Ma Rando moto des deux mondes with Trail Attitude

Does the Kol'en Trail challenge ring a bell? 4 days of events based on the passion of Moto Trail, combining good humour, mutual aid and a good meal! The problem? Due to a lack of participants, the organizers were unable to carry out the scenario planned for this 2024 vintage. But the guys know how to bounce back! Right off the bat, they've concocted a 4-day off-road adventure with a menu that includes fat, fatties and great moments of sharing. The "Rando moto des deux Mondes" was born:

The starting point for this journey? Mordor, or rather Morvan, in Epinac to be precise. A town not chosen at random, as it's where Yann Duprey organizes his training courses. Our final objective? The outskirts of Reims, the home of Nicolas Lantenois, and incidentally the venue for the Ixtem Games. The "rando des deux mondes" in a few figures? 16 participants instead of the usual 36 on the Kol'en Trail challenge; 4 days of adventure; 600 km of off-road combining quagmires, rocky climbs and a host of tricky difficulties; 2 completely different worlds: the Morvan with its undergrowth and the Champagne region dotted with its sumptuous wine-growing landscapes.

I decided to take off with my old Katoche 990 to meet the challenge. Why not the T700? It's the grand prize of the Ixtem Moto competition. Wouldn't it be a shame to ruin it?

We're off! We're organizing a small convoy from Paris to ride together to the Morvan. We set off with Jean-Michel, who had slept at home. No sooner had we passed through the gates than the first problems arose. What happened? It's out of battery. That's a good start! Come on, let's get out the booster and off we go again! It looks promising for the rest of the weekend.... Then we meet up with Radu at Porte de Clichy, and it's the same old story. The KTM won't start. Clearly, the battery isn't charging. We have to do our best not to cut the engine.

140km further on, we take a pee break and then it's drama. "P****, I've lost my rear pannier!!!" The Kriega side cases are in place, but there's nothing left on the top-case plate. Have I lost it on the road? Mentally, I see myself this morning loading everything onto the bike, except that I don't remember putting the rear pannier there. What an airhead! The problem? Inside, there's my tent and my comforter... Great Michel! Anyway, Radu will welcome me in his tent and Yann will lend me a comforter and a mattress so that I can sleep warm and dry. Of course, this earned me some well-deserved jeers.

As best we could, we made it back to Morvan. Picnic in Yann Duprey's garden before embarking on the 1st hike. By the way, how are the 16 participants divided up? Well, we've divided into two groups: the slow ones and the very slow ones. I joined the first group, guided by Stéphane Fournier, a big guy who's part ashtray rider, part wild boar, and a golden boy on his brand-new 1300GS. Well then, the color is announced from the start: the pace will be sustained. Fortunately, we weren't there to take photos!

On the program? 92 km of greasy trails. It's been raining in the region, so the fields are still waterlogged and the undergrowth is extremely wet. And it doesn't fail. In the middle of the ride, I wallow miserably in a rut. The KTM ends up upside down. Of course, another biker is there to immortalize this moment of loneliness and spite. After some good-natured mockery, we put the bike back on its wheels and off we go again.

After hours of blithely slathering mud on our faces, we reach our campsite near Gevrey Chambertin, our final destination. Our good hour's lead over the other group gives us time to pitch the tent and get comfortable. The unpleasant surprise? The comforter I'd been lent wasn't warm enough... I spent the night shivering. Luckily, we had filled up on calories at a good Burgundian bistro, Tue-Chien!

Energy is needed for day 2. On the menu? 209 km to Troyes, a magnificent day of underwater exploration. With fords, muddy ruts and deep puddles, we could have done with the masks and snorkels!

Let's not forget that we're in wine country. And yes, today we're lucky enough to be sailing between the vineyards of Burgundy and those of Champagne. Splendid! Two hours ahead of the other group, we reach the terres rouges campsite where we'll spend the night. Hot showers, cold beers and a great lakeside setting - what more could you ask for? Come on, a good 5A andouillette and off to bed!

I don't know if it's the digestive rum or the outside temperature, but this night's sleep was very recuperative! Fortunately, because today we'll be doing 184km of motorcycle touring. Just as the morning was rolling, the afternoon was chaotic! No sooner had we had time to digest our lunch, than we rolled up our sleeves to help out a passing motorcyclist who had just suffered a puncture and asked us for help. Thanks to the repair kit!

And so begins the reign of the holy slush, with an impressive succession of more or less tricky quagmires. In fact, we spend almost 45 minutes trying to get out of one of these muddy hells! The bike is spinning like crazy, overheating and all the lights are on. And then, inevitably, the clutch gives up the ghost under the sustained effort (and especially because of the temperature rise). Impossible to get past 4,000 rpm. A few kilometers further on, Radu loses his side stand on an amusingly rocky climb. What a great team!

In fact, having lost my clutch, I decided to join the very slow group. Big mistake. Why? I take a huge bowl. How do I count it? A rut. And again! These are definitely not my friends. This time, the bike falls on me! With my foot and calf trapped under the 250 kilos of my beautiful Austrian, I have to be patient. "Uh, is there anyone who can help me??" HELP!!! Well, I wasn't exactly kidding at the time.... The result: a huge bruise and a stabbing pain in my foot.

Well, we're not giving up! After all, we're here to ride, and to enjoy the local gastronomy, aren't we? So in the evening, I recover from my emotions with a tender rib-eye steak, washed down with a good local wine in a restaurant run by a friend of our guide Nicolas. As you'll have gathered, the "Rando des deux mondes" is a perfect combination of physical challenge and culinary discovery of the local terroir. MIAM!

After spending a night dreaming of this delicious homemade crème brulée, I wake up fresh as a roach. Feeling like a rocket, I join the group of the slowest riders. Here we go for 116km of motorcycle raid! Except that? That's without counting on my clutch, which lets me know from the very first climb that it doesn't exactly share my motivation. It's spinning merrily. No torque left. I have to resign myself to the road, heading for the nearest bistro to pass the time. A few hours later, I lend a hand to Jessica who is organizing the lunch. Then, all together, we have a picnic by a lake. A great time of sharing and laughter.

So, obviously, I'm gutted I fell. My foot hurts a lot, but I'm putting it into perspective, it could have been worse. The clutch failure bothers me even more, as it prevented me from riding on the last day. Damned Rekluse, not suitable for off-roading with our big grannies! What did I love? I was filled with beautiful images, great memories and great moments of laughter with my friends. That's what trail running's all about for me: discovering a region, its landscapes and its gastronomy, while having a good time (or a hard time, which is even better) with friends.

Incidentally, I took advantage of this adventure to test the Alpinestars AMT 10R XF motorcycle jacket. Whether in the rain or on the warmer stages, it remained comfortable, waterproof and breathable. A very good first impression. But I won't go into too much detail on the subject, I'll give you a super-complete review later.

Well, I hope this article has given you some insight into the tortured minds of Nicolas Lantenois and Yann Duprey, members of Trail Attitude. These two trail bike enthusiasts and organizers of the Kol'en Trail share the same values as Ixtem Moto: sharing, mutual aid and simplicity. Going against the grain of elitist competitions, they offer events where it's good to be with your mates! And we want more!