CRAFTWERK CHRONICLES
Scrambler Fever '23
Michael Weber
"Every year, 100 freaks from all over Europe meet up and plough their way through the Polish hinterland on a scavenger hunt with handwritten road books."
Scrambler Fever 2023
TEXT:
Michael Weber
PHOTOS:
Michael Weber,
Scrambler Fever
Scrambler Fever 2023 is now an established annual off-road meeting in Poland. What once began as a fun event organised by a few enthusiasts and was quite manageable with only around 20 participants has developed into a significantly expanded format.
Nevertheless, the original spirit has been preserved, attracting around 100 freaks from all over Europe every year to plough through the Polish hinterland on two days of riding.
The first day of driving is like a scavenger hunt with handwritten road books that leave room for interpretation. This regularly results in a certain lack of orientation on the 120 km route through the terrain.
The terrain is varied and you get the impression that you are in a lawless area.
This is also confirmed by the participating vehicles ... from legal to semi-legal to completely indifferent, everything is represented. No neighbours feel disturbed and you hardly meet any other people in the countryside. The routes have been carefully explored by Redu, the founder of Red Hot Chilli Customs, and are really fun.
The groups form themselves with around 5-6 riders. There is always the option of adjusting the level of difficulty as you see fit. You are on the road for a good 6 to 8 hours and then pretty exhausted when you reach the campground again.
The campsites that are chosen offer everything you need and are always located by one of the many Polish lakes. In the evening, you can wander through the paddock or have a cosy pow-wow around the campfire. Live music is also provided.
Most people retire to their tents early, and on the second day we continue with a similar route length, but this time as a navigation route that is shared as a file. This results in a smoother ride and everyone can get the most out of themselves and their bike.
Such conditions are rare, which makes the entertainment value enormous. In the evening, everything is processed and crowned with an award ceremony. On Sunday, the group disperses and leaves the scene of the crime in all directions.
My tip for next year:
Places are in high demand and most of them are already taken shortly after publication. The contingent is limited. The fees, which include everything - entry fee, catering and camping fees - are by no means exaggerated and are actually a bargain for what is on offer. I would say that the biggest hurdle is still booking via the homepage. You have to work with two browsers at the same time if you don't speak fluent Polish.
