take a look at this map:



that thick blue line is the Atlantic/Mediterranean watershed line!

how's about a 'European Divide Mountain Bike Race'.

anyone up for it....?

How far do you reckon it is?

*Roughly, seeing as there isn't a route worked out.

based on a VERY rough calculation

from the bottom of Spain to the eastern border of the Czech Republic (don't know why I stopped there) is about 3000 miles.

but obviously it could be shortened/lengthened to as desired .

for example from Spain up to Germany would be something more like 2000 miles.

(it also passes within 2km of my house!)

gairym wrote:(it also passes within 2km of my house!)

But by the current TD rules you couldn't go there. Sounds tougher than not going anywhere near your house!

Dyffers wrote:But by the current TD rules you couldn't go there. Sounds tougher than not going anywhere near your house!

Bugger!

just to clarify:

i am genuinely suggesting that a route/event along the lines of an EDMBR could (should?) be organised and that i'd be interested in at least helping to make this happen should other people be up for it also.

so.....

1. do we think that there'd be enough interest to warrant the time and effort that putting together a long-distance route like this would demand?

2. are people interested in the idea of possibly attempting a route like this?

3. would it make sense to simply emulate the GDMBR rules and format or be better to set-up something uniquely 'ours'?

4. does anyone have any experience, time and/or enthusiasm and want to take this idea further?

answers on a postcard.....

1: Got to start somewhere.

2: There's no way i could blag 3-4 weeks to do the whole thing but I would be interested in sections like Spain one year, Germany the next, etc.

3: Aidan's rules for EWE seem straight forward enough, http://www.aidanharding.com/ewe/rules/, I'm sure he'll let you steal them.

4: Stu, Aidan, Stevew are your men but try mailing Matt Lee, I'm sure he'd reply with some pearls of wisdom.
If I can help I will.

The Tour divide took 4 years to map, surely that job needs doing before you think of rules?

oh sure - but then again maybe a vague idea of what direction the rules might possibly take could affect the route decisions - no?

personally, i plan on living at least another four years and something like this seems as good a use of my (limited) spare time as any - especially when it's likely to take four years to earn sufficient 'wife points' to get that much time away granted!

The Tour divide took 4 years to map, surely that job needs doing before you think of rules?

'Tis true ... devising a workable route of that distance is a pretty mammoth task. I think mapping 'bite size' chunks that would also work as stand alone routes would be the way forward. As each develops, they can slowly be added together.

For many (myself included) just following that line down through Spain would count as an epic day out

As for rules, I think SteveW has them pretty much covered here - http://selfsupporteduk.net/

gairym wrote: 2. are people interested in the idea of possibly attempting a route like this?

If you build it people will come :D

Its going to take ages to map out, but like Taylor says i'm sure people will be interested in do it in stages.

I'm sure it took ages for the Tour Divide to build up to what it is now.

It 4 years of figuring it out on US Topo maps with the weight of the adventure cycling association working on it, then leg work on the ground! 4 years, now hopefully we may all have 4 years at least left on this planet, but personally I reckon you'll be needing more than a few wife points to figure this out.

you're coming across as a 'glass half empty' kind of guy!

(not that i'm doubting/questioning the amount of work it'd be!)

Any bikehike websites for other parts of europe?

Surly you could map out the stuff either way from your house Gairy?

Chew wrote:Any bikehike websites for other parts of europe?

actually i've just joined a forum of french bikepacking types - will pop along and see what they've got to offer.

Chew wrote:Surly you could map out the stuff either way from your house Gairy?

firstly, nice 'accidental' advertising/spelling-mistake

secondly, for sure, i'll just wait until it's raining and then see which way it runs!

but seriously - yeah, you're right. i'm just doing a crap-load of reading/researching right now to see what i can discover about the whole concept.

it's fun idea!

Whats the french bike packers site Gairy?

it's:

http://bikepacking.free.fr

(maybe use google-translate)

it doesn't look to be much used but i've had a few emails back and forth with the guy who runs the site and so will just see what he's got to say.

If you can find some type of on-line mapping site and possibly make use of some long distance routes that already exist, it won't actually take that long to devise a first draft.

How about starting with ... your house, south to Spain?

yep, that's what i'm thinking.

i registered edmbr.com last night and will pop some kind of previsional site/info up there when i get the chance.

then i'll just start throwing the idea around and see if i can get some people to get involved and contribute a little bit.

i'm going to approach the guy i rode with the other day from Salamandre Cycles as he's been doing some route planning in the south of the Ardeche and is trying to organise a new geobike route/event and so might be handy for this area. the ride we went on the other day happened to follow the atlantic/meditteranean watershed for a while (and is a national trail) and so i've got some leads.....

coincidentally, i found out from him that there's a 250km (in 30 hours - the same km.p.m as the BB200) geobike event on around the same time as the BB200 and it's almost the same format.

did you know about these before (as it's the first i'd heard of them)?

This might be handy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_l ... ance_paths

did you know about these before (as it's the first i'd heard of them)?

Nope, never heard of it.

How about just calling it Euro Divide?

You might want to read Nick Crane's Clear Waters Rising
in which he walks along the 'spine' of Europe from Spain to the Ukraine (or somewhere nearby).

Stuart/Slugwash,

Thanks - both offerings were very helpful.

All,

There's now a skeleton of a website up and running for your viewing pleasure which can be found at:

EDMBR.COM

Any/all comments, suggestions, offers of help, information and other contributions to this project will be met with thanks, enthusiasm and possibly a pint by way of saying thanks*

Cheers, Gairy.

*the offer of a 'pint of gratitude' is reserved for very special circumstances - please don't hold your breath!

Looks like the GR7/E4 route goes in the same kinda direction as the divide, which may make a good starting point.



More stuffe in here;
http://www.johnhayeswalks.com/p/e4.html

Chew,

Yeah it does, kind of, in certain places. It's the GR7 which passes near my house and was the trail I was on when I first started thinking of the idea.

There's a bunch of trails which follow the watershed for short sections which is looking like it might make things easier (at least in particular parts).

I've also now managed to find a detailed watershed map of the whole of France and so once I overlay that with the IGN French walking maps I should be in business (at least for France) and all that'll be needed then will be many hundreds of man-hours and patience!

Cheers fella, Gairy.

Good work there Gairy ... from small acorns, blah blah blah