ACT UK

What happens when a Belgian and a Dutch rider, who barely know each other, decide to spend a week tackling mud, gravel and sheep-filled trails together?

Add two rally-inspired adventure bikes, hundreds of gates and some of Britain’s most spectacular landscapes, and you have all the ingredients for an unforgettable journey.

Preview – ACT UK, counting sheep

Adventure Country Tracks (ACT) has quietly become one of the most exciting alternatives to the well-known Trans Euro Trail. Together with my new travel companion Annemarijn, I set out to discover the UK section, crossing Wales and northern England aboard a Yamaha Ténéré Rally and an Aprilia Tuareg Rally.

From the moment we unloaded the bikes near the ruins of Llanthony Abbey, the route delivered exactly what adventure riders hope for: challenging off-road sections, remote mountain passes and breathtaking scenery. The Welsh countryside constantly surprised us, whether it was climbing rocky tracks guarded by screaming peacocks, navigating steep slate descents, or opening what felt like an endless number of sheep gates.

"There were crashes, moments of doubt and plenty of laughter, but also those rare moments when everything just felt absolutely right."

The journey was far more than an off-road challenge. Along the way we encountered welcoming pubs, chatty locals, sheep farmers, hidden valleys and villages that seemed frozen in time. Highlights included the spectacular landscapes of Snowdonia, panoramic gravel tracks overlooking the Mawddach Estuary, and remote trails where progress was measured in metres rather than kilometres. There were crashes, moments of doubt and plenty of laughter, but also those rare moments when rider, machine and landscape come together perfectly.

The route eventually led us through northern England, past endless dry-stone walls, rolling hills and iconic villages before finishing on the dramatic coastline of Whitby, beneath the haunting ruins of Whitby Abbey.

The ACT UK is not a route to underestimate. Weather conditions can quickly transform manageable tracks into serious challenges, and both rider and motorcycle will collect a few scars along the way. Yet that is exactly what makes it special. Every section offers the freedom to adapt the route to your own pace while still delivering a genuine sense of adventure.

Four days, hundreds of kilometres, countless sheep and more gates than we cared to count later, we arrived at the coast tired, dusty and smiling. Some journeys are measured in distance; others in memories. This one was definitely the latter.