Jonathan Pearson
Tackling a multi-day event sounds like a big step for adventure riders but the Hellas Rally has a class created just for this eventuality…
This month: Realising the potential of your adventure bike is easier than you thought. Bike’s off-road editor JP gets among the Africa Twins and R1200GSS in the novice and adventure bikefriendly Hellas Rally.
FOR MANY ADVENTURE riders it’s not enough to simply have the ‘go anywhere’ bike. They want a real adventure that serves up a memory-making riding experience, brain testing navigation challenges, epic scenery, the opportunity to get hands-on with bike maintenance and then sit at the end of the day and enjoy a well earned beer with good company. To many that ultimate adventure ride is a rally. Based in stunning mainland Greece, the Hellas Rally is an event for all rider levels from professional rally teams to novice ‘racers’ looking to broaden their horizons. Crucially, although plenty do fit navigation towers on a wide range of bikes, the Hellas does not have to be a race. The Adventure Raid class is unique in that it means you can take part, but not take part. Let me explain: it puts you shoulder-to-shoulder with Dakar racers from podium ceremonies to bivouac – everywhere in fact except on the track. While they’re risking all and racing with roadbooks, the Adventure Raid class is doing almost all the same elements but on a different, better track and enjoying the view instead of blasting through it. Basically you can stop for coffee when you feel like it and still be part of a proper rally event, but without the stress. That’s where I’m at, riding stress-free on a borrowed KTM 1090 Adventure R, alongside a typical crowd of adventure riders like you might see at any weekend bike stop. The gaggle of bikes includes BMW R1200GSS, Triumph Tiger 800s, an old Lc4-engined KTM640 Adventure R and a slightly mad old Frenchman chugging away on his KTM690 Enduro; fair play to him he knocked out the daily routes as well as anyone else until day five, which he rode in reverse for reasons best known to himself. In 2017 the ancient port of Nafpaktos hosted the Hellas (2018 sees it based in historical Olympia) and if you only think of Greece as holiday resorts the epic daily routes fanning out into stunning mountains will come as a shock. Endless tracks and trails range through huge elevation changes and the very real side of Greece: big, empty and wild riding in damp forests, rocky desert-like conditions, open pastures and perfect loamy woods. The route splashed through crystal clear mountain waters, tip-toed along vertigo-inducing cliff edges and rocky switchback trails climbing above the snow line. The Hellas Rally is everything adventure riding should be, every day for seven brilliant days. And, as I said and hopefully not to labour the point, without the stress.
Here’s the best bit though: you can follow the GPS route all day if you choose, but if you follow the routes to the letter distances are big and the days long. But, if the going gets too tough, or you fancy a coffee, a bite to eat or even a swim in the crystal clear sea you can do that too. You are also free to open out the GPS route and find a road route back. 2017 saw a real mixed bag of riders and plenty of route skipping when the long days got too long. Equally there was no shortage of bravery and balls getting big bikes through terrain their owners had only ever dreamed about. Basically the event is as tough as you want it to be… When you’re used to looking at road distances on a GPS (100150 miles) the Hellas’ daily off-road routes don’t appear so bad. But if you aren’t used to these distances off-road, where everything takes much longer and is more physically demanding, it can come as a shock. It did for some of Hellas’ class of ’17 who dropped out after day one. I get the feeling they were expecting more of a Greek tour than a rally: make no mistake this is no bimble round the Dales or Peak District. A typical 2017 Hellas day begins with breakfast before moving to the bivouac for 7:50am to collect your individual GPS from the organisers (the day’s route is installed overnight). Riders set off at 8:05am for (typically) 30 miles of road riding to the GPS’S rally ‘start point’. Roll off the road onto a rocky, single track dirt trail and half-an-hour later I’m a thousand metres high and above the tree line wishing I had heated grips but enjoying beautiful, crisp morning sunshine and a view for miles. Give or take the odd pee stop the rest of the day was spent riding up, down and across mountains enjoying views so vast it makes even someone with such itchy riding feet as me stop, take my hat
‘If the going gets too tough, or you fancy a swim in the crystal clear sea you can do that too’
off and stand in wonder. I spend hours at a time not seeing a living soul either, but every now and again a village pops into sight complete with fuel, food and fresh water. At the end of that typical day I limp into Nafpaktos on fumes and finally step off the bike seven hours and 17 minutes after the start. Definitely ready for a nice cold beer. That’s a long time riding and you must also factor in repairs and tyre changes during the week. The tracks are often relatively flat, but littered with rocks and it takes a toll on tyres. I changed two rears during the week (two days each) and had it changed for me in the bivouac. The bivouac is a great place to hang out and a very real part of the rally experience. Full of character and genuine Dakar riders mixing it with men and women who are just having a go. There’s a strong British contingent racing across the different classes and a couple of teams including experienced old hands ready with advice and tools if needed. Camaraderie is one of the beauties of any rally bivouac and it is an incredibly welcoming and resourceful place to hang out. If you can’t get a bike fixed, or hear a great story in a bivouac, you aren’t trying. Apart from following the route and enjoying the ride you’re only crucial piece of information each day is the fuel stop. With such long riding times it’s important your bike can cover the distance – there are guidelines for tank sizes and distances but any adventure bike will easily do it. At some point each day the route takes you via a fuel station but there can be several hours of riding between them, so it’s best to pay attention at the nightly briefings when they talk about where to find petrol and food the following day. In short, don’t expect to be mollycoddled. The routes often mean you’re far away from creature comforts and there are times when the adventure is very real. It’s fantastic riding but you treat
‘I spend hours not seeing a living soul, but every now and again a village pops into sight’
the trail with respect and ride with your brain more than your heart. That element of risk is small by comparison to the racers doing the racing but some risk is part of the appeal – no reward should come too easily right? With such dramatic changes in weather and elevation you’ve got to be prepared with decent riding kit that’ll cope with it all. You might start the day at sea level in shorts and T-shirt weather, but an hour later you can be high in the mountains in cloud, 30º cooler in rain or sometimes even snow. An adventure suit with a good layering system and armour, plus an all-important drinks pouch or hydra pack to keep you watered is vital. You’ll need decent off-road boots for foot and ankle protection too, and I wore a proper off-road helmet, goggles and gloves for comfort, feel and ventilation. You also need to be tooled-up and savvy when it comes to using them. 3000 metres up a mountain and an hour from anywhere and there’s no calling the AA (other roadside rescue organizations are available). That’s not to say you are totally isolated, Hellas regulations mean riders carry a transmitter beacon, which the organizers track (and they’ll call you if they see you’ve stopped for
any length of time). There’s medical back-up alongside the main rally and if your bike was actually broken they’ll rescue you. But it could take hours and you’d be blinkered not to realize the risks of a simple low-side crash on a rocky hairpin that breaks a brake lever, or not knowing how to repair a puncture on the trail. The rewards are high though and riding alone on the trail in wild Greece is stunning in a way I didn’t expect. Tortoises hang about on the trail looking a lot like rocks. Sometimes a deer will jump through the trees and the odd snake races across the track in front of you. At other times, usually closer to hamlets and isolated farms, goat and sheep herds flood the road. It’s not the sheep that are the problem but the dogs shepherds use to protect their flocks from wolves and bears. There’s lots of barking and chasing of bikes and they sure as hell aren’t afraid of a human on an adventure bike. Watch out for your shins… Is the Hellas Rally a true test of your adventure bike? It’s hard to imagine a better one. You can do trips similar to this with tour companies and there are rally events in the UK with adventure bike classes. But the Hellas feels like a step up. You should also bear in mind that if you have no experience of racing or rallies the Hellas really isn’t a step too, rather a chance to sample a proper event with opening and closing ceremonies, daily bivouac briefings, back-up and medical assistance, routes and the realities of riding off road. It feels like you’re taking part even if you’re not quite. Of course you need to get yourself to Greece and there are UK companies who can help you with this, and there is an entry fee of 600 euros. If you’ve hankered after a place to truly let your adventure bike stretch its legs this is it. P.S. And if you’re up for a ride in 2018 and need a guide, I’m in! More info: hellasrally.org
‘If you’ve hankered after a place to truly let your adventure bike stretch its legs this is it’