TRAVEL | ACT Montenegro & Albania

The new Adventure Country Track Montenegro & Albania adds a particularly challenging route to the ACT project, which leads over some of the most spectacular legally drivable gravel roads in Europe in six stages.

It's that time again: a new ACT has been completely scouted, now the route has to be extensively documented. To this end, we have not only drummed up a media team, but also invited an illustrious group of representatives from the ACT sponsors. There are good old friends like Teresa from REV'IT!, Tobias as CEO of Edelweiss or Lutz as representative of Garmin and sat nav specialist. But we also have some newcomers like Tony, the Bavarian veteran rider representing Yamaha, the two Ducatisti Martin and Robert and Hubert as an ACT member. And of course, the ACT board with Elvio and Martin from Touratech as well as Mirko from Nexx are not to be missed. As a special guest, we once again have long-distance travelling legend and Touratech brand ambassador Charley Boorman in the team.

Why did we choose the Croatian harbour city of Dubrovnik as our meeting point? It's quite simple. Croatia is a member of the EU, so we were able to bring our extensive equipment here without the hassle of customs formalities. From now on, we will be travelling on our own, as private individuals so to speak, so that we don't have to worry about any problems at various border crossings. Around 200 relaxed kilometres on excellent roads lie ahead of us until we reach the actual starting point of the ACT near Radovan Luka in the north of Montenegro.

DAY 1 SEDLO PASS – ANDRIJEVICA

Ladies and gentlemen, please start your engines! It's finally time to hit the track. The anticipation is great and, of course, so is the inclination to rev the throttle. But beware: there are six tough off-road days ahead of us, and we have a mission. After all, we have to bring back a maximum of gripping image- and film material from this tour.

In order to maximise the yield, we split the team up continuously. The ‘social group’ is tasked with getting as impressive as possible impressions of the country and its people onto the camera chips. The ‘action group’ has to prove their riding skills on the trails in order to capture thrilling riding scenes. Every morning, the groups are reshuffled by drawing lots.

This division already pays off on the first stage. The route offers two off-road variants that would be impossible to complete in one day - but we want to film both. While the ‘social group’ has an easy time on the easier route and can spend a lot of time with the locals in various cafés, the ‘action group’ struggles to get over the rough tracks. The ‘off-roaders’ arrive at the meeting point much later than agreed. There is just enough time to enjoy the spectacular sunset together. But we can't take too much time, as we still have a challenging gravel descent ahead of us plus an hour of tarmac. We cover the last unpaved kilometres to our destination for the day, the Eco Katun Jelovica holiday hut settlement, in complete darkness.

DAY 2 ANDRIJEVICA - SHKODRA

In the early morning of our second day on the track, we are greeted by thick fog and a fresh seven degrees plus. As soon as we set off, the journey takes a dramatic turn. While the majority of the group opted for an easy stream crossing, Teresa, like all of us last night, decided in favour of the narrow wooden bridge. What Teresa didn't see: Hoarfrost has made the beams as smooth as glass overnight. Teresa slips off the bridge, falls one and a half metres into the stream bed - and the Husqvarna on top of her.

After the initial shock, it turns out that fortunately ‘only’ the thumb is broken. Lutz expertly splints the injury, Teresa presses the pain away and half an hour later we start the engines again. It's not far to the Albanian border.

As a precaution, Teresa joins the ‘social group’ to protect her finger on the on-road route. The encounters with locals and other motorbike travellers make for many interesting conversations. There is a particularly great delight every time someone recognises Charley in our group.

After a joint stage, the team splits up again. One group of three heads straight to the Hysai Resort, while the rest take on a tough off-road section in the Theth Valley in the heart of the Albanian Alps.

While the ‘advance team’ is already enjoying a cold beer by the pool, the rest of the team is battling with loose rubble, boulders and high stone steps. Completely exhausted, the off-roaders arrive at the resort just 30 minutes before dinner - and disappear straight to bed shortly afterwards.

ABOUT ACT MONTENEGRO & ALBANIA

The ACT Montenegro & Albania is the most technically challenging track in the series of eight destinations so far. The total distance is 1,262 kilometres, with 65 percent of the route being off-road.

The starting point is the Sedlo Pass in the north of Montenegro, the finish is reached in Leskovik in south-east Albania just before the Greek border. The ACT Montenegro & Albania can be combined with both the ACT Croatia and the ACT Greece (or both) to form an extended adventure tour through the Balkans.

The journey to the starting point of the track can be made on the motorway as far as southern Croatia. A convenient option for the return journey is the ferry from Igoumenitsa in northern Greece to Venice, for example.

DAY 3 SHKODRA - RRËSHEN

We set off on the third stage in the first light of dawn. It rained heavily during the night and more rain is forecast for the day. The first section to the ferry on the Komani reservoir had been promised to us as an asphalt road, but it is a series of potholes with some tar on the outside. To make matters worse, we have to share this cratered landscape with numerous lorries and buses.

Loading the ferry is an experience in itself; it's like a chaotic oriental bazaar. After a good hour, the small boat is full to bursting and finally sets off. Soon we are gliding through a canyon with rock faces rising vertically from the surface of the water.

The weather remains rainy until midday, so we can hardly take any photos at first. After a small snack, it finally clears up a little and we spiral higher up into the mountains until we reach a section that we spontaneously call ‘Hellbania’. Deep, water-filled gullies make life difficult for us over a distance of 500 metres. With mutual support and some adventurous riding, the team masters this section too. This is followed by a gravel section on which numerous lorries from the mining areas travel. To make matters worse, it starts to rain again, so we decide to shorten the stage. We leave the track and take the new motorway.

PARTNERS OF ACT MONTENEGRO & ALBANIA

Main partners: Touratech, Ducati, SENA, Yamaha

Silver partners: REV‘IT!, MV Agusta, Nexx, Garmin, Edelweiss, Ford

Bronze partners: KTM, Husqvarna, Triumph, Metzeler, Westerfeld, Good Souls, Earpeace, GoPro

DAY 4 RRËSHEN - ELBASAN

Normally, the fourth day marks the end of an ACT, but this time we still have two days of driving ahead of us. We know from experience that the fourth day is the most dangerous. Accordingly, we want to approach this stage defensively. But a quick start is not going to happen anyway. Our support vehicle, the Ford Bronco, has a flat tyre and needs extensive repairs.

In order not to lose any valuable time, we split up the team again. After a short ride, we find ourselves in the middle of a large festival. Although we mingle with the people, we don't realise at first glance who or what exactly is being celebrated here. The people are extremely friendly, but when we realise that these are celebrations to mark the victory over Nazi Germany, during which veterans are honoured, we discreetly retreat.

The weather is in our favour today and we have perfect conditions for the challenging routes we have to tackle. Nevertheless, the day is already well advanced when we reach our hotel. At first glance, we are impressed by the façade, but behind it, things look less pleasing. A renovation is long overdue and the food cannot compete with the excellent home cooking we have enjoyed over the last few days. However, we are far too exhausted to look for other accommodation. And at least there is plenty of cheap beer.

As we get ready to set off the next morning, the imam of the local mosque greets us cheerfully.

DAY 5 ELBASAN – BERAT

It is only a very short stretch on tarmac until we have the first gravel of the day under our studs. After ‘Hellbania’ - we remember the deep water channels - we encounter a section on this stage that has also earned itself a name: ‘Rolling Stones’. After a tight bend, an almost infinitely long, steep climb begins, which is littered with rubble. For some inexplicable reason, Charley suddenly stops and the whole group runs up. It's almost desperate to build up traction here from a standing start with the fully loaded adventure bikes. Much to the delight of the camera crew, the team struggles up the steep section, creating a lot of dust.

After this interlude, we are already pretty knocked out, even though the riding day hasn't really started yet. Fortunately, the level of difficulty eases a little and the gravel sections alternate with beautifully curved asphalt passages.

The ‘Social Group’ is travelling ahead today and it has a lot to do, as we are visiting Berat in central Albania. The historic centre with its characteristic architectural style has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008. In order to reach our destination, the fortress high above the city, we cycle further and further up the slope over the slippery cobblestones of winding alleyways. The friendly owner of the souvenir shop even lets us drive into the castle courtyard. As soon as we stand on the wall, we hear the drone. Where is it coming from and how did Luke find us here? He must have been sitting somewhere at the foot of the castle. He simply has a knack for the right timing - just like our camera man Manuel and the photo crew with Claudius and Mathias.

A spectacular sunset brings this fifth stage to a worthy conclusion. But the day is not quite over yet. We have treated ourselves to some very special accommodation today: The famous Colombo Hotel, a five-star establishment within the walls of the old university. For 70 euros per person, we not only get a nice room and a sumptuous dinner, but also have the pool at our disposal. The best conditions for our final evening, as we will part ways again tomorrow at the end of the stage.

We enjoy our dinner at a long table. If you let your gaze wander, you can see tired but satisfied faces. During the five days on one of Europe's last adventure routes, 12 adventure riders, some of whom didn't know each other at all beforehand, have become a team - and what's more, we've grown into a close-knit group of friends.

DAY 6 BERAT – LESKOVIK

Despite a good night's sleep, the exertions of the past few days are still in our bones. And the sixth day of riding is another tough one - if you don't take the relaxed alternative on tarmac. Those who opt for the gravel are spoilt for choice between two challenging tracks.

To document both routes, we split up again: This time in two action groups. After Charley has broken his gear lever right at the start, Elvio accompanies him on the tarmac road to the finish. No one is left behind alone: This maxim is one of the unwritten laws of the team.

No matter which variant you take under the studs: The slopes require good riding skills, a head for heights and should never be ridden in wet conditions. And yet everything looks very simple at the start. At first, the track runs through relaxed wooded terrain. After around 30 kilometres, the going gets tough.

So we set off on our adventure with a group of four and a group of six. The track soon clings to the rock face as a single track, and on the other side, it descends a good 200 metres almost vertically into the abyss. The roadway is interspersed with high edges and loose stones make braking manoeuvres tricky. After 65 exhausting off-road kilometres, we finally reach the tarred road, which we follow for another 50 kilometres to the finish of the ACT Montenegro & Albania. What a joy when we meet Charley and Elvio again at the Melesin distillery in Leskovik and we all fall into each other's arms.

STAGES

DAY 1 SEDLO PASS – ANDRIJEVICA Difficulty: medium Distance: ca. 180 km Offroad-portion: 50% (2 Alterna­tives)

DAY 2 ANDRIJEVICA – SHKODRA Difficulty: hard Distance: ca. 250 km Offroad-portion: 35%

DAY 3 SHKODRA – RËSHEN Difficulty: medium Distance: ca. 220 km Offroad-portion: 50%

DAY 4 RËSHEN – ELBASAN Difficulty: medium Distance: ca. 200 km Offroad-portion: 50%

DAY 5 ELBASAN – BERAT Difficulty: hard Distance: ca. 120 km Offroad-portion: 65%

DAY 6 BERAT – LESKOVIK Difficulty: extreme (alternatives exist) Distance: ca. 185 km Offroad-portion: 85%

ABOUT ACT

ACT Adventure Country Tracks has set itself the goal of preserving legally accessible off-road routes in Europe and developing them for gentle motorbike tourism. At the same time, the aim is to promote tourism infrastructure in rural areas. Initiated by Touratech, the association ‘ACT Adventure Country Tracks e.V.’ has since been founded. Touratech is still on board as a strong sponsor, and numerous other companies from the motorbike industry support the project. All interested adventure bikers have the opportunity to join the association and get involved in the project.

More information here.

ACCOMODATION TIPS

Eko Katun, Jelovica, www.visitjelovica.com

Hysaj Resort, Shkodra, info@hysajagroturizem.al 

Eko Hotel Marub, Rubik, Fon +355 68 207 7424

Colombo Hotel, Berat, hotel-colombo.al

Melesin Distillery, Leskovik, melesin-distillery.leskovik.hotels-al.com/en