more stats
1.8 miles
Distance
635 ft
Climb
-129 ft
Descent
00:20:06
Avg time
506 ft
Altitude change
240 ft
Altitude min
762 ft
Altitude max
256 ft
Altitude start
761 ft
Altitude end
5.5%
Grade
-26.7%
Grade max
67.4%
Grade min
1 mile
Distance climb
1,732 ft
Distance down
1,339 ft
Distance flat
00:20:06
Avg time

Elevator Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Gravel Bike
    • Adaptive Bike
    • Winter Fat Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Port Hills West
    Christchurch
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Local Popularity
    100 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 80 in Trail Running
    • 5 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #606 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #48728 in Trail Running
    • #123126 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Fat, Adaptive MTB, CX, Gravel
  • Direction
    Both Directions[+]
    Popular Direction Shown
    • Both Directions for E-Biking
    • Both Directions for Trail Running
    • Both Directions for Hiking
    • Both Directions for Gravel Biking
  • Climb Difficulty
    Green
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm
  • Year Opened
    2022
  • Land Owner
    Christchurch City Council

Elevator is a bi-directional trail between lower Rapaki and the Taramea track.

This trail has multiple entrances from Taramea track… some more technical riding than others but a single exit back onto the Taramea trails.
Trail consists of a dirt and gravel and rock surface with some areas bench cut. One rocky section with an easy alternative route option.

Access Info

Access is from the start of the Rapaki Trail, under the trees. The top of the trail is on the west side of Taramea track. Both are clearly signposted.

Adaptive Bike Info
aMTB Green Rating: Beginner features and moderate terrain.
Trail Supporters
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 17 rides
  • 15 miles average
6 Months
  • 357 rides
  • 15 miles avg distance
All
  • 1,545 rides
  • Last: Aug 27, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Elevator Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jul 20, 2026 @ 12:50pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Jul 19, 2026
 reporter riding really well
Jun 28, 2026 @ 9:00am (Pacific/Auckland)
Jun 27, 2026
Jun 14, 2026 @ 8:54am (Pacific/Auckland)
Jun 13, 2026
 More Trailwork = better riding :) ❤️
Jun 14, 2026 @ 8:54am (Pacific/Auckland)
Jun 13, 2026
 More Trailwork = better riding :) ❤️
May 20, 2026 @ 6:20pm (Pacific/Auckland)
May 19, 2026
more »
Status:
on Jul 20, 2026
Ideal
Avg: 4.08 (5 votes)
Your vote: 0

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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users activity logs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Ridden
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  • < 2 days
  • < 1 week
  • < 2 weeks
  • < 1 month
  • < 6 months
  • > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
Contribute Details
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  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
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Max Vehicle Width
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Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status

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Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to elevator-577288 trailhead (-43.569520, 172.664040)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        9 more »
        mtb
        115 |
        Oct 19, 2024 @ 11:55am
        Oct 19, 2024
        mtb
        75 |
        Oct 19, 2024 @ 11:54am
        Oct 19, 2024
        mtb
        87 |
        Feb 10, 2023 @ 12:59pm
        Feb 10, 2023
        mtb
        80 |
        Feb 10, 2023 @ 12:59pm
        Feb 10, 2023

        Videos

        no videos have been added for Elevator yet, add a video.

        Routes with this trail

        321
        SlowRiders - The Classic Loop
        11 miles • 1,881 ft • 14 • Loop •
        Classic Christchurch mountain bike loop. Park at Rāpaki or Bowenvale Ave. Ride up Rāpaki, take the left...
        4.2 ★★★★★
        5 Ratings
        5 ★ 20%
        4 ★ 80%
        3 ★
        2 ★
        1 ★

        3 Reviews & Comments


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        Nearby Trails

        Port Hills West

        • By bryanmmchTF Pro & contributors
        • #577288 - 5,176 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Elevator

        ▼ Where is Elevator located?
        Elevator is located in Port Hills West, Christchurch, New Zealand. It is part of the Port Hills West trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates -43.56952, 172.66404.
        ▼ How hard is Elevator?
        Elevator is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 5.5%. The climb difficulty is rated Green.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Elevator?
        Elevator has 635 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 129 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 240 ft to 762 ft.
        ▼ Is Elevator a point to point trail?
        Elevator is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Elevator?
        Elevator is 1.8 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Elevator?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Elevator. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Elevator?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Elevator are:
        • December (26 activities)
        • January (6 activities)
        • November (4 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Elevator? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Elevator are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Elevator?
        The estimated time to ride Elevator is approximately 20 minutes. The trail is 1.8 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace.
        ▼ How busy is Elevator?
        Elevator is a very popular trail. There have been 9,343 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 9,003 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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