Well, there was a reason why I was posting so little during the last year. I was on many secret scouting trips in the Alps to verify possible locations for a project that I had on my mind for years. As you might know, I was organizing many “Alpentouren” in the last 22 years, but after 20 years, the concept wore out a bit, so I looked out for new challenges. With my knowledge of beautiful and strange places in the Alps, why not organizing a rally that nobody had organized before. After all, the area is nothing less than the best riding place in the world. So the goal was to plan the toughest rally ever held in Europe, covering basically the whole region, leading riders to all the highlights that I know. And look for more. I still have a lot of work to do, many planned spots still need to be visited, but last year, I have been to so many great places, but I couldn’t share this with anybody. Not yet. Sometimes I had a grin on my face when I visited a very challenging place and I imagined how the riders will be cursing and swearing. I could convince Gerhard, the IBA Germany president to do this together. And here it comes, ladies and gentleman, fasten your seat belts:

So you think you have seen it all. Done your long distance rides, the SS1000, SS2000, BBG1500, BBG3000 and all of this. Participated in all these great LD rallies in Europe such as the Brit Butt Rally, the German Butt Rally, the Scandinavian Rally….or the multi-day rallies, the European Tour Rally or even the American LD rallies, the Iron Butt Rally, the Butt Lite…..Well done. But there is something that you haven’t seen yet.

The best roads of Europe in an area that is unique in the world. The Alps. The highest mountain roads. The greatest views. The deepest valleys. Marvelous bends all over the place. The best riding place in the world. Now imagine to visit this area under rallying conditions. Getting sent to all these great places by a rallymaster. But not for one day, nor two, nor three….more than five days you’ll be enjoying the highlights of the Alps.

But be warned. This is not for the faint-hearted. This rally will ask all of you. Your planning skills, your riding skills, and above all, your endurance. This is not a relaxing cruise on highways. You’ll be riding rarely in a straight line. From dawn to dusk. And more.

The Alpenbutt Rally is designed by IBA Germany to appeal to novice rally riders and those with multi-day rally experience. You can ride as many or as few miles as you wish. You may be happy to simply finish the event and gain Finisher status.

Or you may wish to test your abilities and aim for a high place finish. It’s up to you. No matter what your game plan is, you will have the opportunity to tour the Alps like you’ve never toured Europe before.

Riders assemble on a Saturday afternoon, register, and are then issued with part of the rally information in a short rider briefing. An evening meal is followed by a final rider meeting where important instructions and explanations are given by the rally team. After that, the riders will be busy in their hotel rooms planning their route for the next days…

All riders all set off early the following Sunday morning on their individual routes. At the checkpoint, riders will be scored after the first leg. They have dinner and a good night’s rest.

The next morning, there will be a short briefing session and the hand-out of the rally book for the second leg of the rally. Riders will plan the route for the second part and leave the checkpoint whenever they are ready.

At the end of the sixth day, riders arrive back at the finish and are scored again. There is enough time to get a shower in the hotel room before everybody meets at the banquet ceremony: after a tasty dinner, the ranking is announced and trophies are handed out. And there is enough time to share your countless anecdotes with your fellow participants at the bar…

Rally facts: 

• Rally time: July 30 – August 4, 2017
• Start and finish: south of Munich, Germany
• Multi-day rally: 6 days
• One secret checkpoint in the Alps
• Rally area: anywhere in the Alps and beyond
• More than 300 bonus point locations
• Maximum 50 riders admitted.
• Rally fees (payable by PayPal):

Single rider: 

• 480 € (registration before December 31st, 2016),
• 530 € (registration after January 1st, 2017)

Extra pillion: 

• 220 € (registration before December 31st, 2016),
• 270 € (registration after January 31st, 2017)

The rally fee includes a room in the secret checkpoint hotel including breakfast, two dinners, the ceremony banquet, the rally T-shirt, rally book and the rally flag.

More information, including registration and the rally rules, you can find on the dedicated website www.alpenbutt.com 

Robert
Rallymaster Alpenbutt Rally