Sudety Challenge – Poland

We as a species are environment conquering, resource devouring, mutated apes. We are a part of nature but an outlier – rebellious children who have destroyed our immediate competition and have shown Darwin a good walloping. However, aside from our humble mother nature now draining the swamp with climate chaos, we really should put our primeval urges into something worthwhile. Perhaps trying to kill one other racing bikes, in a forest, in say, somewhere like Poland could be a worthy activity. And if we do succeed, well, mother nature will be rather happy, one less wheeled Neanderthal destroying this floating rock.

We were hailed across the airport parking lot by a husband and wife team; part time drivers for the race organisation, full time liquor store owners. Between them, they drove day and night for the race week and somehow never lost their ‘bounce’; a little extra perk and cheeky glint. These are folks you lean in to, interesting and expressive they talk about motorbike forest adventures, the hundreds of thousands of beers they have sold and their daughter’s fascination with Marilyn Manson. She’s 12.

We scream out of intersections, yell and hoot over the thunder of AC/DC, and at times drive with a touch too much exuberance. It is an infectious attitude. There’s no mincing of words; riding bikes, listening to loud music and drinking 90% proof with mates is all fun stuff. Its a stiff middle finger to being too serious and revolves around being constructively un-constructive. Exactly why we are here.

We are in the Sudety mountains, a range straddling the Czech Polish border, here to race the five day Sudety Mountain Bike Challenge teams stage race. We were initially lured to the event by the organisation’s admission of its “no bullshit, no compromise, just pure mountain biking” philosophy. There are no frills – no briefing, no seeding, no hands to hold. At times we were left wondering if other competitors were also hitch-hiking to rego and if there were bonus points for cryptic rider info. However, it’s a refreshing reminder that racing often requires little more than a bunch of enthusiastically competitive ego-vore’s chasing race tape through a forest.

The word on everyone’s lips at Sudety Challenge is “trails”. German, Swiss, Spanish, and Australian riders are just a few of those from around the globe that descended on Stronnie Slaskie for its rocky horror roots and authentic polish mud.  The countryside is a rolling medley of hills moderately taller than your average English mound, and there are more trees than you could shake a stick at. It’s humorous how excited riders get over trails and trees.

Sudety Challenge uses a mix of official trails and off-piste lines. Grzegorz, the race director, is happy to send you down steep enduro style single track, slippery animal trail gnar, or lines they have dug and created themselves, including a rather steep bermed scree section. We have been fortunate enough to race a number of stage races around Europe, and the stoke for technical and interesting trails always trumps the efficiency and ease of gravel roads. People come back to Sudety for the challenge, and the risk of blood.

We were told that an unlucky kiwi had crashed and burned in the first stage last year; the smiling informant had been sizing up my toothpick like proportions. “Just a fun fact” they jibed “don’t worry about it’. The organisers take pride that the trails are hard and are unapologetic that you might be mauled. They are excited when the heavens open and there are river torrents destroying culverts and flowing down the main road. They will delay the start a few hours as a result, and even then it’s not because they want to, more so that the whole field doesn’t disappear down the drain.

A live and let live attitude was taken when a competing team was spotted ‘accidentally’ using a retractable tow rope; disallowed in mountain bike pairs racing. The polish proverb, ’He who digs pits for others will fall in them himself’ was employed. A feeling that Karma would prevail was not overly reassuring. Perhaps a hint into mother nature’s solution to the human infestation. “Just keep beating them, then no problem” stated the optimistic organiser.

‘Optimistic Polish’ may seem contradictory to some, however, these unfounded stereotypes of the past are nothing but that. There are new trails being built, ski lifts being installed and more and more races showing up. Poland off the bike is just as good as on; delicious food, cheap beer, easy going locals. The same no fluff, enthusiastic, fun approach is everywhere. If somehow we survive the torrential floods of climate change long enough to appreciate the little things like racing bikes through the woods, maybe just maybe we can consume a little less, replenish a little more and postpone our demise by a day or two.

Sure there are things that could be slightly adjusted at Sudety Challenge, perhaps kiwi sized portions of the outrageously good tucker and a seeding stage would be a benefit. However, this race isn’t a flash in the pan, there are nuggets of gold to be experienced, and Grzegorz knows how to choose some great trails.