapes of New Zealand.

Today was day four, and we were meant to kick off with a unique start — a sunrise viewing of the Fox Glacier behind the town that shares its name.

Alas, it was not to be… the clouds had different plans for us today. So we skipped the 10km descent over gravel (plus the climb back out) to the viewing platform and instead made a beeline for Haast.

Before we get down to business — let’s not forget about the glacial river that was only a kilometer down the road from our starting point. Most of the team took the opportunity yesterday afternoon to have a swim and recover after yesterday’s tough ride. Who needs a fancy spa when you have a natural, glacial river to jump in? It was definitely a bit chilly, but I’m told it felt so good…

Back to today, it was going to be a race against the weather. The low cloud in Fox was fine…. just annoying, but the chance of rain in Haast was high, like really high. The longer we took to get there, the more saturated and colder we’d be.

Scenery did not disappoint on this shorter section, featuring wide rivers, lush farmland, green mountains , milpond ocean views — truly a postcard-perfect view.

But don’t let the idyllic setting fool you — we had some serious cycling to do. With an adjusteed 118 km and 1200m of elevation ahead of us, we were hoping this would be a nice transition day, but knew it could quite easily be a toughie if that rain came early.

We enjoyed a nice 45 km downhill run to our first rest area, near Bruce Bay. The only blip on the radar was a little section — a 2.1 km climb at a 5.4% gradient. Easy compared to what we’ve tackled so far, right? Damn straight, and we did it as a team.

Then, it was time for another 30 km of undulating road, with a break or two to catch our breath. We had a great crew on the front who worked hard to pull us along quickly, minimizing the time we might spend in the rain.

And like that 70K’s was done… Free play was called and off we went, hammer and tongs (a lot of effort) for 17 km — not a section with a huge amount of elevation, never the less, it was tough! Our coach and a few team mates had taken the opportunity to stretch their legs and were well up the road. The chase began. We didn’t catch them, but we gave it a good nudge, picking up team members that had been shelled. We banded together and rode hard, swapping turns on the front.

We had made such good progress that our lunch stop had to be moved. We rolled into the new spot, Knights Point Lookout.

But we were still too early, so, we quickly topped up bottles, had some snacks. It was a great opportunity for a photo or two and then we were off.

With the threat of rain upon us — an executive decision was made to push on through to Haast, arrive early but be out of the weather.

We made it, a bit wet, a little cool, but not freezing, thanks to our determination, teamwork, and of course, the stunning scenery that surrounded us.

Overall, it was another fantastic day on the Chain Reaction Challenge. We’re all feeling a bit tired, but we’re also feeling stronger and more accomplished than ever before. Some are starting to say, they are riding into form.Stay tuned for more updates on our journey through New Zealand’s breathtaking landscapes. Until next time, keep on pedaling!

Want to see some of the amazing country this challenge will take use through 👉 Day 4 video here

Kia ora for reading and haere raMike

By Mike Carpendale on March 1, 2023.Canonical linkExported from Medium on February 19, 2026.