Mountain Bike Orienteering (MTBO)

Mountain bike orienteering, or MTBO, involves riding your way through a network of singletrack, 4WD tracks, roads and paths using a map. Sometimes you can shortcut between tracks but it's mostly about choosing the best track route and then following it without delays. Most events are designed to take 1–2 hours, but there are shorter and longer variations.

If you haven't tried MTBO before, take a look at some of the Getting Started resources and see more About MTBO.

Wellington MTBO

Since 2000, Orienteering Hutt Valley has coordinated a series of MTB orienteering events in the southern North Island, and been a leader in creating MTB-specific maps. We started with events that took an hour or two; and we built a points system to find the best riders over the year. Then we introduced an all-day "extreme" event in the Akatarawas. Then we expanded downwards to short events suitable for kids and families. Which for big people corresponds to the "sprint" in athletics - it has its own challenges.

The mix of MTBO events has changed over the years, according to the interests of participants and what people have put their hands up to organise. We've not had a formal series of events (the "Welly MTBO Series") since 2016 but over the last couple of years there's been a series of mini-adventure races (combining MTBO with foot orienteering sprints) in various parts of the Hutt River corridor (image above), some beginner/sprint B-Max events, and there's been a good selection of standalone MTBO events too. The club has previously run an annual "extreme" event too — the Akatarawa Attack — that's a MTB rogaine event.

If you're an occasional rider note that we have an expectation to carry a cellphone in non-urban events; this is to hasten response to an injury incident. And you are now allowed to ride off-track on certain map colours — read the legend carefully!

Current MTBO Calendar

This is progressively updated as events are scheduled. Click on an event below to get its details or results: