Boot Route
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Route Overview
General Overview
The Boot Route is a full day Adventure starting off in Christchurch, and heading east through the Canterbury Plains. It ventures through the foothills of the Main Divide, into the Canterbury High Country, and then returns to Christchurch.
For a single day Adventure, this takes you through a number of dramatic landscape changes including valleys, lakes, rivers, and mountain ranges. This route is structured around the best tarmac and gravel roads that focus on scenic value, rather than technical terrain.
The name Boot Route came from the fact the route outline on the map is in the shape of an old boot!
Start/Finish Point
This route has a natural start/finish point at Christchurch, however the route is a loop, so it can be started/finished from any point you choose.
Terrain includes
The terrain on this Adventure chops and changes between tarmac roads and gravel roads. The gravel roads will generally be Grade 1 to Grade 2.
Distance
315 km
Max Fuel Leg
163 km
Travel Time
Conservative travel time is around 6.5 hours.
There are a number of scenic spots to stop at along the way. To get the most out of this Adventure, ideally depart early and allow a full day to give yourself plenty of time, without having to rush.
Access Permission
No permission is needed for this route, all the tarmac and gravel roads are legally accessible to the public.
Access Limitations
At normal river flow rates, the route poses no real challenging terrain. The small stream crossings can be considered insignificant, and the river that needs to be crossed will generally be no deeper than 1.5 feet, with a soild base.
However, this Adventure is not possible at times of heavy rain, or heavy snow melt, that raise river levels. It is important to check the river level before you depart, and Leg 1 includes information on how to do that, to ensure you can cross safely.
