Bohemian Border Bash
Posted By Gravel Union
On the 25th September 2019
Event Title:
Bohemian Border Bash
Date:
13.-15.09.2019
Distance:
Big Bash: 300km, Little Bash 150km
Location:
Bohemian Switzerland
Country:
Czech Republic
Altitude Gain:
5000hm / 2500hm
% of Gravel:
60-70%
Bike Ridden:
Sonder Camino Ti
Tyre Width:
47mm
WEEKEND IN BOHEMIA
“This is not a race.” Ondrej repeated the statement several times as a group of lean, mean, fat-tires riding machines were impatiently lining up at the start of the second day of the Bohemian Border Bash (BBB). It was a fresh yet sunny morning in Bohemia, our second day in the area and the fun was about to be dialed to 11. The first day was a mild 70km acclamation ride with “only” 1,200 meters of climbing. Day two promised to be a bigger challenge with around 2,500 meters of climbing across 125-150km of riding.
The advice that this was not a race quickly translated into a smart route design that almost forced our group of eager riders to slow down and avoid competition. Not 5 km into the ride the terrain turned upwards, with an estimated 20+ degrees climb which forced some of the riders to push their bike. The scenery was fantastic – forest road, strange rocks sticking from the ground and moss-covered earth. The ride went up and then up and a little more up before we hit a road that turned in the direction of a small border village. Those who stuck to the exact route were treated to a nail-biting downhill that would have made freeriders ecstatic and those who rode the area before, took a very slight downhill detour, sharing a road with a few cars. Regardless of how fast you came down the hill, you had to line up for the ferry to cross the Elbe river into Germany. It was not a race.
Once we crossed the river, we headed directly up a hill that took us from about 100 meters to 500 meters in a few kilometers. It was the kind of category 5 fun that only those who enjoy punishment endure, but once you reached the top and saw the beautiful forest that covered the mountain you had to realize that the hard push up the hill was worth it. At some point as we were riding in that forest we suddenly spotted a little sign that indicated that we just crossed the border from Germany back to the Czech republic. This is the famous green border which basically is nonexistent and almost irrelevant. There was no difference between the German and Czech sides – the moss, trees and animals in the forest do not care which government claims ownership of the area nor did we. As adventure cyclists, the single trail we followed was of interest yet the country which it traversed was not. It was awesome.
The first break of the day was at the top of a flat-top mountain with a view to the entire area. Dresden was easy to spot in the distance as was the amazing Königstein fortress. Even though the climb up to the check point was on the grueling side, a 2km climb that took us from around 550 meters to 720 meters, the view was well worth it. There was another reward that followed the climb – a 35km ride down to the river Elbe. The ride down was the definition of “most fun one can have on a bike” and then some. We cruised down and down in what seemed to be an endless rollercoaster of side streets, forest roads and tiny villages. On a few occasions we had to climb a few meters, at least once at 15% gradient, but then were immediately rewarded with further downhill slalom that only eventually ended in the last check point.
After shoveling a lot of gluten free pasta salad and refilling our water bottles, we decided to ride upriver and cross on a bridge as opposed to taking a ferry again. At that point Ken, Dan and yours truly were separated from the other small groups that were formed. We knew that there were riders ahead of us and we knew that there were some riders behind us, but since the day was getting shorter and the temperature started dropping we decided to take a well-known road up to the mountains and back into camp. As we rode up we met some of the folks that rode the entire loop and were turning the corner after almost 150km behind them. We took pictures of the fast riders and then turned back into camp for an evening of pig roasting, fire breathing and beer.
This indeed was not a race. The Bohemian Switzerland National Park and its German sister the Saxon Switzerland National Park are beautiful areas to ride. They are mountainous, but each climb has a definitive end; they are wild and geographically unique-looking with table top mountains, narrow gorges and localized weather. They are a dream come true for those who like to ride off the beaten path and are easily reachable from large metropoles such as Berlin, Prague, Dresden, Leipzig and even further south in Germany. Ondrej of Chimpanzee Bars is a fantastic host and event organizer. We can only hope and dream of next year’s adventure.
Text: Jambi
Photo: Stefan Haehnel (www.stefanhaehnel.com)