Close encounters of a European kind
Forget about fly-rides – take a ferry and ride to freedom instead
GIVE THE TET A SHOT
If you need a pre-explored route to follow, and want a lot choice, you can’t go wrong with the TET. Inspired by the Trans America Trail, the TET (Trans Euro Trail) is a 23,000mile predominantly off-road ride across Europe. It’s a community derived route pulled together by experts called Linesmen who are rich with local knowledge. The idea is that it is 100% legal with the simple ethos of encouraging respectful motorcyclists to embark on a ride or an adventure of a lifetime. Much of the TET can be tackled on big adventure bikes and if the going gets too tough, you can simply find an another route. You can either stay in hotels, B&Bs, campsites or, where permitted, wild camp. All the information you need including downloadable GPX maps that can be put straight into your satnav can be found at www. transeurotrail.org.
We tried a section across Northern Spain and couldn’t fault it. High peaks, gullies and sinuous mountainous tracks weave through barren hillsides and dense forests and, if we looked hard enough, one or two villages along the way. We wild camped under the stars when the light started to fail and woke to the silence of a near unpopulated landscape. Some of the going is easy, some of it loose, rocky and steep, the type of going that would be fun on a lightweight enduro bike, but becomes a different proposition on a fully loaded 1000cc adventure bike that’s nudging close to 300kg. And this stunning, seemingly endless playground of sun-baked trails is just a stone’s throw from the ferry at Santander. Nine-hour riding days became the norm, and although the heat was oppressive at times, peaking at 33°C, it was just an inevitable part of each ride as we continued to head east towards Andorra. And when you tire of the dirt, the tarmac roads are arguably just as stunning. And the beauty is that you can simply plot your journey in days. If you have four days of riding time, head one way for two days, then loop back on different trails or tarmac for two days to hop back on a ferry. Adventure heaven.