Dirt & Trail SEPTEMBER 2022

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amazing to see how easy it is to pick up a heavy bike when you use the
correct technique, be it German or not.
After this, the group of students got to do some riding. They started
with a “launch and stop” exercise where they had to start the bike
moving and get in the standing position as quickly as possible. Then
Gerhard tested the group’s ability to actually go where they are looking
by making them cross fences using low and narrow bridges. Like with
all things adventure biking it looks daunting until you have done it. The
students passed with flying colours.
The rest of the morning was spent riding through cones, practicing
the figure of eight, jumping a log and riding through parallel poles. The
latter always presents a great opportunity for an action shot. If you
don’t do it right, there is a good chance you will also learn the basic
rules of gravity. I got a great picture of Enrico Porelli in full flight after
misjudging the exit. It was all good fun and Enrico was fine; not even a
bruised ego.
The real fun starts Friday afternoon in the sandpit. Learning to ride in
sand is one of the fundamentals of adventure biking. Somewhere in
your riding life, you will encounter sand. With the correct tyre pressures,
weight way back and a steady hand on the throttle, you can get through.
If you are going a little faster than what feels comfortable, you’re doing
it right. This is where I realized the value of a well designed training
course. After spending the morning learning how to balance, move your
weight on the bike and where to look, the sand becomes just another
rideable obstacle you can enjoy on your adventure bike. Sand is the
place where all you have learned comes together.
Another scary thing on a bike is to go up and down steep inclines. Again
it turned out not to be an issue for the students. Weight at the back, with
brakes applied to regulate your momentum going down, and the reverse
when you are going uphill will do the trick. Going uphill you have to
move your weight forward and give a bit of steady throttle to make sure
you keep the momentum.
Before the Country Trax course, Maarten had never stood up on his bike.
Now, after one day of training, he was making emergency stops, riding
through thick sand and “riding on the range” all while standing up. I
could see he was having fun.
Saturday was spent repeating what was learned the previous day and
moving on to some more advanced riding. It’s a tough and busy day, but
like the previous day, it was incredible to see the improvement in all the
riders. By the end of the day some had no qualms jumping their bikes at
the top of a steep incline.
Sunday is the fun day of the course. It’s designed to put what you
learned the previous two days into action. It starts with laps around an
oval track. After going around twice, Maarten was drifting his Yamaha
through the corners. He would not believe me when I told him he was
drifting. I had to show him a picture to prove I was right. The smile on
his face told the whole story.
The last exercise of the day is a water crossing. Again, I don’t think I
have ever been on an adventure trip where there is not some sort of
water crossing. I think route masters plan routes to make sure you
go through water. I know I do. The scary thing about water is that you
cannot see what is underneath. So it’s a leap of faith. You have to trust
the bike and your skills. You also have to look where you want to exit,
otherwise you will be picking up the bike in water. That’s also fun, but
it’s more fun to get through.
Around 11 the course wraps up. The group of students gathered around
the table at the training centre where they each received a certificate
stating that they successfully completed the “Intermediate Weekend
Course”.