Starting in Hamburg

On 19 February 2022, we will be in Hamburg at the start of what is probably the most challenging road trip we have ever undertaken. We are participating in the Baltic Sea Circle Winter Rally.

Our departure in Belgium (region Sint-Niklaas) is planned for 18 February. This first trip to the common starting point in Hamburg is about 600 km and we thought it would make sense to leave the day before.

11 countries, 8700km

Since the poster mentions 10 countries and 7500km, we can add another country and 1200km. That brings the total to 11 countries to cross and an estimated distance to cover of around 8700km.

The organisation (Superlative Adventures) also imposes a number of restrictions. They assume that we do not use GPS and that we avoid highways. It only makes the challenge greater.

Coldest period of the year

And the challenges keep on coming. For example, when we leave in the morning, we will not know where we will be spending the night that follows. The main reason for this is that the weather can sometimes spoil our plans. We are driving in February and that turns out to be the coldest period of the year in those regions. Snowfall and slippery roads will therefore also determine the pace.

No reserved sleeping places

As the day progresses, we will see approximately where we can spend the night. Then I or my son Loïc will look for a place to sleep. So we hope for a reasonable internet connection so that we can look things up.

People who have done the rally before told us that we can usually find something through Airbnb or other platforms. If it really doesn’t work out, we are prepared to sleep in the car itself. Both have been converted into light trucks, so a good sleeping bag will do in case of emergency.

Team Big George

We from team Big George are driving a Range Rover from 2004, a L322 D6 for the experts. Big George (that is how we call our Range Rover) has at the moment of writing 341000 km on the counter. Given the fact that these cars are not really known for their reliability, this is an extra challenge for us.

We have already done quite a few things to the car. I will list a few. We fixed the heating fan, the radio / GPS module, the Venturicam and recently we flushed the gearbox and put new oil on it. Soon we will install a Defa heating unit.

Team Gonzo

We do not drive this road trip alone; in principle, everyone drives individually or together with another team. The choice is entirely up to the participants. We’ve decided to ride together with team Gonzo. Both Team Gonzo and ourselves have done road trips in the past and by riding together we’ll be able to rely on each other in the event of a malfunction.

Team Gonzo consists of Dieter and Tom, two friends who are driving the tour with a Mercedes ML. The ML is from 2010 and also has over 380000 km on the clock. We agreed to take a good tow rope with us ;-).

According to participants from previous editions, it can happen that you drive through snow and ice for a whole day without meeting anyone. It is then more reassuring to ride together with another team.

Riding for a good cause gives extra boost

The organisation also requires all participants to support a good cause. For us, the choice was easily made. We from team Big George ride for the MS-Liga Vlaanderen. I have two friends with MS, so that choice was easily made. It’s just an extra incentive to know that through our contribution we can perhaps move a little stone in the river and help others.

Team Gonzo rides for two charities, Villa VIP in Zele and vzw Lia in Sombeke. So in total there are three charities for which we want to raise as much money as possible so that we can support them.

We need your support!

You can probably feel us coming, we need you! So if reading our story gives you a warm feeling too, we would love it if you would support us. Below you can find the account numbers where you can deposit.

Support team Big George and the MS-Liga Vlaanderen ( you will be redirected to the MS-Liga Vlaanderen on our page)
Support Villa Vip in Zele and VZW Lia in Sombeke by making a deposit on BE45 0689 4275 8989

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