Monkeying around in Peru
WHAT could be more challenging than taking a bunch of brave/slightly unhinged men and women, blindfolding them, leading them into the Sahara desert in Morocco and telling them they have to get to a destination on the Atlantic Coast, 1000 km away, six days later on tiny motorbikes more suitable for children than adults? How about taking them and their bikes to Peru?
Having discovered that Monkey Bikes are ‘the new dawn of adventure’, through running The Monkey Run in Morocco, The Adventurists have decided to set motorbike and adventure enthusiasts a new challenge and see how the bikes and riders perform in the Andes and Amazon rainforest.
It’s fair to say that The Adventurists, as their name suggests, know a thing or two about adventure. They are organisers of, amongst others, The Mongol Rally, quite possibly the world’s largest motorised event; The Icarus Trophy, the first long distance paramotor race; and the Rickshaw Run, a tuk-tuk journey across India. They feel that, while they may look comical, Monkey Bikes offer the ideal mode of transport for modern day adventure, especially in Peru.
The bikes small stature—they’re not much taller than knee height—means their wheels can fit onto the Andean mountain passes and squeeze between Amazonian tree roots, much better than anything from a BMW forecourt. There isn’t far to fall when you come off and they’re light enough to carry when they inevitably break down.
Being low to the ground means the bikes feel fast, but in reality give you enough time to appreciate stunning Andean mountain-scapes and marvel at incredible jungle plants and animals, while having just enough horsepower to get the ‘hell out of there’ when you realise that the photogenic tree roots you’re looking at are actually home to a family of pit vipers.
Most importantly though the bikes are a whole lot of fun, something which The Adventurists hope will be at the heart of the Peruvian Monkey Run.
“There’s a lot of machoism in the world of adventure, with people feeling if they’re enjoying something it can’t be real adventure. Of course this is nonsense. It’s true that adventure should push boundaries and this generally means some discomfort, but who said you can’t have fun at the same time? And Monkey Bikes certainly offer that. What’s more, the bikes are always a talking point and put a smile on people’s faces wherever they go, helping break down language barriers and facilitating engagement with different cultures; and the culture and people of Peru are what any trip there should really be about,” said Mr Joolz, The Adventurists.
Get involved: head over to www.theadventurists.com to find out more and sign up. The Peruvian Monkey Run takes place in September, starting ‘somewhere near Ayacucho’ and finishing ‘more or less in Atalyaya’, the route you take in between is up to you. You don’t need a licence to take part, but it probably helps if you’ve sat on a bike of some sort before; not least because there’s a big party either end of the event and it’s probably not the best idea to find out you can’t ride a motorbike while setting off into the Amazon jungle with a stinking hangover.
