Well it's been just a little over a week ago now since I joined the team at Trailquest for my Level 2 training in off road adventure skills and I must tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
This was the second level in Trailquest's adventure rider training series which allows the rider to further hone their skills in the art of off road mud wrestling with large adventure bikes. I took part in the Introduction to Adventure Riding course earlier last year, (which I would highly recommended) and that set me up with the fundamentals for riding a large adventure bike off road. :wheel
The training is aimed at individuals who want to improve their skills before they take off on their RTW (or shorter) expedition. You can choose to take along either your own fully-kitted out bike or use one of Trailquest's brand new Tiger 800 XCX's. :icon_cool:
My day long training session was carried out on Trailquest's private training grounds in the heart of the Herefordshire countryside amongst the rolling hills, forests & fantastic scenery that can be found in that part of the world. We started off with introductions and the all-important safety briefing. :nono :icon_salut:
We were then given a brief description of the different types of terrain and obstacles that we were likely to encounter while out in the countryside (wildlife, horses, walkers etc.) before setting off with our instructors into the wilderness. :__
It wasn't long before we were off the beaten path and into the wilderness. The weather was perfect, (sunny but not too warm) and rain from previous days had soaked into the ground just to make things just that little bit trickier! :nap
Our instructor (Richard) stopped us briefly from time to time, describing some of the challenges that lay ahead for us & suggesting different methods of how we might overcome them.
The varying terrain and locations allowed us to experience a variety of challenges including mud, rocks, ruts, inclines, descents and various forest debris. These threw up lots of different surfaces for us to practice on and test our skills.
Richard would first describe how the obstacle/s (sometimes combined) should be approached and would then expertly demonstrate how we should tackle them. :ear
Then it was our turn, with each challenge we would use the techniques suggested and each time improving our skill sets just that little bit more.
Some of the obstacles required a little team work to negotiate them successfully. :icon_scratch:
Stopping for a break gave us time to appreciate the views and the peacefulness of the practice area. Talking about adventures past, present & future while we took in some lunch.
Then we were off once again, riding through the countryside with yet more challenges ahead. It's not wise to relax at this point, as this is when mistakes can be made. Concentration is the key skill in this environment the same as if you were riding on the road, it's just that surprises come from the least expected places. A simple muddy puddle could be hiding all sorts of things underneath or a decent sized branch could flip over as you ride past & might throw you off!
I'm pleased to say that I managed to stay upright during the course of the day (even if I did go a little sideways sometimes) and made it round in one piece. When we eventually returned to our meeting point I felt knackered, but I also felt a sense of satisfaction to have been able to complete all of the exercises and clear the various obstacles. (My fitness is one thing that I'll definitely be working to improve!)
A brief wash-out & a chat over a cup of tea before we went our separate ways, revealed that Trailquest also organize and run guided expeditions in locations such as South Africa, India & also Morocco which, as a next step I'll definitely be looking into in the future.
Trailquest also run a number of different courses for all experience levels including those recently returning to motorcycling.
I can definitely recommend these guys if you're looking to improve your skills on your adventure bike whether it be on a Triumph or any other manufacturers bike. Their extensive experience pays dividends when talking you through the required riding techniques & their training is just the right balance of tell, show & then do.
I for one will be using them again in the future! :thumbsup
You can find details on their website:- www.trailquestadventure.com or like their Facebook page:- https://www.facebook.com/trailquestadventure
Funny you should mention trips to Morocco, just done that with the Portugese 2cv club, was excellent, and the guide is will ing to do a trip for bikes, I'll start a new thread to see if there is any interest
Lucky you. It looked like fun, if hard work. One of my instructor pals, who was one of the ten gals who went to South Africa as part of the BMW ladies off-road challenge, has been recruited by BMW Canada to do that kind of instructing in Alberta.
Quote from: John Stenhouse on April 12, 2016, 12:44:52 PM
Funny you should mention trips to Morocco, just done that with the Portugese 2cv club, was excellent, and the guide is will ing to do a trip for bikes, I'll start a new thread to see if there is any interest
Would that involve sand or tarmac???
I've been to Morocco by bus and would love to do it on a bike, particularly the Atlas mountains, but would be happiest sticking to the roads. I did off-road in a Landrover and on a camel; the tarmac is fine.... :nod
That's the beauty of getting your own guide, tailored to what you want.