Berm Buster Trail Ride Taupō – Rain, Ruts and a Weekend of Great Riding

The Berm Buster is one of, if not the largest, trail rides in New Zealand by attendance, and it definitely feels like it when you arrive.

Saturday brought plenty of rain, but if anything that only made the riding better. As the day went on, the ruts deepened, the mud moved around and the tracks became progressively more challenging. The terrain kept evolving throughout the day, which added a lot of character to the ride.

There were three main trails:

• KTM Trail: 31 km, with 7 optional breakout tracks graded 2–6
• HUSQVARNA Trail: 25 km, with 4 optional breakout tracks graded 2–6
• GASGAS Trail: 15 km, with 7 optional breakout tracks graded 2–6

The GASGAS trail was primarily under the trees, which was especially welcome during the rain on Saturday. The KTM trail had considerably more forestry roads and Grade 1–2 riding, making it a faster and more open loop overall.

For me, the ride became much more enjoyable once you got away from the Grade 1 & 2 sections. Those were mostly straightforward forestry roads and tended to attract the riders who were more interested in speed than technical riding. Once you peeled off onto the higher-graded breakouts, the number of riders dropped away significantly as well, which made the tracks feel much quieter and gave you a lot more space to enjoy the terrain at your own pace.

Grade 2 was much more typical trail riding: bush tracks carved through the trees and scrub, often with a small bulldozer. They were generally easy, flowing and enjoyable without requiring too much concentration.

Grade 3 was where things started getting properly interesting. There were more drops from banks, exposed roots, tighter lines and other obstacles that required a bit more confidence and experience. I explored pretty much all of the Grade 3 and below sections across the weekend.

I also tried a few of the easier Grade 4 breakouts when the weather and track conditions felt right. These stepped things up noticeably, with steeper hill climbs and more challenging terrain. I visited fewer Grade 4 sections than I would have liked, though, and I'm sorry to report that I didn't attempt any Grade 5 or above on this visit.

That's something to leave for next time.

One thing that really stood out was the signage. It was easily the best I have seen at any trail ride so far. All of the breakout tracks were clearly marked, and the merges had exit signs so you knew exactly where to wait for your mates coming off a different section.

It sounds like a small detail, but it makes a huge difference when you're riding with people of different skill levels. One person can take the harder breakout while someone else stays on the main trail, and you can regroup afterwards without any confusion. It's a brilliant touch that a lot of events seem to overlook, and it made riding as a group much easier and more enjoyable.

Overall, the Berm Buster lived up to its reputation. The tracks were varied, challenging and extremely enjoyable, and the rain arguably made Saturday better rather than worse. Watching the terrain change as the day went on added another dimension to the riding, and with so many breakout tracks across the three main loops, there was far more terrain than you could realistically explore in a single weekend.

I'll definitely be back.