The year has already got off to a busy start. See below for recent news which will be updated as the year develops.
JANUARY
Trailquest began the year with a presentation on recent expeditions to Welland Primary school. Taking along a bike , a 4x4 and a range of equipment the team kept the children entertained for over two hours. As part of our Education Programme this was the first of a number of school presentations we will be doing throughout the year.
Training has begun for Marco Mills who will be undertaking a solo ride from his home on the Isle of Wight to Cape Town. The first two days covered adventure riding skills and this will be followed by more intensive survival skills training. To follow Marco's expedition follow the link on our Links page.
22 Jan
KTM Napier Trail team
The official launch of the KTM Napier Trail expedition took place at Trailquest HQ on 22 January. Over fifty invited guests attend a special event supported by sponsors and media. Presentations were made by Trailquest (expedition organisers), Help for Heroes and Geoff Waldemeyer, a relative of someone involved in the original expedition of 1868. These were followed by the presentation of polo shirts by KTM and group photographs.
The team will now commence training throughout the year in preparation for the expedition in January 2012. You will be able to follow their progress on this news page and on the Napier Trail page.
FEBRUARY
5 Feb
We are always keen to support those new to the world of Adventure Motorcycling and have run many courses for complete beginers. As all our trails are privately owned you do not need a licence to undertake this training. We can provide everything you will require from clothing through to motorcycle. Half and full day courses run throughout the year and for novice riders these are done on a one to one basis. The first Novice Riders course for 2011 was run in ideal conditions on 5 February.
"We enjoyed our day with you so much. Thank you for all your efforts and patience. I will certainly be telling the guys at the club about out you". Katie Hill
MAY
Trailquest client Marco Mills has completed his solo expedition to Morocco safely but not without incident. A worn out clutch and a collision with another vehicle highlight the risks of even the best planned solo expedition.
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Problems in Morocco - 2011
JUNE
Training for the KTM Napier Trail team continued in early June. A series of leadership exercises and fitness test was followed by an 18km walk along the length of the Malvern Hills and an overnight camp in the Trailquest training area. From the early days of team selection there has been a steady development in the skills and fitness of the team members as they have undergone a series of training sessions designed to teach essential expedition skills and bond the team together.
A typical command task exercise.
Legion Expedition 2012
Information packs and application forms are now available for the Trailquest Legion Expedition to Morocco in March 2012. Further details can also be found on the appropriate page of this site. Visiting remote parts of SE Morocco, riding unused trails and camping out in the desert are all part of this exciting expedition. Fee will include bike hire, return flights, accommodation and up to three training weekends. Contact us for further information.
Trans Africa Expedition
Two clients have just completed an expedition training course with us prior to setting off on their expedition from Portsmouth to Cape Town. Their route will follow the West Coast of Africa and will take up to four months. Alex and Julian are riding BMW F800GS bikes with additional equipment purchased from a variety of sources. The duo depart for Morocco in early July.
Alex Greenalll and BMW F800GS pre Trans Africa training
Frasers of Gloucester 40th Anniversary Open Day
We were delighted to support this special event in Gloucester over the weekend of 25 - 26 June. Over the two days we met many interesting people and made a number of new contacts within the Midlands biking world. Thanks to Victoria Fraser for inviting us to take part.
MCN girls Hailey and Louise at the Trailquest stand - 26 June
JULY
What is going to be a very busy month commenced with a four day expedition training course for a client planning a solo Trans Africa journey from London to Capetown on a BMW 650 Dakar. As well as the off road riding at our extensive training grounds we also managed to fit in a 160 mile mini expedition into mid Wales.
Henri Conradie tackling one of the steeper trails.
In addition to the expedition training a course was also run for Miss England contestant Louise Bradshaw. To raise money for her chosen charity, Help for Heroes, Louise (who has never ridden a bike before) set herself the challenge of learning to ride and completing an off road circuit. She proved to be an exceptionally able trainee and was soon riding with confidence through some quite demanding terrain. We will have some pictures in due course and this training will feature on the MCN website.We wish her every success with the Miss England competition that will take place in London on 21 July.
"I turned up at Malvern to be welcomed by Richard and his friendly team. I was really excited about learning how to ride an off road motorbike as I had never ridden previous to this day.
Once I met Richard he took us inside for a coffee and talked about the programme for the day.
From there we went to the woods and Richard showed me what I needed to do to enable me to start the engine and get going.
A few stalls later we began riding up and down a dirt track of about 1.5 miles, getting to grips with starting and stopping. Once I got the knack of it Richard said the next challenge would be how to handle corners.
This was a little bit trickier to conquer but I was absolutely loving the experience and wanted to complete this step to enable me to go to the next task that had been planned out. With two falls under my belt I managed to get the knack of it. My next challenge was to then ride at altitude, so up we drove through the woods. I then had to ride the dirt bike through thick mud and water as deep as my knees and then turn a corner once I had come out of the puddle.
This was the scariest part of the day but I was up for it! The adrenaline was running through me so I did it. I got through the mud and deep water and then fell off!
The day was absolutely fantastic and I would recommend this to anyone. I would love to do it again" LB
Father and son training
Stephen and James Glazzard joined us for a days training at our Leominster training area. We were particularly impressed by young James who has been riding since the age of six. He tackled all of the trails and coped well on challenges that much older riders have struggled with.
Many thanks to you and Patrick for such a splendid day. Both James and I really enjoyed it and will be back for further riding/instruction days. It also gave James the opportunity to ride some proper trails rather than just the repetitive enduro tracks he is normally restricted to because of his age. S Glazzard
KTM rider training
KTM riders Tony and Jez Dix undertook a days trail riding with us at our Leominster training area. During an excellent days riding in mostly very dry conditions we were able to investigate some previously unexplored routes which, being deep in the forest, shaded and wet, proved to be very challenging.
" We both enjoyed the trails today and would like to thank Patrick and yourself for showing us around".
AUGUST
We are delighted to accept sponsorship from healthcare company Clasado who will be supplying the Napier Trail team with Bimuno TRAVELAID. The course of tablets taken before, and during, travel has proved to be highly effective in reducing the chance of contracting stomach upsets whilst travelling abroad.
Details of this product can be found by following the link on our Links page
Legion Expedition
There has already been interest in this exciting expedition and there are now only two places remaining. If you are interested details can be found on the relevant page of this website. The first team meeting will take place in October
Napier Trail Training
A fourth training weekend has been held for the KTM Napier Trail team. Training on Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor the team carried out a long distance navigation exercise on bikes and on foot as well as being tested on other expedition techniques that they have been taught on earlier training courses.
L-R: Richard Cox, Ian Bell (TQ),Dean Miles, Rob Withey, Ian Reed, Tony Bethwaite
TRAINING FOR SOUTH AMERICA
Guy Fixen departs shortly for a solo journey to South America on a BMW 650GS. The one day "big bike" training course gave an opportunity to try out the fully laden bike on trails similar to those he will encounter on his trip.
"It was an excellent day - and a big help" Guy Fixen
PREPARING FOR SPAIN
Novice off roader Paul Bird joined us for an introduction to adventure riding course at our Malvern HQ in preparation for an off roading holiday in Spain later in the year. We were able to introduce him to a variety of track surfaces and obstacles including, due to the current exceptionally dry weather, some light soil and san
We also managed to cover steep ascents/ descents and found some deep water.
I am new to off road motor biking and was a little trepidatious when I arrived in the morning however, the guys at Trailquest made me feel most welcome and immediately put me at ease. The set up is very professionally run, with the emphasis on safety, technique and fun. The pace of learning was pitched just right and through clear instruction and relaxed learning I felt able to quickly progress and improve.
While I am in no way an expert, I do now have far more confidence and a very good base knowledge of off road motor biking to allow me to progress further. Paul Bird
PREPARING FOR ADVENTURE - RIDE TO DAKAR
We have not seen many KTM 640 Adventure bikes on our courses which is a shame as they are excellent off road bikes with all the attributes required of a motorbike capable of long distance adventure rides.
Thanks for the pictures from both days, a reminder of the thoroughness of your instruction. I did enjoy the training. Mike Stanners
Mike Stanners from Scotland spent two days with us improving his off road skills and tackling the terrain challenges at both of our training areas using his 640 Adventure.
One to one / own bike tuition at Trailquest HQ.
SEPTEMBER
TWO STROKE TRAINING
The trails we have at the training centre in Malvern are ideally suited to smaller 2 stroke bikes. Here, Simon Townsend tackles the mud on his KTM 250.
"What a fabulous day, which the boys and I thoroughly enjoyed". Simon Townsend
Motorcycle Action Group
We are pleased to become corporate sponsors of the Motorcycle Action Group who work hard to secure the interests and future of all motorcycle enthusiasts.
Upton Rugby Club
As the 2011/12 rugby season gets underway we are delighted to sponsor Upton RFC and wish the teams every success.
Foxwell Enduro
For the first time two "Trailquest " teams took part in the Foxwell Enduro held by the Swindon District MCC in the grounds of Cirencester Park. A great day and thanks to all those who rode under the Trailquest banner!
Foxwell Enduro - 11 September 2011
Introduction to Adventure Riding
Mat Tattershall joined Trailquest for an introductory course at our Malvern venue. An experienced road rider he was new to off road riding and he coped well with the challenges faced during the day.
"I had a fantastic day thank you, the training was excellent and was very clear and precise throughout the day. The progress made in one day was very satisfying, and I can honestly say I would be back for more, even if I wasn't in line for the Morocco trip. Great facilities, great tuition, and all in all a great day. It delivered on my expectations for the day, and then some on top of that! " MT
Introduction to Adventure Riding 2
A two day, one to one, course has just been completed for London based client Oliver Tomlinson. With Day 1 at our Malvern centre and Day 2 at our Herefordshire training area it was possible to cover a lot of activities in near perfect weather conditions.
Training for Morocco
Australian client Greg Wickam flew in from Saudi Arabia for three days adventure training prior to a trip to Morocco. In addition to riding our trails on some of the hottest days we have had this year he was also able to view, and ride, a Yamaha 660 Tenere, a Yamaha 1200 Super Tenere and a BMW 650GS and purchase, with our help, all the clothing and kit needed for his future trip. Thanks to Skellerns of Cheltenham, Cotswold BMW of Gloucester and Hein Gericke of Cheltenham for their support.
OCTOBER
The first meeting of the team undertaking the Legion Trail expedition took place on Saturday 15 October at our Malvern HQ. Details of the expedition the team will be undertaking can be found on the expedition page of this site. Training weekends will commence in November and continue until February 2012.
Legion Expedition members at end of first team meeting - 15 October 11
NAPIER TRAIL
The final training session for the Napier Trail expedition took place at Trailquest HQ on 20/30 October. Covering First Aid and Security the team are now fully prepared for the expedition to Ethiopia which will commence in January 2012. Details of the expedition can be found on the appropriate page of this site and you will be able to read about the expedition in the New Year in Ride and Overland magazines.
LEGION TRAIL
The team for this expedition has been confirmed and they commence training on 26 November. The expedition will be heading out to Morocco in March 2012 to explore some new trails and survey the site of an abandoned Foreign Legion outpost.
THE SEARCH FOR KING SOLOMON'S MINES
This exciting two week expedition to East Africa will take place in September / October 2012. Information packs and application forms are now available from Trailquest. In due course a full information page will be added to this website.
BEST WISHES TO THE NAPIER TRAIL EXPEDITION
Hi Richard,
Would you please convey my best wishes to all the guys of the Napier Trail team for their forthcoming expedition to Ethiopia in January and I really hope that you raise a lot of money for the charity. After all of the training which has almost certainly been arduous in itself, I guess everyone is now raring to go. Good luck to you all.
Sincerely
Suzi Perry
COTSWOLD MOTORCYCLE CLUB
Six members of the CMC did a club "ride out" to Trailquest's Malvern base to have an introductory off road riding session. For the seasoned road riders this was a new motorcycling experience and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
Cotswold Motorcycle Club
TRAIL RIDERS FELLOWSHIP
On 15 November we hosted a visit by several members of the Trail Riders Fellowship. The TRF represents the interests of trail riders throughout the UK often fighting legal battles to secure rights of way and green lanes remain open. Further information can be found at www.trf.org.uk.
"We did enjoy and found it most useful. Thank you for your time and hospitality"
INTRODUCTION TO ADVENTURE RIDING
Sports bike enthusiasts John Burton and Darrell Smith had a go at off road riding for the first time at our Malvern training grounds. With perfect weather conditions and trails the pair soon progressed from simple learning exercises on open grass to more challenging obstacles (steep ascents, deep water and mud) on the trails.
Start of the day - covering basic skills on grass
BIKE SHOW - NEC 2011
Trailquest staff members made the annual visit to the NEC to catch up with contacts and make some new ones. With everything on the shopping list from socks to motorcycles it was another busy day out .
NEC Birmingham - 19 November 2011
LEGION EXPEDITION TRAINING
Training for the Legion Expedition to Morocco in March 2012 commenced at Trailquest HQ near Malvern over the weekend of 26 - 27 November. Covering a range of expedition skills and an overnight camp the team were lucky to enjoy excellent weather throughout the weekend. Follow up training will take place in February 2012.
Returning to base after an overnight exercise
PROJECT PENCIL CASE
During January's expedition to Ethiopia Trailquest instructors will be spending some time visiting schools in Ethiopia to support Project Pencil Case. We will be delivering donations of pencils to the charity for use in schools. If you would like to donate a pack of pencils or crayons please contact us.
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