Three days of map-reading, trail-riding and carousing

FULLY BOOKED

THE ETHOS

In the current crazy world of smartphones and social media, a week of digital detox. Actual exploring, off-tarmac in great company, with first-class food and beverage.

THE TRAILS

I have scouted about 600 miles of routes over 1500 sq miles of Spain’s mighty Pyrenees. Even the locals aren’t using half these trails!

THE FRIENDS

You think you are coming for the riding but the V.I.N.C.E. is actually, a highly specialised dining club of THINKING adventure riders! And yes, YOU can join!

“An off-road event taken MORE seriously than anything else we have EVER encountered”

BIKE MAGAZINE

THE V.I.N.C.E. EXPLAINER

INFORMATION

THE VERY IMPORTANT BIT

I created the V.I.N.C.E. as a social event with a load of dirt-biking and bonhomie as a side-line. To this end, the ethos is low-fi and map-based. GPS navigation is rejected in favour of a technique that involves the rider far MORE in their environment. We spend all year looking at a screen, we don’t want to do that whilst we are in the mountains or chatting with friends.

DATES

Map Training Day
Windsor
23 March 2025

The Master Event
Escalo, Catalunya, Spain
8–12 September 2025

Arrive pm on Monday 8 September, depart after breakfast on Friday morning of the 12 September.

HOTEL & CAMPING

HOTEL
Do NOT contact the hotel about your reservation. Liaise directly with Austin.
www.hotelcastellarnau.com

It is a family-owned hotel and they cannot wait to host us! Expect it to be 70 euros pppn for Supper, bed and breakfast.

This is a hotel that is in the far north of Catalunya. That means it is best reached from a Normandy port NOT Bilbao/Santander. It is 4hrs drive from Barcelona Airport but only 3 hrs from Toulouse.

Unlike Quintanar de Sierra, there is TONS of parking and space for us.

Here’s how it works at The V.I.N.C.E: Austin has block booked the entire hotel. We encourage everyone to stay there. However, if you prefer to go elsewhere then be our guest but you will have to organise this yourself. Your entry fee does NOT include your accommodation, you pay for that yourself when you are in Spain. All we do is ensure that we’ve got the place booked for our party.
There are 90 bed-spaces in the building. The room configuration is all multiple-occupancy. Some of the rooms have 4 or 5 beds (in 2 rooms). You are NOT even guaranteed a twin room with your only your team-mate. You cannot get a single room in the Hotel. If you crave a single room, you need to find another hotel and book in there, yourself.

Do NOT attempt to book your own room at the hotel via booking.com etc.
Do NOT contact the hotel. Liaise directly with Austin.

CAMPING
If you don’t want to hotel it, with us, that is a great shame, you probably won’t save any money but there is a campsite (Camping Llavorsi) 6 miles south of the hotel. We have no association or arrangement with this campsite but we have used it on and off over the past 15 years. You need to book in with the campsite yourself, but do not say you are taking part in an event.

MAPS, ROADBOOKS & GPS

MAPS
The 2025 event runs over a single ICGC Catalan map, sheet 26 -Pallars Sobira. Unlike in 2023 and 2022 you WILL be sent this paper map by Austin with your CPB and other guff. You will be sent the checkpoint booklet pages, notes and a massive scan of the map (as a jpeg) by a dropbox link.

If you are impatient, buy more copies here, direct from Barcelona at 7 euros a pop:
www.cnig.es/buscarArtsMenu?categoria=MTN50

There is one set of guff (maps, notes, booklet etc) issued per team, NOT per person. If you are a ‘lone rider’ and Austin creates an arranged marriage, there will be one set of guff BETWEEN YOU.

ROADBOOKS AND GPS
In 2025 there will be only one class in the V.I.N.C.E. Map only. The GPS experiment is now over.
Paper map only, no roadbooks, zero electronics, smartphone in a sealed bag – THIS is what we are all about…

The trophy awarded at the event is for this. The V.I.N.C.E. is a map-reading challenge, you can only be in the spirit of the event by spending three days actually map-reading.
• Expanded and enlarged maps are fine.
• Maps annotated with notes relating to Austin’s ‘notes’ are fine.
• Anything included in Austin’s notes CAN be taken out on the trail.
• Maps that are printed out then stuck together to make a rolling ‘roadbook-style’ map are fine.
• Laminated map booklets are fine.
• Screenshots of Google earth are NOT allowed on the trail, during the event (but they are allowed anywhere else, during planning).
• You can use the internet to assist your planning but you cannot print it out and take it with you. Only the map and notes, as issued, can be used on the actual event. No roadbooks are allowed.

What is a ‘Roadbook’?
In Austin’s opinion, a roadbook is any mechanism that reduces a rider’s ability to cross terrain to simply following a list of instructions that may or may not be connected to the bike’s odometer and trip meter. These instructions include:
a) ‘Tulip’ style pictograms as used in rallies
b) Lists of written instructions (turn left at river, go 1,2km, turn right onto trail, at abandoned farm take left fork, go 0.8km, take left fork etc)

RULES OF THE EVENT

RULES
You must ride in a team of 2, to a maximum of 4 people, (minimum two bikes) so be sure to put together your team before registering as we need the names of all team members. If you cannot find someone to team with, go ahead and register for the event, note that you do not have a team partner, and we will match you with someone with a similar bike and riding skill level as best we can.

Start / Finish Time: Each day, 8AM to 8PM (0800-1959). Official VINCE time is as per Austin’s mobile phone.

Penalties for late return:
Return at 2000-2009hrs 10 pts penalty
Return at 2010-2019hrs 20 pts penalty
Return at 2020-2029hrs 30 pts penalty
Return at 2030 hrs or later – disqualified from the event (however you may still ride day two but your CPB will not be ‘marked’).

Team mates must ride together at all times!

If you separate for any reason other than one bike is broken down and stopped or one rider is injured, and the other rider is going for help, you will be disqualified.

Obtaining checkpoint info from another team is grounds for disqualification.

In the event of a dispute or challenge, a digital photo of all team members at a checkpoint will be required to verify the team has been to the checkpoint.

The score sheets are collected after each day’s ride, and the scores of points collected thus far are published.

On the second morning plenty of teams are more motivated than ever to have a fruitful day and get that map-reading spot on!

On the third evening the booklets are collected for the final time, points totalled and the winners announced and applauded at the Dinner on the third night.

The Dai Jones Ruling:
A dispensation consistent with the ancient English traditions of clemency and mercy. Named in honour of Bristol’s legendary trail-riding child-reforming youth worker; If the last member of a team gets back late on day one by x minutes where x is 29 or less then naturally, they incur a penalty. However, the Dai Jones ruling states that if they curtail their second day’s riding by x minutes or more then their penalty is revoked. Hence, the team will still only have had a max of 24 hrs riding over the two days.

ATTITUDE AND CLOTHING
Low key and lo-fi. If you want to pop wheelies and show off your super noisy after-market exhaust then do NOT attend the V.I.N.C.E. There will be a noise test on your exhaust pipe. If it fails, you cannot use that bike in the event. Tech details coming soon. If you are selfish and unpleasant, do NOT enter the V.I.N.C.E. If you are uncertain as to whether you are unpleasant, do NOT enter the V.I.N.C.E. Motocross spaceman clothes are forbidden. Plain, muted colours only. Wear armour yes, but underneath your crocheted poncho. The tuition will be in groups of no more than 6 people. The instructors are all seasoned riders who have many years of experience of the event, trail-riding and map-reading. However, this is a DIY vibe. Your instructors may NOT be people who teach trail-riding 5 days a week as their main occupation. It is NOT a university, an ‘academy’ or an institute. If you think you are getting the former, you will be disappointed. The instructors are hand-picked by me and they want you to blossom and build skill so that you can come back, year on year and enjoy the event in your own right.

URGE TO WIN
This is not a competition. There is no prize save the joy of taking part. If you are a super-competitive alpha-male then do an enduro, The V.I.N.C.E. is not for you. If you are found speeding (more than 20mph) around the trails, you will be banned from all future events. Don’t spit your dummy out when this happens, I told you this is NOT a rally, it’s a navigation challenge training week.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

I planned and scouted the routes that you will ride. If you sign up to any of my events, you are agreeing to NOT make any attempt to create an electronic version of these routes. Of course, you are buying a paper version but this must not be turned into a GPS trail or gpx file.

COST, PAYMENT & REFUNDS

COST
£410
This includes the map, set of notes and vinyl checkpoint booklet per team.
Does not include food and accommodation.

PAYMENT
To guarantee a place simply pay in full by BACS transfer. Do not attempt to enter online or pay with paypal.

Pay, by making a BACS transfer to the acc called ‘Big Scale Adventures’
Sort Code 30-91-91
Account No. 36472060
Include a Reference of your surname.

REFUNDS
You CAN cancel at anytime (before 11 July 25) and get a full refund less £50 per rider. That’s how much you are gambling, £50. I want to encourage you to commit and sign-up. If some issue means you cannot attend, you have only lost £50.

If I, Austin Vince, cancel the event you get a full refund.

If You cancel after 11 July 25 you will:

i) Receive no refund at all
ii) NOT be able to defer your entry forward to the 2026 event
iii) Need to have holiday insurance in place to claim back these lost fees

If a statutory authority (govt, National park etc) makes the event impossible then it will be POSTPONED to a sensible date and this will be announced.

Get holiday insurance that covers you cancelling after 11th July 2025.

GENERAL FORMAT OF THE WEEK

The Very Intense Navigation Challenge Event is three days of orienteering on trail-bikes. Your maps and other equipment will be mailed to you by the Royal Mail 8 weeks before the event. Also, you will be emailed a link, to a drop-box account, which contains further assets which your team can then download.

You will plan your own route using the massive network of trails provided on the over-marked map that I provide.

You need to bring a team-mate. You cannot enter solo (unless Austin has formed an ‘arranged marriage’ for you with another lone rider).

Team can be only 2, 3 or 4 riders.

CHOICE OF BIKE

Everyone is asking me about what bike to take etc. The answer is simple – It’s not about the bike, it’s about YOUR level of skill.

We will be riding hundreds of miles of farmers’ trails in the mountains.

For learning, less is more. You will rarely exceed 30mph all week. You want the smallest bike you can, so you can enjoy the trails rather than worrying about the bike.

Rental bikes are available. Contact me directly or apply to:

Barcelona
www.vivamotorent.com
Or
www.campurent.com

Madrid
www.rentalmotorbike.com
And
www.pautravelmoto.com

INSURANCE, BREAKDOWN & SUPPORT

There isn’t much. If it goes wrong for you, the rest of the team will be your rescue detail. These are the guys that will literally get you ‘off the mountain’. I do not provide a rescue or ‘come and get me’ service. Just like in real-life, you will have to contact a local garage and ask them.

You will need some euro-wide breakdown cover in place because I will NOT provide any.

Also, you could be killed or badly injured. There is zero health cover. Your injuries may be treated in a Spanish hospital ONLY if you carry the EHIC card ON YOUR PERSON, but even this is NOT guaranteed, they often charge people who are holding a valid EHIC card in front of them!

Non-EU nationals, expect a heavy bill from a Spanish hospital and have appropriately heavy-duty holiday insurance that covers dirt-biking in wilderness areas.

Get recovery insurance and medivac from www.partner.globalrescue.com/austinvince/index.htm

I am neither their agent nor am I on commission, but Global Rescue are solid. They will NEVER blanche at the fact that you were riding dirt tracks in wilderness areas when you got injured.

WARNING

Trail-riding and motorcycling are NOT safe. You do not have to face these risks. Be safe by NOT motorcycling. Be safe by NOT trail-riding in remote wilderness locations.

If you lose control on a cliff-edge mountain trail, and go over the edge, you may be killed.
Ensure you have life insurance that covers you for this. I have no ‘tour operator’ insurance nor group insurance that covers YOU.

Your safety is NOT guaranteed but, given that we ARE trail-riding we will always mitigate all risks. If you are killed it will almost certainly be in an RTA with a car etc. on a liaison section. We cannot control the driving of other road users.

You are riding unmaintained trails in the mountains, far from help. If you want a guarantee of safety you must NOT come on this trip. Other road-users may kill you whilst intoxicated.

The off-road routes could be accessible to GS1200s, KTM 990s etc but not if they are ridden by a normal person, they are quite technical. We do NOT recommend you bring a big adventure bike to this Apprentice event

If you have NEVER been trail-riding you should be cautious whilst taking part in the Apprentice V.I.N.C.E. Naturally, if you want to bring a smaller bike, be our guest, you will have a better week than the person riding a 250kg machine. We rarely exceed 30mph and the speed limit on the trails is 12mph.

There is no mechanical recovery, first-aid, emergency or back-up service provided. Also, this is dangerous.

Take out holiday insurance that covers a refund scenario AND medical treatment.

Do NOT rely on your EHIC card.

Get recovery insurance and medivac from www.partner.globalrescue.com/austinvince/index.htm