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and espressos from the enthusiastic manager. We were touched by his hospitality, especially as we were the only ' budget ' guests.
The route was epic, but not for the faint-hearted or inexperienced off-roaders, particularly those on larger bikes. We crossed numerous mountains, their slopes dotted with wind turbines, and tackled rockier terrain than the previous sandy tracks, a welcome change for me. Yet again, we passed through areas ravaged by fire, including one town encircled by blackened vegetation, saved just in time from the flames.
A long, gravelly downhill section caught me out, classic case of nerves and target fixation. I gently dropped the bike in a gravel pit, but thankfully no harm was done, and it offered a chance to catch my breath.
Many sections were tricky, but I managed, keeping a steady throttle and pushing through. With few places to stop for lunch due to the abundance of off-road sections( despite claims that Day 3 was only 40 % off-road— surely an underestimate), we made do with cereal bars and crisps at 3pm, hoping for a decent dinner later.
The biggest heart-stopping moment came when a branch clipped my handlebars, nearly sending me off the track, thank goodness I wasn’ t going any faster! Sometimes, being a cautious off-road rider pays off.
We finished Day 3 just after 5pm, meeting three BMW riders at the endpoint. Two friends had abandoned the ACT in favour of tarmac after pre-booking hotels, while Alan from Estonia was tackling the route in reverse. A relatively new off-roader, he sensibly planned to turn back if it became too difficult. We shared advice and wished him luck.
That evening, we relaxed with drinks at the Alamal restaurant by the river, chatting with other ACT
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