Difficulty level

 With every new track, we also rate the level of difficulty. The new ACT Montenegro & Albania track is also rated by us again. We would like to take this opportunity to give you an insight into how we rate the difficulty of our tracks – a topic that often gives rise to questions.

How do we rate the tracks?

Our difficulty rating is based on various factors:

ACT team experience, on-site observations,
as well as a combination of objective conditions and a subjective impression.
We don’t just look at the actual conditions such as the nature of the ground (e.g. firm, sandy, muddy, gravel) or the type of track (technical, fast, winding), but also include a ‘perceived difficulty’ in the assessment.

Important: This assessment is made once, usually when the track is created. Changes due to weather conditions, usage or structural changes over time can significantly influence the difficulty.

What we classify as ‘easy’ may be perceived by some as ‘moderately difficult’ or even ‘difficult’ – and vice versa. This is because the perception of difficulty depends heavily on individual ability, experience and the conditions on the day.

Weather conditions can turn a track that is easy to ride on in dry weather into a real challenge in wet weather.
Even within a year, the character of a track can change significantly due to changes in the weather – or even regress.

The challenge of our categorisation

We try to include as many of these factors as possible in our assessment, but it remains a subjective judgement. In addition to the obvious features, we also take into account the perceived difficulty of the team and the average riding time required on the off-road sections in relation to the total riding time.

Our aim is to give you some guidance, but we ask you not to take the difficulty ratings as immutable. Plan your tours carefully, always assume that you should have at least advanced training or comparable skills and check the current condition on site and then decide according to your form on the day.