At some point probably all gravel riders have given some tips to friends about where to find the best trails. It might be just a short section that leads to a newly discovered cafe, it might be a new route across a previously unknown hillside. We suspect that most of us, if asked, would be happy to offer a bit of advice. What if you decided to do this professionally though? The difference between giving advice on one trail and showing someone the best gravel riding in an entire region is pretty huge. Which trails to include? How to keep it legal? Will it spoil the area  if there is a sudden influx of out-of-town riders? In Episode 30 of the Gravel Union Talks podcast, we put all these questions (and more) to Katherine Moore, whose first gravel guide book was published at the start of March.

Gravel Union Talks is a podcast series full of inspiring stories, news and events from the world of gravel biking. Each month hosts Carlo and Olly will be chatting with guests who are passionate about riding off the beaten track… adventure riding, bike packing and gravel racing. 

In this episode:

Guests: 

• Katherine Moore, author, journalist, podcast host & gravel route creator
• Gravel Union Talks podcast with hosts Carlo van Nistelrooy and Olly Townsend.
• GU’s editor-in-chief Olly on Armchair Adventures - Gravel Union's ever-popular long-form stories.

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Links for the notes

• You can buy copies of Katherine's guide book direct from the publishers or in all good bookshops.
• Armchair Adventure - From dust to dusk: conquering the Atlas Mountain Race
  • If you had to write a list of things you were most worried about when signing up for a bikepacking event, stomach issues, aggressive dogs, acacia thorns, exhaustion and deep sand would likely be some of the highlights, but for riders taking part in the Atlas Mountain Race, they’re par for the course. Despite its super tough reputation, Valerio Stuart had dreamed about taking part for years. Would he manage to banish his demons and make it safely to the finish? 
• Armchair Adventure – Nepal from top to bottom – Part Two
  • “Unfortunately, because it’s been so cold here recently, all the water in the hotel is frozen, so there’s no possibility of taking a shower.” said Usha. Everyone who had signed up for the Trans-Nepal Gravel event knew in advance that getting a shower in hotels located at the higher altitudes wasn’t going to be possible, so we had come prepared with wet wipes and hand sanitiser a-plenty. In Part Two of Olly’s story, after four days of travelling, the team have finally reached the start line of the Trans Nepal Gravel. It must be downhill all the way to the Indian border now, right?
• Armchair Adventure – The Alps Divide
  • Having completed numerous challenging bikepacking trips already, Leo Purcell decided he was ready for another adventure. This time his destination was the Alps and his route of choice was The Alps Divide, a challenging 1000km route which runs roughly north/south between Thonon-les-Bains (near Lake Geneva) and Menton (close to Monaco) or vice versa. Leo set off from the Mediterranean coast heading north, searching for some “me time” in the mountains. Will he successfully make it to his final destination? You’d better read on to find out….