Bucket List: Battle the HardAlpi!
Challenge yourself with an amazing 24 hour, 550km on and off-road adventure across the Alps
‘There is no shying away from the fact it’s tough’
We’ve been riding into the darkness for hours. Our dust covered satnavs show our altitude has risen to 2226m and it’s climbing with each metre of the gravel track we’re ascending. The rear wheels of our adventure bikes are spinning, tyres fighting for grip, our minds and bodies are fatigued from riding for the past 11 hours, making the respite of a midclimb plateau seriously welcome. Despite being high in the Italian alps the expected silence the moment we turn off our ignitions doesn’t materialise, the reason being that we’re not alone. Ahead there’s a group of three red tail lights zig-zagging up the pass and a look down the hill from where we’ve just come reveals headlights coming towards us; again in groups of threes and fours. We’re nearly half way through the HardAlpi tour – an annual event where more than 300 adventure enthusiasts have congregated to embark on a non-stop, 24-hour 550km, predominantly off-road ride through the Italian Alps.
On paper, riding a 200kg plus adventure bike for 24 hours off-road sounds like madness – and in some ways it’s hard to argue otherwise, but bear with me... There are some compelling reasons why this is a trip that should sit high up on the list of any spirited adventure rider. First of all, it’s not a competition. Yes, there are people taking it very seriously, but it’s not a race. There are no prizes for finishing first, instead there is an overwhelming sense of camaraderie as riders from all over Europe and beyond embark on the challenge. It’s a team event and this is compulsory, meaning that you start, ride and finish as a group of three or four. You enjoy the good times and face the rough times together, giving a sense of security and companionship.
There is no shying away from the fact it’s tough. Staying awake for 24 hours in the comfort of your own home would be a daunting prospect, never mind riding for 24 hours and being awake for well over 30. Having left the start point just after midday it wasn’t long before we’d left the tarmac behind. Weaving through ancient woodlands as the sun flashed through the gaps in the trees is the type of riding we came for and it’s easy to tell from the on-bike body language of my teammates that they’re having fun.
The terrain doesn’t stay the same for long and we soon leave the low altitude woods behind and begin to climb. Gravel tracks are intertwined with equally entertaining road sections and we soon reach the first checkpoint where a hearty dinner is served and the air is full of exuberant tales from the first few hours of riding. The enthusiasm is electric, but we are still only a quarter of the way through the ride.
The sun begins its inevitable downward journey and the early excitement turns in to mild trepidation as the light slowly fades and the darkness descends. It’s now we discover the strength of our headlights and have to recalibrate our brains for riding offroad in the dark.
Full of adrenalin we push on, climbing high up on what were originally military roads when Italy and France were at war well over 100 years ago. We reach our second fuel stop with spirits high, but everything changes just over an hour after we leave. Now deep into the witching hour, our journey continues relentlessly. A wrong turn means we get lost for well over an hour. Tempers are frayed and the enthusiasm has evaporated. With two hours to go before dawn, it’s a dark place to be. We roll into the third checkpoint on vapours, tired, hungry and introverted. But after a 20-minute power nap combined with the first chink of sunlight as dawn breaks, the spark to get back on the bikes and finish what we’ve started ignites.
With a new-found energy and heightened senses, the final hours as we descend the mountains are spectacular. Early morning light takes the scenery to the next level and the happy body language of my teammates has returned. An outsider looking in would say that the finish is an anti climax – no cheering crowd, instead just a group of riders grinning from ear to ear, bathing in the satisfaction of embarking upon and finishing a truly excellent adventure.