Inaugural All Women's Mountain Bike Camp - Craigieburn 2026
- Jan 30
- 4 min read
Gritt kicked off 2026 with something exciting: its inaugural women's camp! On Monday, January 19th, 25 girls arrived at Mt Cheeseman’s Forest Lodge from across the country.
Most drove in from around the South Island, but some made the trip from as far as Rotorua. After a weekend of wet weather, the sun started to poke through, and three days of good times were on the horizon.
We had six incredible female athletes joining as coaches, Amelie McKay, Maria Laurie, Sammie Maxwell, Erice Van Leuvan, Winni Goldsbury, and Xanthe Robb, all bringing experience from World Cup and Olympic levels across Enduro, DH, and XC disciplines. Forest Lodge is an awesome facility in the Craigeburn Forest Park, tucked away at the base of the Cheeseman ski field road. The perfect spot nestled in the heart of the Selwyn District. We were lucky enough to be able to use it as our base for the following days. Unloading bags and bikes and picking bunk rooms bred excitement for the week ahead. Once everyone was settled in, Winni took charge on the introductions, learning everyone's names and favourite trails.
Day one was all about settling in and finding the flow. First on the agenda was a big group ride on Cuckoo Creek, a Craigieburn classic. This was a great way to ease into the week and give the coaches an idea of abilities and familiarity with the terrain. Despite greasy conditions, everyone was ripping, and the vibes were high! The girls then split themselves up into groups, some with a keen XC focus and others more concentrated on the gravity-based disciplines of DH and Enduro. Whilst the XC group headed out on the Hogsback track towards Castle Hill, the Gravity girls pedalled up the Cheeseman road for another lap. The goal of the coaches for day 1 was simple: find out what each rider wanted to learn and tailor the next few days for maximum progression. With two big pedals done, everyone was tuckered out, so back to the lodge it was for a good feed. A few parents were dedicated to cooking for a mob of hungry bikers, so we were greeted by a delicious BBQ feast. After dinner, everyone sat down for a Q&A, and our coaches were quizzed on organisation, training, nutrition, and mindset.
Day 2 started with excited rumours of shuttles. Thanks to the loan of trailers from Mt Hutt and an extra vehicle from Inspire Foundation, rumours became reality. While the XC Crew stocked up on snacks and headed out on an endurance ride to explore the Craigieburn Valley, the Gravity groups piled into vehicles and headed up the Cheeseman road. After a warm-up lap on Cheesy DH, everyone was frothing and ready to get stuck in. Some were keen to stay on the same trail, learning lines, ticking off features, and sessioning sections. Others wanted to explore a bit further and push outside their comfort zone. Whilst Erice took a crew back for more laps of Cheesy DH, Xanthe and Winni both took their groups to ride another trail named Hotdog. Many of the girls were curious as to how best to navigate the trail's tight dropping corners, so lots of scoping and sessioning were done, focusing on line choice, braking points, and body position. Later in the day, a Soundbox speaker was unearthed from the lodge and dragged into the back of one of the shuttle trucks. With stomachs full, music blaring, and trails drying out fast, the stoke couldn’t get much higher.
The day finished up once again with good food, and Sammie ran everyone through a 45min on-the-go gym routine, highlighting the importance of stretching, mobility, and strength across all MTB disciplines. Card games and cups of Milo carried on into the night. It was pretty cool to see connections and friendships being formed between riders from all ends of the country.
The final day of the camp saw a few tired faces. Two days of flat-out riding and late-night games were starting to take their toll, but out came the speaker again, and it was game on. The XC crew joined for shuttles this time. There was a bit of Tectrus fitting everyone in, but we made it work. Another group lap to start on Cheesy DH was the game plan. Mikhail and Riley went ahead, capturing all the action and giving the girls a chance to put all their new skills and dialled lines into action in front of the camera. The party train was popping off.
We managed to fit 2 more laps in before running out of sunshine. Erice and Winni’s crews stuck to the classics, Cheesy DH and Cuckoo Creek, whilst Xanthe chased a group down Hotdog again, following each rider for different sections to pass on some final tips. As the drizzle started to set in, the trails were slickening up again, giving the girls some valuable lessons on how to quickly adapt their riding to the conditions.
Watching so many incredible wāhine connect, grow, and progress together over just three days was truly special. There were several standout moments and individuals who really caught the attention of the coaches, and these were acknowledged at the end of Day 3 with spot prizes awarded to those who embodied the true spirit of Gritt — camaraderie, positivity, and a genuine eagerness to learn. A huge thanks to the people who helped make this camp a reality for 25 young women. Firstly, thank you to the athletes who came to coach. Having such inspiring role models within Aotearoa is incredibly powerful, and their influence is evident in the growing number of young wāhine making waves in the MTB world.
Thanks, Mikhail Huggins, for a huge effort on the organisation and videography, and Riley for snapping some unforgettable shots. Thanks to the crew at POC Sports, Inspire Foundation and Selwyn NZ for providing support to make the camps doable and affordable. We hope that this is the first of many women's camps, and we can’t wait to watch the girls crushing it in 2026 and beyond. The future is bright!!
