This summer Fiona and I decided to look for off-road adventures in the Balkans. As we were riding through Croatia, Djordje from RightRoute reached out on social media to invite us to the ADV Summit in Montenegro. Attending a local ADV festival sounded like a ton of fun so of course we said YES!
What is the ADV Summit all about?
The ADV Summit aims to bring like minded people together once a year. It is a non-profit weekend organised by RightRoute filled with adventure. Unlike other ADV festivals I have attended, it is much smaller and has a much more intimate feel to it. Instead of pitching your tent on a field amongst hundreds of others, most people sleep in cosy wooden huts located in the Katun Vranjak Eco Village. It borders the ‘Biogradska Gora’ National Park and is surrounded by rugged terrains, high altitude passes, pristine forests and cold rivers and lakes!
In total we were about 50 people sharing one passion: Adventure Bikes! During the day there was a choice of riding twisty mountain roads and explore the National Park with a guide. Alternatively, you can hit off-road trails which start directly in the village. Personally I didn’t ride any asphalt during the weekend! In the evening we enjoyed delicious local food, listened to interesting presentations and enjoyed a few drinks!
ADV Summit Day 1
Upon arrival I set up my tent and enjoyed the stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Soon after more adventure riders started arriving. There was also an organised ride from Podgorica with most people reaching the village around 6pm.
Once everyone had settled in, dinner was served. Unlike other festivals where you queue at food vans, this was a very different experience. Katun Vranjak Eco Village treated us to a variety of national specialities. They farm their own foods which is 100% organic. It was delicious and everyone got to eat together!
After dinner, Rakija started flowing. It’s Montenegro’s national drink, which is produced from very strong fruit spirits. We had the pleasure to listen to interesting presentations from far-away travels in this magical outdoor setting until around midnight. And we didn’t even finish all the Rakija on the first night 😉
ADV Summit Day 2
The big decision on the second day was whether to return to asphalt or head further into the mountains. I decided to head into the mountains on my Tiger 1200 Rally Pro! The bikes varied from big Adventure Bikes to two stroke dirt bikes. The trails were absolutely great, with stunning views and varied terrain. I was comfortable on about 80% of them. The other 20% was pretty challenging for me, as there were a few hill climbs with loose rocks. Coming down from them on my Tiger 1200 Rally Pro was tricky at times! But thanks to some other guys running road tyres and taking it slowly I wasn’t the last 😉
It was a full on riding day. Honestly, a little too long for me. We had left around 10am and when the clock hit 4pm I was shattered! The only opportunity for rest was during a tube puncture repair. And to my surprise it was fixed in less than 15 minutes. I took a short cut with three others and returned to the village early for a hot shower. Meanwhile the rest of the group finished with a short road ride through the National Park to finish off the day!
After a hot shower and another delicious feast there was one more highlight! Vasilis Orfanos, who won the Dakar Rally in 2003 (400cc category) shared his journey with us. Watching his Dakar footage and hearing first hand what it takes to prepare for and win a Dakar race was pretty awesome!
ADV Summit Day 3
I woke up aching a little from the off-road. Either I was the only one or nobody else wanted to admit it. But 6 hours of solid off-road riding is definitely more than I am used to. After a hearty breakfast we started to take down our tents and load up our bikes as everyone prepared to go home. With temperatures reaching 39 degrees during the hottest time of the day, some decided to leave in the afternoon.
I stayed for another delicious lunch as I exchanged contact details with new friends we made over the weekend. We’d agreed to meet and ride with various people in Montenegro, as well Kosovo. After lunch it was time to leave with nothing but beautiful memories of an awesome weekend off-road riding in Montenegro!
Do you want to be part of the ADV Summit 2023?
Then follow RightRoute on Instagram or drop Djordje a line.
How much does it cost?
The event is non-profit meaning food, accommodation and ride outs for the entire weekend come to only 100 Euro per person
You can also visit the ADV Summit as part of a motorcycle trip through Montenegro. Bike rentals start from only 40 Euros a day, up to 140 Euros if you want to rent the BMW 1200 Adventure. You can explore Montenegro independently or join a tour.
My highlights
I love attending ADV festivals but this smaller event was very special. I made so many new friends and I’m super excited to do some more riding together during the next few weeks. Eating high quality, organic food instead of queueing at a food van was also super nice. And the off-road trails we were able to ride directly from where we were located beats any other ‘Adventure Trail’ I’ve been able to ride at any other festival. Hanging out with a Dakar racer and spending a day off-road riding together is also not an opportunity you get every day!
I can wholeheartedly recommend the ADV Summit Montenegro and I am sure it wasn’t our last one. We are heading to Africa next but I’m sure we will be back when we find ourselves in Europe again.
Are you ready to explore Montenegro?
We’ll definitely be exploring a lot more of Montenegro and sharing our favourite routes with you over the coming weeks 🙂
If you have any questions about the ADV Summit or Montenegro in general just drop us a line or get in touch with Djordje directly!
