Adventure Travel Film Festival 16-18/08/13

[big yellow tractor]

Packed as light as I could with just a couple of cycle panniers and a small rack bag holding all I would need for the weekend, I rode down from Aldershot to Chandlers Ford on my DRZ400S to meet Glenn and Lee.

I had changed tyres from the Meffo Explorers that we used to ride down to the Pyrenees last year to hopefully a little more mud-friendly MT21s and the bike felt horrible on the very wet roads. The front was new so was pretty slippery and the rear was an old one that came with he bike and was worn very square so when I leaned into turns, the front pushed a bit and the rear broke sideways.
Having ridden this bike fully loaded at flat-chat before on the Meffos, I was very surprised that at speeds over 75mph it went in to a slow weave that became a really nasty head-shake. When I got to Glenn's, I checked the tyre pressures and they seemed OK so I don't know whether that's an issue with MT21s or what. (ideas on a postcard please)

Glenn was just finishing getting his sh1t together on his XR659R when I got there and Lee arrived with a big dry-sack strapped on the seat of his 690 Enduro soon afterwards.

We set off in drizzle to get to Sherborne via as many lanes as possible. The first one wasn't too bad but we did a couple of chalk climbs that were no fun at all. When a bike is loaded up, it needs a lot of input from the rider to keep it going where you want and you have to react quickly; once you get out of shape, there's so much inertia that there really isn't any getting it back.

Some of the lanes were superb but there were just a few too many long grassy rutted ones for it to be completely fun.

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The run onto The Plain was great and we paid a visit to Imber Village before our lunch stop.

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Some more lanes in the afternoon and we arrived at Sherborne School for Girls to be directed to the lovely flat camping field in bright sunshine.

After setting up our sleeping arrangements and sorting stuff it was beer-o'clock. A local brewery was running the bar and they had a nice pilsner that went down a treat.

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We had paid in advance for meals but to be honest, dinner that night was a disappointment, a very dry breast of chicken with some new potatoes and a few peas. Nothing to drink other than water either. A mug of tea would have gone down so well.

We grabbed our chairs and settled down to watch the main feature on a screen outside. It was a film about some Czechoslovakians(I think) driving Trabants down through Africa. To be honest, I struggled to keep up with what was going on because the sub-titles weren't clear and scrolled too fast. A group of girls next to us were eating Chinese takeaway and after getting directions, we toddled off for some munchies. Unfortunately, we arrived too late, but of course the Kebab shop two doors down was still open. Glenn and Lee had burgers and I risked a donna.

I had a reasonable night's sleep but was woken early by the kebab that obviously had decided that it wanted out. A rather uncomfortable visit to the (eco-bollox, long-drop, compost) loo saw me fit and ready for a shower before breakfast. Breakfast was OK; a little small for growing lads but fine and, there was Tea !!!!

We wandered about for a bit and chatted to a few people we knew including Sam Manicom and Gabe from Zen Overland. Lee got quite exited about some machined aluminium bits for KTMs. There was quite a bit of interest in our bikes and I let one guy have a go on mine. I had to run it up to check the oil anyway.

Lunch was a short walk to a nice pub with a very letchworthy, young waitress / barmaid.

We watched two more films; one was about two brothers who toured the world in the 1950s on Matchless bikes. It was in Iranian with subtitles and was made more difficult to watch by the fact we were in a school hall with the pews set out for kids. I've had more legroom on an Easyjet flight. The other was by a group of Kiwis who rode from Capetown to London on a mix of bikes; KLR, XR250, etc. That was a good film but unfortunately made very realistic by the fact that the music room we were in was about as hot as the Sahara. A few people left during the film and a couple or more, fell asleep.

Dinner was again in the dining hall but this time was an acceptable chicken curry.

After a few beers we grabbed our chairs to go to the sports hall; the outside event being moved because it was raining. We didn't make it past the door. The place was rammed and hot so we bailed and went to the pub.

[big yellow tractor]

I woke up in the very early hours of Sunday needing a piss and had to wonder off to the bog. There were still a lot of people milling about at 01:00. It pissed down in the night but the morning dawned dry with a hint of brightness in the leaden sky. Unfortunately, it was the rain we got, not the sun. It was dry while we loaded up the bikes a couple of hours later though.

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We toddled off via a petrol station and Glenn lead us down some lovely little country roads to the first lane of the day. This was accessed through a shit-filled farmyard and was very overgrown. So much so that we abandoned our attempt to ride it after a couple of hundred yards. Glenn laid his bike down while turning round and it proved a bit grumpy to start. He was bolloxed and had to have a rest before another effort eventually got it running.

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The rest of the lanes were superb; one had a great ford

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[big yellow tractor]

and another offered views of Pool Harbour to one side and the coast on the other

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The lunch stop was scampi & chips, and a pint of shandy in the garden of a pub before Glenn left us to meet his family at a local camp-site and Lee and I took off towards home.

I put Lee's address in my twatnav and set it to avoid motorways but for some reason, it's route from the Isle of Purbeck to Chandlers Ford involved a ferry to Jersey then Southampton. We decided to perhaps just follow the main signed route. I gave the DRZ some beans on a dual carriageway and it got all squirrelly and shook it's head really quite violently (brown-trouser moment). The rest of the ride was without event but the weather was drizzley and the traffic heavy. The rain turned from drizzle to pissing-down just after I said goodbye to Lee at a petrol station in Eastleigh but was dry again when I got home.

My GPS shows I did 166 miles on Friday and 142 on Sunday.

Conclusions then..........It is very possible to load a trail-bike with camping gear and do some really pretty technical lanes. I'm not sure I'd bother with the ATFF again but a day's trail-riding in one direction followed by a camp stop would be a crack. Perhaps even spend a day in an area riding without luggage.

Things to note;

Chalky lanes are proper-horrible when loaded with luggage.

Trail-bikes attract a lot of attention in a field filled with GSs and camper vans.

Young ladies shouldn't wear short, pleated skirts while knocking in tent-pegs on windy days. (or perhaps it should be the law that they do)

Sherborne has loads of coffin-dodgers and lots of pretty young wenches but no people of ages in between.

The south of England has some spectacularly picturesque scenery.

[mudeevee]

Nice write-up. Many thanks!

Giving me an idea and your experience would assist..............

I'm thinking of doing another weekender run - Guildford to the plains stop over. Plains to Bath area? Stop over. Bath area?? to the plains and then plains back to guildford. Maybe I should plan to head down Dorset way instead?

Nice pictures as well - bet these are better quality than those that Austin showed!

[kevpg]

Excellent write up.

Could I get a copy of your route please? I would like to have an explore around Devon, especially as my old Mum lives in Sherbourne!

Thanks
Kev

[big yellow tractor]

Mudeevee,

That sounds like a great plan.

Kevpg,

just sent you a pm

[farnham flyer]

Great write up.

Would really like to attend next year. Shame it doesn't sound as good as i imagined...

Paul.

[big yellow tractor]

Great write up.

Would really like to attend next year. Shame it doesn't sound as good as i imagined...

Paul.

I was there working and had a great time yes the food isn't great, it is school dinner at the end of the day. Thought the films were great. Yes the blt room does get hot and the main hall is set up for children wirh the bench spaces, shame it rained Saturday night forcing a change of location for the evening film, making for a cossie evening. I have been helping at this event for 3 years and it gets better every year and you meet some very interesting people

Boys,
I've re-read my ride report and it does appear that I'm on a downer about the whole event. That's not the case at all really. As an excuse to ride somewhere different and to end up in a campsite full of diverse and (mostly) interesting people, it was great. A very friendly event with a herculean effort made by a happy band of volunteers.
Paul, you should go next year, and make up your own mind.