The Trans Balkan Race is an ADVENTURE across the borders of the Balkans. 1300 kilometres by mountain bike through the untouched nature of 11 national parks – from Sežana (Slovenia) to Risan in the Gulf of Kotor (Montenegro).
Hermann and I start as a team, which we both find appropriate, especially for THIS race.
Nevertheless, I can’t sleep peacefully any more at the moment, too many questions are posing themselves to me – in a nightly continuous loop: read on below the two pictures …
My mind loops:
- Will I meet one of Slovenia’s 1000 BEARS or will he meet us? Croatia is supposed to have them too and …
- wolves too, not to mention the many …
- shepherd dogs who want to protect their herds … and …
STREUNNERS? - Untouched nature, yes, but far away from human settlements also means travelling many kilometres WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SUPPLY, when the going gets tough 100 kilometres and more.
- And WATER? This vital resource seeps away in the endless karst landscapes. This means carrying rations of water and food for several days. And that’s not all …
- DANGER OF MINES: On the first half of the route, the more than 20-year-old traces of the series of wars that caused the former Yugoslavia to disintegrate are still omnipresent. More than 300 kilometres are „warning zone“ or „danger zone“, which means you must not deviate from the path.
- There is little asphalt … What will the route be like? Can our MTBs take it in the long run? Will we be plagued by breakdowns?
- We can expect endless metres in climbing. The race manual speaks of the „BALKAN-MONSTERS“ …
- Will the „black“ or the „white“ BORA sweep us off our bikes? The gusty fall winds can even reach hurricane force. Oh my goodness …
- and so on …
Can you understand why I wrote adventure in capital letters at the beginning?
Whoever wants to „follow“ us live from 2 June, 8:00 a.m.: Here
Prelude … from Sežana to Dom Zavižan
