‘We did hope it would be a bit more rideable’ -Adventurers brave storm, raging rivers and broken rib to complete madcap Southern Alps traverse
Wednesday, 17 June 2026
An incoming storm and a broken rib did not deter two Christchurch endurance cyclists from attempting a mammoth effort to traverse the Southern Alps.
Joe Nation and Rufus Wenlock had to navigate steep scree slopes, wild rivers and almost half a year’s rain in just two days to complete their impressive feat over the King’s Birthday weekend.
And the pair even decided to plough on with plans for their adventure despite Wenlock suffering a cracked rib from a crash while riding in Christchurch’s Victoria Park two days prior.
Nation, 36, a geotechnical engineer from Christchurch, said he and Wenlock had had the mission in their sights ever since a failed attempt about two years ago.
“We explored Harper Pass two years ago and that was a lot harder than what we thought it would be. We didn’t make it to the Coast. We got up to the Taramakau River and went back over the Otira Gorge to Christchurch. So two years after we failed we wanted to try it again,” he said.
This time they decided to go over Browning Pass, which reaches an elevation of more than 1411m, along the Wilberforce River and down the Arahura River to reach the West Coast.
This historic trading route is so steep, Nation said it resembled a wall. But the bigger challenge proved to be the weather.
“The unknowns of trail conditions and weather really turned this one into an epic adventure, 280mm of rain and some brutally technical trails,” he said.
The pair set off at 4am on May 30 from New Brighton Pier, aiming to reach Hokitika two days later.
They rode 180km the first day to get to Browning Pass.
Nation said they had been prepared to carry their bikes through the tough alpine pass.
“We did hope it would be a bit more rideable. Some people told us a good amount of Browning Pass would be rideable and other people told us very little would be rideable.
“We found very little to be rideable,” he said.
They only managed to cover 18km in two days, carrying their bikes up mountain slopes that felt almost vertical and along precarious ridges.
The bikes each weighed about 20kg, and they also had to carry camping gear and food.
“We had a pretty good idea what it would be like after doing Harper Pass. We did it in tramping shoes and that really paid off, especially when we had the bikes on our backs crossing through rivers,” he said.
The pair are not newcomers to endurance challenges, having complete ultra distances races in New Zealand and worldwide.
Nation, who is among the world’s best endurance riders, won the 2024 gruelling 2000km Silk Road Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan. Wenlock came third.
Alongside the Tour Divide, the Silk Road race is considered the toughest cycling challenge in the world, with climbs frequently topping 4000m – higher than Aoraki/Mt Cook.
During the Silk Road ride, Nation took the lead on the penultimate day with only an hour’s sleep and a chest infection.
He said the South Island crossing went to plan and they had the right equipment, but the only thing he would change was the forecast, which brought torrential sideways rain and wind.
“It rained 280mm on Sunday and Monday – for us Cantabrians that’s half a year’s rainfall in two days. We knew the forecast wasn’t great but there were only so many three-day weekends we could make it, so we committed to it,” he said.
The pair had aimed to complete the challenge in three days but were prepared to stay extra nights in huts if rivers became too high to cross. Luckily the rivers were passable using teamwork and muscle endurance.
“I told the boss I might not make it in on the Tuesday,” he said.
They are now turning their focus to a 1500km race in Turkey in four months’ time.
“We genuinely find it fun. We also like a challenge. I enjoy making videos and if they can inspire people that’s an added bonus.”