more stats
3,005 ft
Distance
41 ft
Climb
-479 ft
Descent
00:09:23
Avg time
-440 ft
Altitude change
598 ft
Altitude min
1,038 ft
Altitude max
1,038 ft
Altitude start
597 ft
Altitude end
-14.6%
Grade
-62.3%
Grade max
30.6%
Grade min
358 ft
Distance climb
2,487 ft
Distance down
161 ft
Distance flat
00:09:23
Avg time

Vertigo Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Mākara Peak Mountain Bike Park
    Wellington
  • Difficulty Rating
    Black Diamond Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (4 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    70 in Mountain Biking heatmap [+]
    • 30 in Trail Running
    • 5 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #41681 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #157485 in Trail Running
    • #298163 in Hiking
  • National Ranking
    #937 in Mountain Biking · New Zealand [+]
    • #2,705 in Trail Running
    • #3,131 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    DH, AM, XC
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm, Bridge, Drop, Jump, Rock Face, Skinny, Teeter Totter
  • Land Owner
    Wellington City Council

Fun technical track, starts with open ridgeline, with clay ruts, then drops into a valley in trees. Sharp switchbacks and a few steeper drops. Tree roots and clay are slippery when wet.

Built by J'Ville Cycles, YMCA Conservation Corps and Wellington mountain bikers in 1999/2000.

Access Info

From Makara Peak summit, ride down Zac's or Whā Out to join this track. Alternatively ride up T4 to the start from Mākara Saddle.

Local Trail Association

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 2 rides
  • 6 miles average
6 Months
  • 43 rides
  • 10 miles avg distance
All
  • 563 rides
  • Last: Nov 7, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
update trails status or condition

Vertigo Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Feb 24, 2026 @ 4:37pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Feb 23, 2026
All clear and freshly raked in the trees
Feb 18, 2026 @ 2:33pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Feb 17, 2026
Cleared down to about halfway after the recent storm, including a fallen tree removed from the middle section. Still lots of debris on the trail...
May 16, 2025 @ 6:33pm
May 16, 2025
 Pretty chunky and blown out in places. Needs a bit of TLC
Sep 8, 2024 @ 8:57am
Sep 8, 2024
 A littlenslick in places but running great.
Jul 11, 2024 @ 10:56am
Jul 11, 2024
more »
Status:
on Feb 24, 2026
Ideal
Avg: 4.58 (19 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (5,322)
close
      Directions to vertigo-18974 trailhead (-41.285570, 174.713520)
      View on Discover Map 3D Tour

      Photos

      4 more »
      mtb
      378 |
      Sep 2, 2018 @ 10:29pm
      Sep 2, 2018
      mtb
      294 |
      Jun 13, 2017 @ 3:10am
      Jun 13, 2017
      report
      mtb
      131 |
      Oct 31, 2020 @ 4:36pm
      Oct 31, 2020
      report
      mtb
      365 |
      Mar 16, 2018 @ 7:05pm
      Mar 16, 2018
      River or creek 1Bridges 1

      Videos

      13 more »
      youtuber Discover New Lines on one of Welly's most...
      mtb
      9:14 | 826 | Feb 22, 2022 , Wellington
      youtuber Vertigo @ Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park....
      mtb
      4:51 | 834 | Mar 2, 2021 , Wellington
      youtuber STEEP, TIGHT TECH - Vertigo Mountain Bike...
      mtb
      4:11 | 1159 | Aug 16, 2020 , Wellington
      youtuber NEW TOP SECTION - Vertigo Mountain Bike Trail...
      mtb
      4:13 | 597 | Feb 21, 2021 , Wellington

      Technical Trail Features (TTF)

      Routes with this trail

      more »
      59
      Some tasty tech runs - with a nasty climb
      6 miles • 1,490 ft • 19 • Loop •
      The climb turns nasty up snake charmer but once at the summit, it's long technical downs: T3 & Vertigo....
      13
      Mākara Peak Spiral Downhill
      2 miles • 46 ft • 2 • Point to Point •
      The Spiral downhill provides a bit of everything with the fast flow of Zac's Track and the challenging...
      XTRRA Wellington Mad Makara Long Course Archived
      12 miles • 3,240 ft • 16 • Race •
      Find out why Makara Mountain Bike park is the jewel in Wellington’s inner city crown - runners only,...
      4.8 ★★★★★
      19 Ratings
      5 ★ 84%
      4 ★ 11%
      3 ★ 5%
      2 ★
      1 ★

      5 Reviews & Comments

      fizzit
      Very fun trail but I recommend against falling off the left side of the corkscrew bridge. You have to take a detour to urgent care that adds several hours and will decrease your lap count significantly
      deester84
      Great (and harder) alternative to Varley's.
      deester84
      Despite the name I never actually got the feeling of Vertigo at any point. Brilliant trail with multiple challenging rocky chute sections. The trail enters natural bush where more roots are added to the mix. Its never fantastically steep. Some tight, rutted switchbacks towards the trail junction coming in from Trickle Falls. Looks like there's been some trail re-alignment in the past so the local trail association clearly maintain it.

      We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!

      Create a FREE account to view all trail reviews and much more.

      Create a Free Account

      Nearby Trails

      Mākara Peak Mountain Bike Park

      • By jhc123 & contributors
      • #18974 - 9,859 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Vertigo located?
      Vertigo is located in Mākara Peak Mountain Bike Park, Wellington, New Zealand. It is part of the Mākara Peak Mountain Bike Park trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates -41.28557, 174.71352.
      ▼ How hard is Vertigo?
      Vertigo is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 14.6%.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Vertigo?
      Vertigo has 41 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 479 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 598 ft to 1,038 ft.
      ▼ How long is Vertigo?
      Vertigo is 3,005 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Vertigo?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Vertigo. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ How do I access Vertigo? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Vertigo are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Vertigo?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 9 minutes to ride Vertigo. The trail is 3,005 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Vertigo?
      Vertigo is a very popular trail. There have been 5,706 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 5,322 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

      Hit the Trail

      Open in App

      Get this trail on your phone instantly.
      open trail in app

      Download Trail

      Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
      save the trail

      Find Related Routes

      Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
      find routes for this trail

      You must enter a description before submitting.