Bicycle Adventure in Nature
3rd GREEN KARST TRAIL 2024: INFORMATION AND RULES
GREEN KARST TRAIL 2024 (GKT 2024) is an unsupported unique multi-day cycling adventure in the beautiful Slovenian countryside. It was created by cyclists for cyclists.
It is not a competition, but a multi-day challenge for all lovers of endurance bikepacking, which was carefully planned and prepared by the BIKE SLOVENIA team.
All the information and rules of the GKT 2024 are available below.
1. THE BEGINNING AND THE END
The start and finish is in the Postojna city centre (Slovenia) only 1 km from the famous Postojna Cave.
The start of the GKT 2024 will take place on Thursday
20 June 2024, between 9 and 10 am.
There is no set time to complete the challenge, however, the Bike Slovenia team will wait for each participant that completes the challenge in less than 100 hours, or until 2
pm on Monday 24 June 2024.
2. LENGTH OF THE ROUTE
The length of the 2024 GKT will be approximately 300 km and 5,000 elev.
The exact length and elevation will be announced after the final route inspection. All entrants that will have paid entry fee will receive the GKT 2024 route in GPX format one week before the start via email.
3. COURSE OF THE TRAIL
The trail will run through the countryside, in the heart of the Green Karst, across the area of six municipalities in the Primorsko-Notranjska region. It will run on paved dirt tracks and dirt roads (only where necessary on public asphalt roads), 75 % of it will wend themselves through the forests, past karst caves, intermittent lakes, remote castles and mansions. The natural and cultural sites along the trail will be described on www.bikeslovenia.si.
The route of the GKT will not be marked in nature. Each participant must be equipped with their own GPS navigation device.
4. PARTICIPANTS
To apply for the GKT, the participant must be:
- at least 18 years of age,
- experienced in longer cycling challenges, and
- in very good psychophysical condition.
5. REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT
Each participant must fill in the registration form available at www.bikeslovenia.si. After registration, the participant will receive an e-mail with payment instructions, as well as information and rules of the GKT 2024.
Registration for the GKT 2024 is confirmed by the payment of the appropriate amount of the participation fee, or when Bike Slovenia receives the corresponding amount in its account. By registering and paying, the participant agrees to the GKT 2024 rules.
No refund of the amount already paid is possible, except in the case of cancellation of GKT 2024 by the organizers. In case of cancellation of GKT due to force majeure (e.g. covid-19 restrictions), the payment will be applied to the next GKT (in the same or the following year).
Entry fee:
- from 15 December 2023 to 31 March 2024 inclusive – 40 euros
- from 1 April to
31 May 2024 inclusive – 50 euros
-
from 1 June to 14 June 2024 inclusive – 65 euros
Registration is no longer possible after Monday, 17 June 2024.
6. BIKE TYPE
The route is best suited for gravel and mtb’s bikes. Cyclers on electric bikes are also welcome to join.
7. COMPULSORY EQUIPMENT AND INSURANCE
Each participant must have a roadworthy bike and the equipment he/she best knows that he/she needs for the 300-km-long unsupported multi-day bikepacking adventure in the countryside.
Each participant must also have:
- a bicycle helmet,
- a navigation device with pre-loaded maps (gsm signal is not available across the whole area),
- a mobile phone and an extra power bank battery
- a whistle and/or bear deterrent spray,
- front and rear lights on the bike (in case of cycling at night),
- thermal foil insulation,
- a basic first aid kit, and
- a basic bike tool kit.
Any participant who does not have basic health insurance in Slovenia (is not a resident of Slovenia) is obliged to take out appropriate medical insurance with assistance abroad (e.g. Coris) for the duration of their participation at GKT 2024.
8. DRIVING RULES
All participants must also follow certain rules:
- Wear a bicycle helmet at all times when cycling on GKT.
- Ride the bicycle on the entire route, no other means of transport are allowed (except in case of emergency).
- Changing the route or taking shortcuts is not allowed.
- Respect for nature! Any refuse disposal, littering, unnecessary picking of flowers, destruction of other plants and scaring off wild animals is prohibited.
- Camping in the wild, as in most European countries, is only allowed in official campsites and on private land with the consent of the owner.
- Compliance with road traffic regulations.
- The participant must immediately notify the organizer of his/her decision to discontinue the GKT 2024 by e-mail:
9. CHECKPOINTS
There will be 8-10 automatic checkpoints on GKT 2024.
10. SUPPORT AND FIRST AID
Each participant at GKT 2024 is an ordinary cyclist on an ordinary ride and will take care of himself/herself. There is no medical or other assistance provided by Bike Slovenia and/or support teams on the trail, so the participant must be well equipped for all weather conditions and for a multi-day bike ride in nature. In case of problems, help yourself or seek help from random people. Help among GKT 2024 participants is desired.
Each participant is obliged to provide first aid to another injured participant. In case of an accident, when someone needs urgent medical assistance, first call the emergency number 112 and tell: WHO is calling, WHAT happened, the LOCATION and TIME of the accident, HOW MANY people are injured, what are the INJURIES, what are the accident CIRCUMSTANCES and what kind of HELP do you need.
Only then inform the Head of GKT 2024 or his/her representative. Each participant will receive a phone number for such notification on the day of the start of GKT 2024.
11. FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION
Bike Slovenia does not provide accommodation and/or food and drinks for participants.
At approximately the halfway point, all participants will be offered free hot soup at the "Beli Gaber" campsite, which is a Green Karst Trail "Friendly point". We also recommend it as a place for overnight stays.
The choice of location and type of accommodation and/or food is up to each individual. Camping in the wild is prohibited in Slovenia, as in most European countries, except where permitted (e.g. on private land with the owner's consent, or at an official campsite). A list of recommended accommodation providers (rooms, APP, hostel, campsite) will be published on www.bikeslovenia.si. It is recommended that participants do not cycle through dense forest at night due to large carnivores (bear, lynx and wolf). The water in nature is not drinkable, but tap water is.
12. CHECKING THE PARTICIPANTS
Each participant must have his/her own navigation device on which he/she will place the GPX routes of GKT 2024.
Each participant must have a tracking device, which they receive at the start from the Bike Slovenia team. He/she returns the device when he/se finishes the GKT. Bike Slovenia will randomly check whether a participant is on the GKT route. Live tracking will also be available via the website www.bikeslovenia.si.
13. EXCLUSION FROM THE PARTICIPATION
An individual may be excluded from participating in the event and will not be entered on the list of GKT 2024 finishers in case of a serious breach of rules. Reasons for exclusion may include:
- riding without a bicycle helmet,
- disrespectful behavior in nature,
- unsporting behavior towards other participants, and
- deliberately changing the route.
14. TIME OF CYCLING AND RESULTS
The 2024 GKT is not a competition, but a challenge for endurance cyclers. The start is shared, the time of cycling and the finishing time depend on each individual. There is no set time to complete the challenge, however, the Bike Slovenia team will wait for each participant to complete the challenge for 100 hours, or until around 3pm on Monday 24 June 2024.
15. GPX, WELCOME PACK, COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL
All registered participants who have paid the appropriate entry fee will receive GPX routes of GKT 2024 approximately one week before the official start, or no later than 17 June 2024.
All participants will also receive a welcome pack containing:
- a GKT 2024 tag to be attached to their bike and not to be taken off during the entire ride on GKT,
- a commemorative T-shirt with the GKT inscription,
- a cycling map of the Green Karst region, where GKT will take place, and
- interesting gifts from the contributors to GKT 2024.
All participants also receive a tracking device, which they must return at the end.
When collecting the welcome pack, it is also obligatory to personally reconfirm and manually sign an agreement to GKT 2024 terms.
Confirmation and collection of the welcome pack will be possible:
- one day before the start, i.e. on Wednesday 19 June 2024, from 17.00 to 20.00; and
- on the day of the start, Thursday 20 June 2024, from 8.00 to 9.00.
Every participant who finishes the GKT 2024 in less than 100 hours will receive a commemorative GKT 2024 finisher medal at the finish line and will be entered on the list of GKT 2024 finishers, which will be made public on www.bikeslovenia.si.
16. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- The day before the start, mandatory equipment and/or quick basic bike repairs will be available for purchase when picking up your welcome pack.
- GKT 2024 will take place in all weather conditions. In case of extremely bad weather (e.g. hail, strong winds) we recommend that the participant temporarily finds a shelter.
- There is no gsm signal on certain parts of the route!
- By registering, each participant agrees to take part in the event at his/her own risk.
- Bike Slovenia shall not be liable, and the participant shall not be able to make any claim against the organizer or its assistants for any damage to health or property caused to him/her, or to third parties before, during or after the event.
- Although Bike Slovenia will carefully inspect the entire route one week before the start of the GKT 2024, unforeseen obstacles may occur during the course of the GKT 2024 for which Bike Slovenia is not responsible.
- Bike Slovenia reserves the right to change the route and the programme.
- At the finish of the GKT 2024, the participants will be able to wash their bikes.
17. GDPR
By registering for GKT 2024, the participant agrees that his/her participation may be audiovisually recorded by Bike Slovenia or its authorized person. The Participant agrees to allow Bike Slovenia to use and publish, free of charge, the audiovisual recordings and photographs made before, during and after the GKT 2024. The Participant agrees to have his/her name and country of origin published on the list of GKT 2024 registrants and finishers. Both lists are published on www.bikeslovenia.si and, possibly, in other media, for promotional purposes.
GREEN KARST TRAIL - bicycle adventure in nature - is an original work:
BIKE SLOVENIA
Tomaž Penko, s. p.
25 May 21, Prestranek, Slovenia
info:
www.bikeslovenia.si
Postojna, 1. 12. 2023
