Just a quick report on a little ride we did today - the initiative of one Marko Boskovic, an afficionado of the hills and dales around Novi Sad, who likes nothing better than to drag himself and his bike through thick undergrowth in the hope of finding some new bike trail. We’re on a pretty similar wavelength in other words. Along came Tibor too, and we set off for an area across the Danube in an area near Kovilj, famous for its medieval monastery.

The word “rit” translates roughly as marshland/swamp and that is exactly what it is. During a normal spring, i.e. when there has been any rain and snow at all (unlike this year), the Danube’s water level is much higher and a good part of this area is under water. Currently it is all dry, not to mention blanketed with the “poplar fluff” you can see in the picture, which you wouldn’t really mistake for snow as it is soft, tickly, gets everywhere and is very annoying.

We did a circuit, Marko frequently consulting his GPS as he aims to map out this area properly in the future. “Highlights” were: tons of poplar fluff, lots of snakes, zillions of frogs, plenty of stinging nettles, a feral pig that we saw crashing through the undergrowth and the enjoyable uncertainty as to whether we would come out in Kovilj at the other end, or have to double back all the way through all that fluff, not to mention the sand. (you’ve probably ridden through sand, it is hard work!)

Fortunately we did, exiting the “rit” in Kovilj in the light of a nice cliched sunset.

All this made a bit of a change from my recent mountain-biking adventures, like this and this, in that it was completely FLAT! Anyway, check out the pictures from this ride in the gallery, I am off to remove the fluff from my… rear sprockets.

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Posted on May 13th, 2007 by markowe
Filed under: Biking - general, MTB Serbia (All)