Bike adventurer Richard "Gaspi" Gasperotti on Romania: "Do you really have to go there?"

The Czech Richard "Gaspi" Gasperotti (48) is a jack of all trades. He started his career as a cross-country biker, switched to downhill and then became a freerider. Gaspi made a name for himself by taking part in the toughest freeride event, the Red Bull Rampage, four times and other high-calibre events such as the Whistler Slopestyle and Adidas Slopestyle. Since 2012, the Czech-born rider with Italian roots has been going on bike adventures all over the world.

BIKE: Gaspi, you were looking for trails in Romania. Why Romania in particular? Romania is not a very popular destination.

Richard "Gaspi" Gasperotti: That's exactly why. Romania is rather unusual, which is why I was particularly interested in the country. Romania is also easy to reach from the Czech Republic and there are no problems with the batteries there.

Batteries?

I now mostly ride EMTBs. Taking batteries on the plane is a huge problem. That's why I wanted to make it easy for myself. I could easily travel to Romania by car. Romania is part of the EU and the mountain bike scene is exploding. So: good arguments in favour of Romania.

What was your impression of Romania?

If you're looking for adventure, you'll find it here. It reminded me of the Alps in Austria, but without rules and restrictions. You can ride your EMTB anywhere. That doesn't bother anyone here. Freeriding in the literal sense. I say EMTB deliberately, by the way, because the Carpathians are steep. An EMTB is particularly suitable there.

Few restrictions - which is also why the Red Bull Romaniacs takes place there - a hard enduro rally on motorbikes across the terrain. In the Alps, they would throw up their hands at an event like this.

Yes, Romania is the Wild East. There is also a 1400 kilometre long-distance hiking trail called Via Transilvanica. You can tackle it by bike, horse or hiking boots. A great project. Remarkable: as soon as you leave the city, Romania becomes really rustic and wild.

There are bears in the Carpathians.

And wolves. Yes, the fauna and flora here will blow you away. You can still find real wilderness here.

How many bears have you met?

A dozen of them. Most of them are shy and wild. But as in Canada, there are also some that stay close to the road and wait for tourists to feed them. This can be really dangerous. A few days ago, an Italian motorcyclist wanted to feed a brown bear and take a selfie. He got too close and was killed by the bear. Tragic, but easily avoidable, as bitter as that sounds. When we were travelling with a group in the mountains, we took bear spray with us and attached bells to our rucksacks. Just like they do in Canada. At night, we organised a watch and took turns every two hours. Because the brown bear in Romania is a European grizzly, not a teddy bear. If the bear smells food, as we had with us, it is attracted even from five kilometres away.

There are supposedly vampires in Romania too.

Laughs. Yes, I know. Everyone calls me Dracula when they hear Romania. Count Darcula is the most famous Romanian in the world: Count Dracula. But he lived further north in the Făgăraș Mountains.

Why did you choose the Retezat Mountains - fear of vampires?

I had heard that this region was supposed to be particularly wild. I wanted to discover whether there were any worthwhile trails there.

And?

There are many good trails. This is also due to the fact that this mountain range is criss-crossed by many hiking trails and is quite well developed. You can do wonderful tours here. There are huts everywhere and good food - lots of meat of course, spicy, hot sausages and bacon. But for my next trip to Romania, I have set my sights on the Făgăraș Mountains. Also because of the pass road with the crazy bends from the series: Top Gear. And of course I want to visit Dracula's castle.

How does communication work in Romania?

You can get through anywhere with English. Many also speak German.

Your adventure series is called Zam. Why Zam?

Zam means journey in Mongolian. I started my adventure trips in 2012 - and the first one took me from the Czech Republic to Monoglei. This was followed by bike trips to New Mexico, through the Czech Republic, Sardinia, Taiwan, Azerbaijan, the Balkans (Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro) and to the Kola Peninsula near Murmansk.

Which country impressed you the most?

From the landscape: Azerbaijan. The combination of mountains and desert. I found the best trails in New Mexico. And the friendliest people in Taiwan - they are so warm, courteous, considerate and easy to make laugh. You do a small drop or jump and they go crazy with enthusiasm.

What else might interest you:

+ Gaspi is travelling with this bike
+ A must for every bike adventure
+ Was Gaspi forgotten in this list?