A rally raid is not a faster trail ride. Three things are new.
You navigate by roadbook. There is no track on a screen. Each box of the roadbook gives a distance, a drawing of the junction and a CAP heading, and you ride from box to box with a tripmeter. A wrong turn costs more time than a slow corner.
You ride long days on your own. Stages run for hours across mixed terrain. Fuel, water, food and energy are part of the result, and so is the bike arriving at the bivouac in one piece.
You follow rally procedures. Time controls, liaisons, refuelling zones, waypoints, penalties and the tracker all have rules. Knowing them in advance keeps a small mistake from ending your race.
The path
Four steps we see work
Most riders who reach the finish follow a version of this order.
1. Off-road control
Standing position, traction on loose ground, climbs, descents, picking the bike up. If this still takes all your attention, navigation will not fit in. Our Off-Road Riding Training covers it in four days on your own bike; owners of big bikes start with Adventure Riding Training.
2. Roadbook and CAP
Reading symbols at speed, marking the roadbook, calibrating the tripmeter, correcting a mistake before it grows. This is the core of the Roadbook Rally Bootcamp: seven days and six roadbooks on Dinaric Rally stages in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
3. A first event without the stopwatch
Many events have a non-competitive class. At the Dinaric Rally it is DARE!: the race stages with a time limit instead of timing. You ride the full week, with full support, and learn what a rally day costs you.
4. Desert and long stages
Sand, dunes, heat and 300 km days are a different skill set. Morocco Rally Training in March prepares riders for desert events and is a good start to a European season.
Before you book
What you need for a first training
Less than most riders expect.
Good fitness for full days off-road and basic off-road skills
A bike in good condition: brakes, chain, bearings, cooling, skid plate, handguards, tyres for rocky ground
A roadbook holder and wiring ready for the tracker; two tripmeters help but are not required
Full protective gear and a 2–3 litre hydration pack
Documents: licence, registration, third-party insurance, international health insurance with repatriation
No rally experience is needed for the Bootcamp. Groups are formed by level, so first-timers and experienced competitors follow the same programme at their own pace.
Questions
Common questions
Which bike is best for a first rally raid?
The one you know. Light enduro bikes are easier in the rough, but adventure bikes race at the Dinaric Rally in the same class, and a big bike has won the motorcycle overall there. Prepare the bike you have before buying a new one.
How long from first training to first rally?
Riders with solid off-road skills often start a non-competitive class in the same season as their Bootcamp. Riders who are new to off-road usually need one season of riding first.
Can I train on a quad or SSV?
Yes. The Roadbook Rally Bootcamp is open to bikes, quads, SSVs and SSV co-pilots.
Do I still need a roadbook if events use GPS?
Most rally raids use the roadbook as the main navigation and the GPS only to validate waypoints and give the CAP. Reading the roadbook is the skill that decides the result.
Start here
Roadbook Rally Bootcamp 2027
Seven days on Dinaric Rally stages, 8–14 May or 3–9 July 2027. Bike, quad or SSV.
