The second of December 2000 we found it worth a try together with some admirers of dirt and filth. A posting in the Dutch motorbike newsgroup led to about twelve reactions. The tools to be used were very different. Next to my KTM there were a Husky and an XR600 and a few XT500 or 250's and a DR. Bonzo tried the first few kilometres on his heavy modified BMW 1100 GS but changed in favour of his lightweight XT.

The first stages of the roadbook took us on forest roads in a part of the Netherlands where everybody seems to live in huge villa's. It was unbelievable that nearly through the backyards there is so much to ride offroad - and it is absolutely legal to do! Sometimes very fast and sometimes very slowly we managed to do the first 20 kilometres within half an hour. The only dameage was that one person was missing...
About five of us rode with the roadbook and the rest rode in between. That is just the way to do it as long as you stick with the rest. If you lose track for whatever reason you simply stop for a cup of coffee as Kees did. A few of us went as a search party as the rest continued the tour. We would meet at a small MX track halfway.

The second part took us in and out of the extensive forest area that covers this part just South East of Amsterdam. Once in a while we reduce throttle to pass a few horsemen. We wave hello and open throttle again to acceptable level. On fast tracks the difference between the bikes is obvious. Together with the Husky and an XT I ride in front and every few legs we wait for the rest to arrive.
Alongside an old canal we head for an other forest area and reach the small MX track that is just fun to ride. An uninvited guest on a KLR shatteres our illusions that we are doing well...

When everybody has made a few rounds and the remote control of my roadbook reader is fixed the pack moves again. I guide the rest to the starting point of the part of the route that I put on paper. After several metres on tarmac we enter the forest. The mix of mud and peat immediately vicimizes one of us and Roland is going down - face first. This was a difficult part because of the deep tracktor tracks and the woodland is covered with 15 cm high chopped off trees. Something to look out for...
Some fast tracks toake us to the edge of a military excercise ground. Officially forbidden but on the way in there is no sighn that tells us not to go any further. On the opposite side of the grounds we search for an exit as nearly all possibilities are fenced, ditched and barbed wired. Eventually we find a way out. We ride in small groups not to attract any attention from outsiders. Some of the followers loose track of the men in front all too easily but all managed to get out.

Taking a few hundred metres of tarmac to start with the third part of our rallye I notice a car of the Military Police somewhat in a hurry. In my rear view mirror I see that they turn in a way that they nearly cause an accident. I know that this means trouble. Before entering the next dirtroad that is officially opened for inhabitants only we stop to wait for the rest. The MP found us all too soon. One of them just smiles and tells us we are 'bad boys' riding on forbidden terrain. He himself is allowed to ride there on his government payed LC4 to stop offenders. The second MP is not amused at all and tells us someone phoned that a few men were motorcrossing in the forest. Unbelievable that some people take the energy to call the cops when you are not bothering anyone.

We are told that riding a bike trough the forest is very bad for the environment and that the excercise grounds are full of asbestos an ammunition. They can't give us a fine because they din't see themselves that we were riding off limits. The second MP sais our bikes could never be that dirty riding on tarmac and there is no such thing as riding legally on the unpaved. The rest of our muddy pack arrived and tried to tease the MP's but eventually everything went right. 'Have a nice weekend' and they were off. We suspected they would wait at the other end of the track we headed for so we skipped part of the roadbook to continue our route.

After some nice single tracks of an old railway and a small dike of a pre WWII defence line we went trough several small villages. After the last one the real offroad riding began. Just after the last houses we entered a path that was covered with a very thick layer of mud and peat. Our bikes now had to work hard and high sprays of dirt flew around. Fatigue now began to play part with some of us but the smiles on the dirty faces got bigger every metre! Some long hauls with grass, deep mud pits and especially dangerous stakes along the track got us to the final part of this day. It was just before sunset as we arrived at the deepest and smelliest mudtrack anyone expected. The last part were best - almost three metres in length and half a metre deep. The final pictures were taken on digital camera. After a short brake we rode back in the dark to share dinner at Rolands place. We washed the dirt out of our ears, ate great Chinese food and told lots of stories about our boldest challenges. On one topic everybody agreed - this was a very succesful trip! Thanks to the two digital photo cameras the images were already in my mailbox as I arrived home.