Balkan. Offroad. In July. Pathfinding without GPS?

[TobyG]

So, here's my plan:
I dont got one.

Other than which countries to go to.

Germany/
Poland/
Slovakia/
Hungary/
Romania/
Bulgaria/
Mazedonia/
Albania/
Montenegro/
Bosnia/
Croatia/
Slovenija/

From Slovenija on I will ride pretty much straight to Piemont, Italy, this part will mainly be on-road, as I will probably meet up with others for some serious Enduro riding there.

At least from Romania to Croatia on I would like to mainly stay off the pavement.


So, how do I tackle this task?
To make it harder, I am not a fan of planning the whole route beforehand, but rather taking a map with you and look for next days' route each evening, while avoiding paved roads.


Please share your wisdom with me
Can anyone recommend any extremely detailed maps of the countries which are written in bold in the list above?




Thanks in Advance,
Toby

[bastimentos]

Hi,

Good chance you've already read the thread but this bloke seems like a great resource to ask about those countries:

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=858799

Good luck, and write a RR when you're done - I'm interested in that route.

[TobyG]

Thanks for the link - I actually just discovered that one,I will make sure to drop him a PM.



It might take me some time (rather unlikely that I'll take any electronics, aside from my trusty camera and a phone, with me, I might, just might, buy a cheap Netbook...), but I am planning on doing a RR.

[sasho]

Originally Posted by TobyG

So, here's my plan:

Bulgaria/
Can anyone recommend any extremely detailed maps of the countries which are written in bold in the list above?

For Bulgaria, there is the Garmin map from karta.bg:
http://karta.bg/

It has an offroad section as well. For any specific advice, I'd recommend dropping a line in the offroad-bulgaria forum:
http://www.offroad-bulgaria.com/forum.php

[TobyG]

That's a great resource, thanks. (event though it's not a printed map...but I'll find a solution to that)

[GiorgioXT]

Originally Posted by TobyG

So, here's my plan:
I dont got one.

.

Don't worry , lot of people (me included) toured and rode a lot even before GPS was invented

I suggest to do a search for official digital cartography servers - sometimes exists also for paths like this slovenian one
http://989.gvs.arnes.si/pot_radovljica/
then print and plastify the sheets

here the Romania geoportal http://geoportal.ancpi.ro/geoportal/viewer/index.html

[francs]

In Bosnia and Montenegro GPS is useless (off road) .
Without seriously planing you won't be riding much off road.
Get a good map (not an easy task, military maps are outdated, others are not detailed) .
Don't joke with Mine signs in Bosnia.
Have a nice time.
There is a saying in those places: "Kartu čitaj seljaka pitaj"
(Read the map and ask locals)

[TobyG]

Thanks for the hints :)

Even though military maps are outdated...it might be worth a try...didn't think of that, yet.
I will of course ask locals, but there might be a language barrier as I only speak very few words in eastern european languages.
I know how to order a beer, though and that usually helps, at least it did in Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary, so far

As for taking Mine signs seriously, well I don't tend to joke with these signs anywhere on the world, at all.


We actually have a lot of signs warning about explosives and telling you to stay on the paths in the area I currently live in. Remains from 2nd World War.
Just recently they closed down a huge area after explosives were found all over.



And remember guys, if anyone knows any detailed maps of said countries, please let me know the publisher or the ISBN number

[francs]

I got this maps for Montenegro: https://www.box.com/s/s6ubkg5nwhly3jmfhfhk
Language can be a problem (locals are very friendly and helpfull but older ones don't speak much of foreign languages) .
This is very detailed map of Slovenija (but in Slovenija GPS works perfect and "real" off road is not allowed) .
http://gis.arso.gov.si/atlasokolja/p...kolja_AXL@Arso

[TobyG]

Those are both great maps, thanks francs

As for "real" offroad riding, everything unpaved will do, as for real offroad, thats why I am going to Piemont at the end of my trip.


By the way, I guess I didnt really mention that, I don't plan on taking a GPS with me at all. Don't get me wrong, I know that GPS systems are a great technology, but nonetheless, I decided against it for this trip.

[CourtFisher]

Probably the best NoAmerican source for paper maps worldwide is
http://www.omnimap.com/catalog/interidx.htm

Click on any of the Balkan countries you're interested in, and in some cases
there are even detailed topographic maps available, e.g.

http://www.omnimap.com/catalog/int/bulgaria.htm
"Bulgaria Topographic Maps"

etc.

[francs]

I got lost (in time before I bought a GPS) , I had a map but it was useless, because I didn't know the location, there is no road signs (or they are not there when you need them) . Even that GPS is not showing you the road it shows you a direction (it's very "calming down" thing in the middle of nowhere, for me at least) .
But I understand you very well, it's another perspective of adventure.

[francs]

More maps for Montenegro: http://mapy.mk.cvut.cz/list/data/Jug...ora-Montenegro
They are old (1972), there are new roads and some old roads don't exist anymore.

[Frgich]

Good maps for the countries in the region can be obtained from http://www.reise-know-how.de/product...oducts_id/1832

Ride on