How a GLR Motorcycle Adventure Route is made!

Step 1: Creating the GLP

The very first step into creating an adventure route is to have some general directions. First, I start with the country or region I want to explore. To call the GLR Network a network, I’m kind of limited in this choice. Obviously, the new route needs to connect to the existing network.

Therefore, most of the time, I start with an already existing connection point. From there, I begin to gather all available information about the direction I want to go in. Think about maps, travel reports, travel stories, videos, etc..

From this information, I’m able to draw the first lines on a map. I call this line a GLP or a Going Limbo Potential. This GLP isn’t detailed at all. It only serves as a general guide when I’m exploring the region. 

When I’ve gathered enough GLPs, it’s adventure time! Time to connect the dots in the next step.

Step 2: Riding the GLP

With the GLPs safely loaded onto my GPS, I follow each individual track I’ve created previously. I’m on the lookout for legality, difficulty, and distance of the off-road sections.

A perfect day is without any modifications to the GLP. Everything goes as planned, and the route is as expected to be. The day goes by fast, and I’m able to ride some decent kilometers.

The worst days are when everything goes wrong. Those days when I’m getting stopped by road signs, 20 kilometers deep into the trail. Those situations where I needed to turn around way earlier. And those irritating moments when I need to turn around for the third iteration of the original route. All in all, those irritations and dealing with the unknown are part of an Adventure.

After completing a GLP, I put all the notes and iteration together to create a RAW version of a GLR. This gives me a first overview of what’s going to become a new motorcycle adventure route.

Step 3: Post-processing

With all the data I need to create a GLR, I start to draw the first lines on a map. During my adventure in the previous step, I’ve made notes of sections that are off-road. I noted which turns to take and which alterations are necessary.

This process takes up the longest by far. If I’m in the flow, I’m able to process about 100km a day. Just for comparison, a 500km GLR takes me a full workweek of post-processing only!

After this long and tedious process, I have a GLR-raw on .GPX format! It’s not yet the finished GLR, but it contains all the elements. Now I’m able to proceed to the next step.

Step 4: A new GLR is born

With the GLR-raw file ready, it’s a relatively easy step to create the final GLR. Some minor adjustments are necessary to connect it with the existing GLR Network. 

After long hours of looking at lines on the map, the new GLR is a fact, but it’s just a line on a map. The GLR Network is so much more! Think about all the different maps which need to be drawn, texts that need to be written, and a web page that needs to be filled.

The fourth step is about dressing the GLR. The end is in sight, but there’s still so much more work to do. Depending on its length, this step takes me again 80 to 100 hours of work.

With all the boxes checked, it’s time to publish the finale web page.

Step 5: Publishing

After many long and tedious hours, It’s finally time to launch the webpage. After an average of 250 hours, it’s finally available for you and all the Adventurisers to download.

I hope you appreciate all the work that went into creating the GLR Network. I take great pride in making Europe a better place for Adventurisers, and I hope I provided some value to your motorcycle adventure! 

Don’t wait and enjoy the latest GLRs out there!