I had a fabulous couple of riding days in Wales doing this course in preparation for my Patagonia trip. The photos on this certificate don't really do the course or the environment justice. I bounced up and down dale (with rocks) through ruts and rivers and mud up to my ears (especially when I fell off). None of this would have been possible without the expert instruction I received from the super friendly and capable instructors employed at the BMW off-road school in the Brecons under the guidance of Simon Pavey who runs the school for BMW. I mostly rode a BMW 650 GS which is the bike I selected for the Patagonia trip - although having been on the course think I might have been better off choosing the 1200 GS which I tried for a while and found has much more torque and is very comfortable if you need to sit down. Although I think I sat on the bike only a couple of times doing the course, the rest of the time I was standing on the footpegs - which has sharpened my boot decisions no end!. I rode both bikes through terrain that I doubt we'll encounter in Patagonia unless we get very lost indeed, including in sun and driving rain which has been a superb testing ground for the gear I am deciding to take.
On gear, most importantly is the decision on boots. I have decided to buy the best pair of motocross boots I can find that fit. Having now been in the rough stuff for a couple of days, the combination of motocross boots (never waterproof) and Sealskinz socks is brilliant. You get all the strong ankle protection of the boot and the waterproofness of a Goretex liner. Since nobody makes motocross boots with a waterproof liner, this solves that problem. I found my feet kept dry and didn't sweat either thanks to the characteristics of the socks (two layers of wool sandwiching a Goretex type permeable membrane layer).
I had rented enduro type clothing but on the second day, tried my Aerostich Roadcrafter suit which worked very well and had the benefits of pockets, warmth and comfort - makes me wonder if I actually need to have invested in the BMW Rallye 2 Pro suit... Although, I do wonder how long the zips on the Aerostich trousers would stand up to the beating of metal footpegs, rocks and the like. If these got broken on a long trip, I hate to think of how cold and wet it could get!
I'll add more to this when I have slept a while - two days of intense physical effort are great but I do need a bt of rest. I am sure that without my efforts in the gym I would have been really knackered!
