Trans-Pirenaica: The border tour between Spain and France - the rough classic
From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic instead of from Lake Tegernsee to Lake Garda - that sounds much more adventurous, and it is. The Pyrenees are the natural border fence between France and Spain and stretch 430 kilometres from east to west. As the crow flies, though. By bike, the winding, rocky and high alpine paths add up to 800-1000 kilometres. The altitude metres also feel different in the Pyrenees. Anyone who has ever crossed the Western Alps knows what we are talking about. Here, too, you don't just traverse the main ridge, which is over 3000 metres high, you follow it. The paths therefore mostly climb through high alpine terrain and are often steep, rough and exposed. The landscape: magnificent, but also lonely. You can expect the weather to change hourly, but not so much in terms of refuges, refreshment stops and mobile phone reception. Detailed route planning and alpine experience are therefore essential if you embark on this Pyrenean adventure. French and Spanish language skills are also an advantage, especially if you need to ask for directions or explain an emergency en route. You should plan at least 14 days for the tour. This corresponds to an average daily distance of just under 70 kilometres and 2000 metres in altitude - after that, one or two days relaxing on the beach will certainly do you good. The tour can be made considerably easier by booking with the organiser. The organiser will transport your luggage, book your accommodation, obtain special permits for the national parks and shorten the route with a shuttle bus.
The best route
There are nowhere near as many routes through the Pyrenees as there are across the Alps. However, you can find GPS data on the usual tour portals. The book "Pyrenäen-Cross" by Birgit Wenzel and Frank Hartl provides a very well-developed route with rewarding singletrail sections, a list of accommodation and good tips for the route: www.editorial-montana.de - This route measures just under 1000 km/27000 metres in altitude and has 14 daily stages.
Best touring time
Even in the central Pyrenees, you don't need to hope for snow-free passes before June. July, August and September are ideal, even if it can get very hot on the Spanish side (watch out for changes in the weather!).
Accommodation & Food
There are practically no serviced huts, but there are small guesthouses, cafés and corner shops in the mountain villages. B&B: 35-50 euros.
Arrival and return journey
Outward flight to Perpignan and Girona, return flight from San Sebastian. Train connections are also possible. Info: www.bahn.de
Organiser
DAV Summit Club MTB Transpirenaica - from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, 12 days with luggage transfer and bike guide, price without flight, accommodation/board, transfer & shuttle rides, approx. 1995,- Euro, info: www.davsc.de/RAMPYR
Further, shortened routes with bus transfers, guide and luggage transport are available: www.mountainbikereisen.ch, www.almeria-bike-tours.de
Trans-Dinarica: Through wild karst mountains and eight countries, high above the Adriatic Sea
The Via Dinarica is one of the ten best travel destinations in the world in 2017, according to National Geographic Traveler. The 2,000-kilometre hiking trail leads through the white, karstic rocks of the Dinaric Mountains and crosses eight Balkan countries from west to east: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia. In May 2018, a corresponding route for mountain bikers is also set to open: the Trans-Dinarica. By then, only two countries will have completed the route, but that should be enough for now, as each country has at least seven daily stages.
Some Alpine crossers will be most familiar with the section through Slovenia. Trans-Slovenia 1 starts in Kranjska Gora, follows the Caribbean blue waters of the Soca and hands over the baton to Croatia in the coastal town of Piran. The Croatians are still working on the route, but will be heading towards the Velebit Mountains. The coastal mountain range towers directly over the Adriatic Sea, so trails with sea views are guaranteed for many kilometres and the Trans-Croatia route ends with a swim in the sea at Biograd na Moru. The Trans-Bosnia-Herzegovina route climbs back up into the karst mountains. Past Lake Blidinje and over the famous Mostar Bridge. Returning hikers from the Via Dinarica are already talking about a tour through lonely, fascinating mountain landscapes. But what they particularly enjoyed were the extremely friendly people and the simple, sun-ripened food.
The route
It will take a few more years for all eight countries to finalise their route outlines and tie them together. Definitely ready for the opening in May 2018 are
- Slovenia: (385 km/10100 m elevation gain/7 stages)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: (308 km/8800 vertical metres/7 stages)
- Croatia will follow in the course of summer 2018.
Information on the route, including accommodation addresses and GPS data: www.transdinarica.com
Accommodation
From private bed & breakfast houses with vegetable gardens to three-star hotels in larger towns, you'll find everything along the route.
Luggage transport / return transfer
Each country has its own organisation and offers tour guides as well as luggage transport and return transfers to the tour starting point. Even if you are travelling on your own with GPS data.
Info: Good Place, slovenia@transdinarica.comVMD Adventure Travel, croatia@transdinarica.comGreen Visions, bosnia@transdinarica.com
Best touring time
After the opening of the route in May 2018 until the end of October. In midsummer, it gets very hot in the mountains near the coast. In spring and autumn, the typical winds with sudden squalls can cause downpours.
Jordan Bike Trail: Wadi trip - not to the highest, but to the lowest point on earth
For thousands of years, this ancient trade route has led through the Kingdom of Jordan: 700 kilometres from Um Quais in the north of the country to Aqaba on the Red Sea. A few years ago, the route was dug up again for hikers and now a variant has also been designated for bikers. The route does not cross any particular mountain range. Instead, Jordan's landscape is furrowed by the Jordan Rift Valley and typical wadis, dried-up river valleys that only carry water during the rainy season. For bikers, this means constant, often steep ups and downs through transverse valley furrows and across dust-dry plateaus.
Route finder Matt Loveland has divided the Jordan Bike Trail into 15 stages with a total elevation gain of 20549 metres. If you only have a week, you can also choose individual sections that differ in terms of landscape and culture. The northern section leads through a relatively green hilly landscape with pine and olive groves past the capital Amman and finally below sea level close to the Dead Sea. In the central section, the rugged canyon landscapes of Dana await with longer climbs of up to 1250 metres in altitude at a stretch. The third section takes you past the famous rock city of Petra, through the desert landscape of Wadi Rum and finally ends at the Red Sea, right by the beach in Aqaba. With a GPS, you can tackle the tour alone at any time. However, accommodation and water points are rare, especially in the south. Of course, a guide can organise a Bedouin tent much more quickly. Best time to travel: spring and autumn.
The Jordan Bike Trail
British rider Matt Loveland lived in Jordan for eight years and brought the Jordan Bike Trail to life together with outdoor enthusiasts. Every detail of the route, including elevation profile, map and GPS data, is described on the highly structured website.
The tour in figures:
- North section: 229 km/8069 m elevation gain
- Central section: 246 km/7428 m elevation gain
- South section: 255 km/5052 m elevation gain
Total: 700 km/20549 m elevation gain/15 stages
The tour leads mainly along tracks and sandy paths. You may have to push the bike on steep climbs, but there are no major technical challenges. All information: www.jordanbiketrail.com
On your own or guided?
The first two sections are no problem without a guide. You pass through enough places with accommodation, water and food. The only important thing is that you know how to help yourself in an emergency, even in the desert heat at over 40 degrees. A guided tour also includes luggage transport, support vehicle and return transfer.
Security
Peace has prevailed in the Kingdom of Jordan for 30 years. However, the borders with Syria and Iraq are restricted military areas. However, the stage tour stays away from these border areas. Info: www.auswaertiges-amt.de
Coast to Coast: Conquer the Scottish Highlands like Braveheart
The Scottish answer to "Transalp" is called "Coast to Coast". Various routes through the famous Scottish Highlands can now be found on the internet under this synonym. Some of these routes take it literally and start at Aberdeen on the North Sea coast before reaching the Atlantic coast near Inverness five or six days later.
Others start down in Glasgow and make their way northwards. Past the highest peak in the country (Ben Nevis, 1345 m) and on to Inverness. As in the Alps, you have a choice here: easy routes on gravel and flow trails or more challenging routes that don't miss out on any natural trails along the way. And even if the Highlands can't hold a candle to the Alps in terms of altitude, their natural trails definitely feel high alpine. Rough scree, rock slabs, water drainage channels, riverbed crossings, but also treeless super panoramas over green mountains, lakes and rock faces. A backdrop in which, not coincidentally, heroic films have been shot for many years. Incidentally, metres in altitude are often not measured or recorded in Scotland. Not because there are no noticeable climbs. On a coast-to-coast tour in particular, it is quite possible to accumulate four-digit metres in altitude. But they are nothing if the wind and weather draw their swords. And anyone crossing the country from east to west will have to contend with headwinds every day. But that's just part of the Scottish tour - just like the wet feet and the warming glass of whisky in the evening.
Crossing the Highlands by MTB
Crossing the Highlands without getting a single drop of rain is possible - but statistically speaking, it is rather rare. In addition to good rainwear, a plan B for the route must therefore always be in place for every ambitious tour. A complete crossing covers between 300 and 350 kilometres and 5000 to 8000 metres in altitude. Best time for a tour: end of April to September.
Accommodation
In every small town in Scotland you will find at least one lovingly run bed & breakfast. Also bookable via e.g. booking.com
Coast to Coast as a race
The Rat Race Coast to Coast takes place at the beginning of September. From Fort William in a north-easterly direction to Nairn. The GPS data for the route with up to 158 km/2854 m elevation gain (2 stages) can be found here: www.ratrace.com
Guided tours
- Coast-to-coast route from Aberdeen to Inverness: 350 km/6 stages, price incl. guide, half board, two dinners and luggage transport: 1794 euros, info: www.wildernessscotland.com
- From Glasgow to Inverness (280 km/5000 metres in altitude/5 stages). Via Fort Williams on Ben Nevis, Devil's Staircase and Loch Ness to Inverness. Price including guide, accommodation, luggage transport and return transfer: 1398 euros. Info: www.fahrtwind.de
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Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
