HU Romania 2019

Radu Păltineanu Three Years and Three Months Cycling the Americas Lessons learned and the adrenaline of the unknown

From the wilderness of Alaska and northern Canada, all the way to Patagonia, I experienced snow storms, tropical weather, heavy rains, mud, and lots of adrenaline. In the end it became a three-years-and-three-months journey of 35.000 km cycled across all continental countries and territories of the Americas. What kept me for so long on the road was what I got to call the adrenaline of the unknown. The fact that I did not know whom I would meet or where I would get to each day, and what new experiences awaited me was the most effective incentive. It is the unknown that kept my wheels turning.

RADU PĂLTINEANU is a young adventurer and curious human being. He recently cycled across the Americas, a journey that lasted three years and three months, from Alaska to Argentina through all the continental countries and territories of the Americas.

Pavel Kunc, Far and Further Six Wheels to India, Two Wheels Back / How Not to Get Sh#$%*$s

Six Wheels to India, Two Wheels Back
How did a 5-month plan turn into 14 months on the road to India and back?

This is the story of a five-month plan to travel from the U.K. to Indonesia in a strange combination of jeep and motorbike... and how we did not reach Indonesia after all and ended up travelling for 14 months, got stuck in India for five of those months, lost jobs, and came back after 54,000km - and then decided we won't return to a place which was our home for 10 years.

How Not to Get Sh#$%*$s
Preventing, curing, and surviving stomach mishaps

It happened to me, it probably happened to you. You're ready for the adventure, have a good dinner and, in the morning, instead of heading to the mountains, you're heading straight for the toilet… which if, you're lucky, has water and toilet paper. If you're unlucky, well, let's not… contemplate that. What can we do to prevent, cure and recover from stomach problems on the road? Find out more with Pavel.

PAVEL KUNC is originally from Czechia, and had planned to move to Londa, U.K., for a year - he stayed for 13! Riding a Honda CB500X around Europe and, in 2017, rode from the U.K. to India and back to Czechia in 14 months ad 54,000 km even though the original plan was for five months. It seems "plan" is not a part of his vocabulary!

George Ciobanu, RTW.TO Ride Across Africa / Drive To Mongolia

Ride Across Africa
South Africa to Romania on a motorcycle

In early 2018, after almost two years of riding across Ireland I took the decision of quitting my office job to do something totally different: see the world as it is, raw and unhindered. After around three months of riding from Cape Agulhas to Romania on the western coast of Africa, a near death experience in Cameroon, getting malaria in Benin and other such things, I can safely say that the journey fulfilled its purpose.

Drive To Mongolia
An '84 Skoda 120LS with four people crammed inside. What could go wrong?

After the experience in Africa, I went on the Mongol Rally towards (ahem) Mongolia. Some of the highlights include running out of water in the desert in Turkmenistan, the warmth of the people in Iran and having to ship the car on a trailer from Irkutsk to Sankt Petersburg.

After getting burnt out from working in IT behind an office, GEORGE CIOBANU decided to ship his motorcycle to South Africa and ride it to Romania.

Theodor Pana, Two Ride Pamir Across Russia with My Father / Central Asia with My Father

Across Russia
25,000 km across Russia, Mongolia, and the Caucasus

In 2017, I have travelled with my father from Bucharest to Moscow. There we have shipped our bikes to Vladivostok and we took the Trans Siberian Train over the BAM route to Vladivostok. There we picked up bikes and started the ride home. Went back and forth to Magadan, then to Baikal Lake. After Baikal we crossed Mongolia where my father broke his leg. He flew home and I continued by myself across Mongolia, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, and then home. 25.000 km in 92 days. A very nice experience, filled with everything one can think of! Unknown and beautiful places, meeting nice people, dangers along the road and the bitter taste of not being able to make it home as we have left: two people together!

Central Asia
18,000 km across Central Asia with my father

In 2013, I have travelled with my father from Bucharest all the way to Central Asia. We crossed 13 countries, reached the Pamir Highway and rode the Wakhan Corridor between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

THEODOR PANA is based in Bucharest, Romania, and is 30 years old. He has traveled across Central Asia, all of Russia, and Mongolia.

Dimitar Kambarev Tunisia All the Way Down / Iceland on Two Wheels

Tunisia All the Way Down
On a CRF1000, crossing Jebil National Park directly through the dunes

Overland trip to Tunisia with a focus on crossing their Sahara part directly through the dunes on my Africa Twin. Some Star Wars sightseeing as well!

Iceland on Two Wheels
Taking as much off-road as possible on an Africa Twin

I am planning an overland trip to Iceland with my CRF1000 in August 2019. I would love to tell you as much as possible how preparations are going. I will be taking the ferry from Denmark, stop at the Faroe Islands, and ride as much off-road as possible.

This is NOT Iceland. Dimitar will have just finished that trip before HU Romania! Enjoy this sandy view for now.

DIMITAR KAMBAREV is an overlander ("... or at least I try to be :)") who has been almost everywhere in Europe, Morocco, Tunisia, and the Caucasus countries. Dimitar and his CRF1000 like to take as much off-road as possible!

Martin Alušik, motoadv4you Road of Bones - Magadan 2018 Four friends travel to the end of the world

Four friends, who have never traveled together before, ride over 14,000 km in five weeks from west to east across the world's largest and coldest-inhabited country, Siberia, along one of the hardest roads in the world. We experienced many different cultures along the way.

MARTIIN ALUŠIK has over 10 years' experience in motorcycle business. He is an experienced enduro rider on a big bike and prefers to stay under the sky around the fire. He love to ride in the mountains and has ridden more than 180,000 km on motorcycle around Europe and Asia.

Mihai Tica Motorcycling Hurdles For beginner and intermediate adventure riders: common pain points, tips, and more

I want to motivate people to act - start dreaming, start planning, start riding. I will cover the different stages of having an adventure: (1) Common problems; (2) How to plan your trip; (3) How to prepare - tips and tricks; (4) Start riding, plan your effort, shoot media responsibly, return home safely; (5) When the trip is over, what to do with the XXX terabytes of media you have just shot/filmed.

MIHAI TICA got his motorcycle license pretty late in life at 28 and dived right in! His first motorcycle trip was to India only weeks after he got his license. He went there for business and rented a motorcycle. First ride, first crash.. about 800 kilometers later a SUV cut him off, he flew for a few metres and visited the local emergency hospital. Fast forward a few years, Mihai visited some very interesting places - Nordkapp, Mongolia, Georgia (twice), India (twice), Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is currently planning to ride the Greece portion of the TET. He enjoys shooting and editing videos. You can check out his YouTube channel.

Andreas Fetzer Adventure Algeria by Tuareg Rallye Finally back as a famous Rallye country: people, landscapes, and adrenaline

More than 20 years ago the last Dakar Rallye came through Algeria. Since then, however, Algeria almost disappeared from the touristic world map. In 2017 the Algerian state-owned motorsport federation invited us (the organisation team of the Tuareg Rallye) to visit this beautiful country and evaluate if the world´s second biggest Rallye would like to relocate to Algeria. After exploring the possibilities, we were conviced. So the preparation started and finally, in March 2019, the Tuareg-Rallye took place in Algeria. Amazing tracks in wonderful landscapes, including the biggest erg of the Sahara desert. What an experience! And so different from the surrounding countries. I will cover the exploration, preparation and the Rallye event itself which was a great success for eveyrone, not only for racers. :-)

ANDREAS FETZER is from Germany and has travelled over 500.000 km on motorcycle in Europe, Africa, Asia and USA. He is a highly experienced off-roader having participated in the Red Bull Erzberg, Enduro-Championships and Desert Rallyes in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria. He is a motorcycle tour guide and Rallye organiser.

Adrian Silindean Romania to Magad an via the BAM Road / Stuck Alone on the Road of Bones

Romania to Magadan via the BAM Road
BAM and the Road of Bones in four weeks or less

In the summer of 2016, I decided to make a second trip to Magadan. I had only 4 weeks free and wanted to ride the infamous BAM Road and the Road of Bones. On the way I made a small detour in the Altai region and crossed into Tuva on an almost unknown track. Teaming up with another traveler, we rode the BAM Road which is 2,000 km of gravel and dirt road. On the Road of Bones we reached Tomtor/Oymiakom which is the pole of cold with the lowest temperature ever recorded - minus 73 Celsius. On the way to Magadan we encountered great hospitality and broken bridges, and attended the first bikers meeting held in the Kolyma region. All in less then four weeks!

Stuck Alone on the Road of Bones
... with a broken clutch

In 2012, I took my first big bike trip. The trip back was Magadan – Yakutsk –Mirny – Moscow (Mirny – Moscow by plane) – then from Moskow east to Kazan and then south to Volgograd, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria and back home to Romania. The whole trip took six months and amounted to 36.000 km. On the Kolima Highway/Road of Bones, between Magadan and Yakutsk, on the section known as Old Summer Road, between Susuman and Tomtor I fried the clutch in the deep mud. The distance from the main road was about 110 km. Distance to the proposed destination (Tomtor) approx. 150 km. 36 hours later a URAL 66 truck with the guys from Russian Emergency Service (EMERCOM) come to my rescue.

ADRIAN SILINDEAN loves traveling on his 1993 Honda Transalp. He has crossed Euroasia three times by bike, including the Caucasus, the Stans, Mongolia, and Russia on the BAM Road and Road Of Bones where he got stuck and was rescued by the Russian emergency services. He usually travels solo which allows him to meet local people and other travelers on the way.

Dominik Jedrzejowski, Mo2oXplorers Mo2oCuba 2019: Last Call for Cuba / Mo2oBalkans: 10 Years of Riding the Balkans

Mo2oCuba 2019: Last Call for Cuba
Exotic Cuba in February

Cuba is a country that has awakened recently from a socialistic dream which, in closer look, is still asleep. I present a slideshow with a few short (up to 10 minutes) video clips. I encourage everyone to visit Cuba as soon as possible as it is changing rapidly. In a few years' time, it will no longer be the country rememberd from the socialistic movies about Fidel Castro. Explore its beauty, its poverty, its pride and hospitality. Learn more about wonderfull and happy people who value the each other over wealth and fame. I take you back in time where there are still living fossils on the roads, where paper is more important than position. A unique, unforgettable motorcycle experience.

Mo2oBalkans: 10 Years of Riding the Balkans

I share my 10-year love affair of riding riding the Balkan peninsula on motorbike. A slideshow presentation with a couple of short videoclips show the variety and beauty of the Balkan peninsula I fell in love with at first sight. The story about the hospitality despite the poverty and war history or war crimes between nations once united under the big Yougoslavia. The story of countless kilometres throughout beautiful mountains, hills, valleys, seasides, lakes and plains. The story about various religions and nations living together with peace or with hate, just around the corner.

DOMINIK JEDRZEJOWSKI is a motorcycle adventure photographer and filmmaker who is travelling the world by parts, and trying to tell and show the beauty of it.

Marian Vulpe, dusi.ro Mongolia: Chasing the Edge of the World Romania to Mongolia and back overland, following the Silk Road: 1 bike, 3 months, 30.000 km, 20 borders

The journey started in June 2018 when me and my trusted V-Strom followed as much as we could from the old Silk Road, through the "stans" and all the way to Mongolia. The return passed next to Baykal and a good part of Siberia. As always, the best part of the travel were the people: I had the chance to meet kind, warm and welcoming people everywhere and share stories with most of them.

MARIAN VULPE's inner core is made from the souls of the past nomads. I wander, I get lost, very often I get sidetracked, but I never stray too far from my nomadic core. I'm always looking to get past borders, limits and "no, you should nots" or "you shoulds".