Lyttelton Semi-CircleBeginner - Intermediate
Submitted by Tony Sharpe
Urban fringe
Loop
Very hilly
Open tussock/grasslandsOpen ridges/topsVolcanic
Beginner - Intermediate
1:15 (Slow)
1:00 (Moderate)
0:45 (Fast)
-16.8%
+16.2%
Fastest Known Times (FKTs)
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Description
This is a shorter version of the Lyttelton Dress Circle Loop also on the directory, that cuts out the Mt Pleasant bluffs for a speedier return to home base.
Park up on London Street and head out around Cunningham Terrace which loops you onto Voelas Road. Start the hill grind on Voelas and pick up Harman. On the bend you'll spot the gas pipeline coming down. Here you will find the Stan Helms track which zig zags and climbs fairly steeply all the way to the top where it joins up with the summit of the Bridle Path. Its an awesome grind up the hill.
From the top pick up the Crater Rim Trail as it heads east up to the Gondola Top Station. This is the summit of Mt Cavendish, and the high point. You could well and rightfully be tempted to pop in here and soak up the views or even grab a refreshment. In fact a great variation to this loop is to start/ finish at the Gondola and have a cold one at the end.
Follow the trail to the harbour side of the building and descent into the saddle. Here you need to turn south and look for the Major Hornbrook Trail that descends steeply back down the hill to Lyttelton suburbia. Its a fast descent, but be warned it is very greasy in the wet and for most of winter - not a place for town tyres and certainly a great section to test out your nice knobbly trail runners. Major Hornbrook bottoms out on Ross Tce where you hang a left and then a quick right to descend the road back down to the main street.
Mission complete!
Trail Community
Features of interest
Mt Cavendish and the Gondola Top Station
Great views of Lyttelton and surrounds
A couple of lesser travelled but nice technical trails
Make Up of Run
Technical Single Track: 50%
Moderate Single Track: 40%
Sealed Road: 10%
Route Data
Reviews:
Overlapping Runs
The following trails overlap with this run to some degree. You may wish to combine them but please note that to qualify for FKTs on these runs you should record a separate Strava activity for each

Gondola Gallop
Length: 11.30km

Gang of Four
Length: 15.70km

Trinity - Harbour Bruisin'
Length: 20.10km

Lyttelton Dress Circle
Length: 9.00km

The Pipeline of Pain
Length: 5.20km

Christchurch 360 Trail - Sugarloaf Hills Section
Length: 18.20km

Beer Bum Bluffs
Length: 9.50km
Photos:
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I did it!-
Access
Park up on London Street and rip into it
Buses operate from town to Lyttelton. Plenty of on street free parking around
13 km
19 minutes
No
No
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Staying Safe
Easy.
Tracks are pretty obvious but watch out that you go the right way at junctions
Perfect throughout.
Short-sleeved thermal top, Windproof jacket, Gloves, Beanie/thermal headwear, Whistle, First aid kit, Cellphone, Map.
BYO
Trails can be very greasy here after rain and in winter.
Watch out for the odd rockfall. There was one major slide down Major Hornbrook in the 2011 quake that caused a tragic fatality, but its all pretty stable now
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Post run indulgence
London Street
Check out lots of places in the main street of Lyttelton for refeshmentsChristchurch Gondola
Summit of Mt Cavendish
https://www.christchurchattractions.nz/christchurch_gondola/
great food and drinks and a sensational view -
Sponsor this trail
See other runs nearby:
Godley Head loop
Lyttelton to Diamond Harbour
Halswell and Kennedys
Summit Walkway
The Bowenvale Elevator
The Gorsetrack Strikes Back
Rapaki Sugarloaf Return
Sign Of The Takahe - Rapaki
Port Hills Nearly Half Marathon
Horse Longitudes
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Whigs' Flying Fifty (WFF)
VKV challenge
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Bottle Lake Blue Loop
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Hagley Figure of 8
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Avon City Loops
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Okuti to Hilltop Amble
Gondola Gallop
Orton Bradley Loop
The ATH (Around The Harbour)
Lava - H.ELL Loop
Travis Wetland Loop
Punk Rock Assault On Windsor Castle
The Guv'nor & His Birds
The Crater Rim
Lava Lite
Takahe Half
North New Brighton Spit
Mt Pleasant Trig
God's Con - Rehab Road
Gang of Four
Dog Sniffing Rhythms - Harbour Crusin'
Trinity - Harbour Bruisin'
Gates Of The East
Hunting Out A Gorge-ous Loop
Lyttelton Dress Circle
A Diamond in the Rough
Port Hills Spur Challenge!
Up Hill Down Valley
The Coffee Run
Pour Some Sugarloaf On Me
Never Trust A Crocodile
Hagley Perimeter
Holliss Stairway to Heaven
Diamond, Herbert & Fitzgerald
Barnett Bunker Buster
The Pipeline of Pain
Mt Vernon Farm Track
Vicki Vale
Heathcote River Run - Opawa to Hoon Hay
Christchurch 360 Trail - Sugarloaf Hills Section
Little Learner Loop (Halswell Quarry)
Bird to Bird
Port Hills Protocol
Bodybag
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The Governator
Heathcote Meander
Spitting Distance
Montgomery Loop
Canterbury Agricultural Park Loop
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The Chairlift Choice
Tussock Hill Ridge
Mt Pleasant Elevator
McLeans Meander
Girdle the Groynes
Governator 2 - Judgement Day
Christchurch 360 Trail - Godley Cliffs Section
Westmorland Wetland Time Trial
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The North Faces
Westmorland Hill Reps
360 Trail - Dunes Wetlands Section
Rocking Gibraltar
Dune Bugging
Hey Sisters!
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Springing Around Longhurst
Lady Isaac Loop
The Missing Link
Beer Bum Bluffs
Brooklands for the Birds.
Surf's Up!!!
Styx Pick Me Up
Orton Odyssey
Shoeing the Horse
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Double Top
Beginner's Adventure Park Loop
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Clan of the Cave Runner
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