I like when I have things ticked off the bucket list. Here is another one! We have been planning to ride the well known and popular Medvés Kör for about a year and finally we managed to get it done yesterday. The route is more popular in endurance runners and hikers circles but there are many mountain bikers also who has done it. It is a 63 km long route with 1413 m total elevation along the way. Savage climbs, stunning views and generaly a lovely spot on Earth. What else do we need, hah?! :)
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| All packed up for the day |
Two of my good mates and training buddies Gyuszi and Józsi teamed up with me for the spin. We know each other well and we are on the same fittness and skill level also, so the team work was not a question.
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| 5 am in the morning at my place |
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| Yep, we are good to hit the road |
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| We could enjoy some savage views on the way |
We hit the route 21 at about 6 am and after a not too long drive we have arrived to Somoskóújfalu where the start / finish area is. The route starts from the Vargánya Vendégház. After we got there we have checked in with the owner & organizer and wasted no time, we got ourselves ready for the ride.
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| Where the fun begins |
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| Lets do this! :) |
As the whole route is based on QR code scan-in system we have scanned in at the start point and we hit the first climb. The feeling of the Medvés Kör has hit us straight away: the great trails, the nice mountains and the general feeling of pushing your bike to the checkpoint, scan in and keep going until you get to the next one. Brilliant!
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| Bit of a rest until our good friend Józsi scanned our QR codes in |
A good bit of the route is in Slovakia. After the first (shorter loop) was done we got to the boarder and crossed it. The real fun begins on the other side I'd say.
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| Welcome :) |
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| With one leg in Hungary and in Slovakia with the other |
The first loop is good also but the second one is much more challenging. The climbs are harder, there's lot more work to put in. By the time we got to this point we managed to get the hang of finding the QR checkpoints and things got a bit smoother indeed. Climb after climb, descent after descent, turn after turn. We got closer and closer to the finish. After the last bit of effort we hit the very last descent that leads straight back to the finish. Scanned in annnndddd we have finished!
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| The data of the ride |
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| At the finish with the stunning looking medals |
Yep, the Medvés Kör is done & dusted. We have finished with 5 hours and 30 minutes total time (including QR scanning, looking around and a bit of a wrong turn also) and with 4 hours and 10 minutes clear riding time. The plan was to get it done under 4 hours, so I guess I'm happy as we are just a tad bit over the target. :)
The final verdict:
The Medvés Kör is definitely a must have route for any mountain biker who likes the challenge! The QR scan in system is a great idea and a good way to complete the route although it could be a bit tricky to find the chekpoints and not to get lost. We have used the .gxp file that can be donwloaded from their official website. It was a massive help for sure!!
The location is beautiful and the trails are awesome too. The organizer is very nice and helpful also. There is also a great accomodation available for those who would prefer to stay over night.
... for all info necessary visit the official site here:
So, what I'm sure about is that we will be back soon to do it again and since we know the route and what to expect already the goal is to do a proper good time on the Medvés Kör! bring it on! :)
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