Ian Chappel - Adventures on Two Wheels

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As from 2005, I'm uploading stuff as Google Earth files, so if you haven't already, installing Google Earth is a great idea. It's free!
And as from 2008, I'm uploading photos to flickr - nice!

But this new map with pictures I've just discovered, REALLY is neat! Zoom in for more pics.......

Here are a few trips, listed in reverse chronological order (most recent first):

Horizons Unlimited Mountain Madness! - July 2009

The third incarnation of this event was held at a new location SE of Andorra (La Molina), with a larger than ever entry and the off-road class divided into big and small bikes (split at 645cc), although riding exactly the same course. We were told this year was 'more technical'. The other change was that we only got the roadbook at the event, 11:00am the day before the ride.

We rode down from the overnight Portsmouth-St Malo ferry together with Matt Pope (who was one third of the road-class winning team). Matt brought with him some amusement from his ride down from Guildford when his luggage caught fire on the A3 - so first stop in France was a Rennes hypermarket for some new boxers and socks! There was further amusement when we stopped overnight in the fortified town of Monpazier in the Dordogne, which was in the midst of some medieval re-enactment - the French hotelier did a major 'Basil Fawlty' after we opted to eat out rather than in! Unfortunately we missed le petit dejeuner the next morning as well...

After planning on Monday, Iain and I decided to tackle the SE checkpoints on Day 1. We had a good morning hindered only by a length of deep mud/water/ruts. But as we started the descent from the checkpoint at Creu de l'Espinal for some lunch in Vallfogona, the terrain started to deteriorate with some rocky steps somewhat bigger than my GSA's ground clearance! The bike at one point see-sawing on its bashplate and needing a hefty shove downhill... There didn't appear to be any damage, but arriving at our 15th checkpoint around 4:30pm my team-mate noticed a steady stream of engine oil leaving my sump. At first I'd hoped the sump plug or oil filter had worked loose, but after laying the bike down in the grassy verge to prevent further loss of oil and removing the bashplate, I could see that the sump had a small crack. My feeling at this point was that we were doomed, but we needed to at least get back to the hotel. We weren't far from Olot, so off we went on Iain's bike and quickly found a bike shop. They couldn't help directly, but after a little difficulty communicating just what we were after, the girl there led us on her bike to a really good industrial supplies shop, where we got some 'liquid metal', emery cloth, and solvent. An hour later we were heading back to the hotel, although I had no idea if the repair would last five minutes or five years (it's lasted back to the UK so far). We got in about 50 minutes late, taking a 100-point penalty on the chin. Not surprisingly, our problems left us lagging behind somewhat in the points standings. That evening I borrowed a heavy hammer to straighten my bashplate and refitted it.

Day 2 saw us in the NE sector, the area richest in points. We found considerably easier terrain, and managed to visit 21 checkpoints, with no "offs" (unlike Day 1!) although still coming in late to incur another 100-point penalty - nearly making 7:00pm which would have lost us only 50 points. On our first totting-up of Day 2's harvest we thought we were in second place overall, but after a careful full recount we were chuffed to find we'd triumphed by just 33 points overall!

Later that evening, it was nice of one of the 'Mushmans' (<645cc winners and runners-up overall) to come and offer his congratulations, but I was amazed that he and a member of 'Team Vomit' (Hamish) could remember seeing my bike in Feb '07 ago in El Calafate, Patagonia (southern Argentina) - although despite both staying there we didn't get to meet. I think everyone had a great time, although it was a shame Austin and Lois weren't there - they were busy riding their Ural sidecar outfit round the US - as you do.... The event should be based at the same hotel next year, with talk of Morocco for 2011!

There's an event report here (click "More Information" under "2009 Event Report").

View as Google Earth, Google Map, or Bing Map. Photos on Flickr - Thumbnails, Details, Map, Slideshow.
 

Horizons Unlimited Mountain Madness! - July 2008

We (The "Two Ian's") returned in 2008 to a harder competition. There number of entrants had increased five or six-fold, with a few on full enduro machinery. Unfortunately events conspired against us on the first day - I made a poor navigation decision to our first checkpoint, due to the way I'd [mis]-arranged my maps, and then late in the day the rear spindle came loose on Iain's Africa Twin at a very precarious spot, throwing the chain - and unfortunately he'd lent the correct spanner to a mate! And to top it all we rode our final 25 miles back on the road to the hotel behind a police car - not daring to overtake as we were unsure of the speed limits, and getting 'stopped' would have been fatal to our efforts. So we arrived back at 2018hrs (18 minutes late) resulting in a 100-point penalty.

This was to prove our undoing, as we had a very good Day 2, achieving a total 3136 points over the two days, and to my surprise would have retained our title had we not incurred the time-penalty on Day 1. The winners managed 3118, and the runners-up 3079, leaving us in third place. Iain and I rode back up through France together with his friend Matt Pope who was part of the team winning the first ever road event, stopping off to take a look at the spectacular Millau Viaduct which coincidentally we'd all wanted to see.

There's an event report here (click "More Information" under "2008 Event Report"). View as Google Earth, Google Map, or Bing Map.

Photos on Flickr - Thumbnails, Details, Map, and Slideshow.
 

Horizons Unlimited Mountain Madness! - September 2007

Not really a "trip", but a long weekend. Organised by the organisers of the World's No.1 adventure motorcycling website, Grant and Susan Johnson of www.horizonsunlimited.com in conjunction with Austin Vince and Lois Pryce. A none-too-serious motorcycle orienteering event in the Pyrenees, 2007 being the inaugural year.

There's an event report here (click "More Information" under "2007 Event Report"), also viewable as Google Earth, Google Map, or Bing Map. Iain Woolley from Telford (Africa Twin) and I teamed up as "The Two Ian's" and were quite surprised to win, having hit all 36 checkpoints and coming in early!

They're holding the event annually from now on, with a road-only class in addition from 2008.

Photos on Flickr - Thumbnails, Details, Map, and Slideshow.
 

Trans-Americas: Prudhoe Bay to Tierra-del-Fuego (September 2006 to February 2007)

The Big One!

28,500 miles over 5½ months. Full Story Here
 

California, on FOUR WHEELS (October/November 2005)

Doesn't really belong here - a family driving holiday - but it was too good to leave out!

Djanet, Algeria - the geographical centre of the Sahara (was planned for Spring 2003)

I was hoping to have a go at this one soon, after catching the "Africa Bug" in Morocco! There is tarmac all the way to Djanet now, some 1400 miles by road south from Tunis. The ferry for Tunis can be boarded in either Marseille or Genoa.

However this trip is currently on indefinite hold, due to various groups being kidnapped. However all were released, except for one woman who sadly perished in the harsh environment.
 

Morocco, south to the Mauritanian border (September 2002)

Italy & Sicily (May 2002)

Scandinavia - Denmark, Sweden, Finland, & Norway (August 2001)

Other Stuff

 

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