The idea of the challenge

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Our carefully prepared challenge has one main goal for you: finish following given track within the time limit and self-supported manner.

Every participant of the event must follow the rule of an unsupported challenge. By unsupported we mean that a participant has to compete without external help from others (family, team, friends, etc.) that is not available to other participants of the challenge.  
Participants can buy food, equipment, wash their clothes, fix bicycles, etc. during the challenge but have to use only those services and resources that are publicly available to other challenge participants as well. Having a dinner with the family and friends that is paid by others is not in the spirit of this event so it's forbidden.

If you want to withdraw from the challenge, you must stop live tracking system, contact organizers and tell about your situation. In case of emergency you can contact organizers by phone or call 112. Organizers will make everything within their possibilities to help the participant. 
 

Obligatory to have

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1. GPS device to be able to follow provided route track. (We do not recommend to use smartphones as a primary tracking device). 
2. Phone with normal battery that can work with Traccar app, battery saving disabled for it.
3. Safety measures (helmet, safety vest or light reflecting clothes). 
4. Passport or ID card. 
5. Lightning system, including front and rear lights.
6. Powerbank to charge location tracking device given by organizers
7. Sleeping bag or alternative for it. 

8. Checkpoint stamp card

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Recommended to have

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8. Tent, bivy or hammock that has protection from rain and mosquitoes.
9. Rain jacket no lighter than 200 grams when middle size.
10. At least two water bottles or similar capacity hydration system
11. Multi-tool to service your bicycle.
12. Spare derailleur hanger.
13. Extra inner tube or tools and spares to fix your tubeless tire.

14. Headlamp.

15. First aid kit and tourniquet

 

Sleeping/Accommodation 

 

It's forbidden to book rooms, houses or hotels at all. Participants can't sleep inside, except sleeping place is abandoned (have to use extra precaution doing that). A quick nap in a gas station, café, while charging your devices, is allowed, but should not be abused. In this way paying for accommodation is also not allowed, whether it's hotel or camping. At some checkpoints you can charge your devices, but sleeping inside is not allowed.
This ruling is done for you to see and use more nature, have the best time under night sky and have less time spent in hotels. In this way you would have less credit card packing and have more bikepacking.​

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Distance selection

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All the participants use the same track to reach Upninkai water stream. Depending on which turn participants will make (towards Ukmergė or towards Čiobiškis), the distance type will be decided. Participants should use navigation files accordingly.​​​

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Riding together​

Riding together with others participants is encouraged as this is not a race, but more a challenge to complete - yes it's very hard and moral help is ok. While drafting is still not allowed as it's an element of racing.

With this rule we seek to build bikepacking community.

 

Friends and family

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Friends or family can visit participants on the route, but can only give moral support. Any other form of help from friends and family will be considered as violation of the rules (no pacing, buying dinner, providing material help or service is allowed)

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In case of major technical problems

Things happen on the road. Having that in mind we do strongly suggest to evaluate your abilities to take care of the issue if fixing on the spot is impossible.

We are not in the Andes or the desert so there are towns with bike or repair shops. Evaluate time limits for the nearest checkpoint and make decisions based on that. If you have a major technical problem and wish to get help from aside (take taxi, bus, etc.) call organizers and we will make decision based on the situation. You might be able continue the ride with “Tech help” indication.

Remember that if you leave the track you have to go back to the point where you left it and continue your ride from there.

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GPS navigation

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GPS navigation is one of the most important participant’s items, with its help he\she can start, follow the route and have an evidence that the route has been completed fully and according to rules.

Using smartphones for navigation is permitted only if they have correct software and can work without battery save mode - to get a correct position. We do recommend to use smart phones for a back up only. 

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Tracking​

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All participants must use location service provided by organizers. It is used to monitor the position of the participant at any given time during the challenge. If you have any issues with the location tracking during the challenge please contact the challenge organizers since any discrepancies that will be noticed during or found later after the challenge between the challenge track and location tracking device might result in DNF or DSQ (Did not finish or Disqualified)

The participants’ location tracking system is used to check on their routes, but not to ensure their safety. The maximum tolerance for not following the route is 30 meters, knowing that GPS signal can be inaccurate sometimes.

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Checkpoint card

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Upon arriving to a checkpoint, participant has to present a checkpoint card received at the registration.

The checkpoint has to be kept dry, so it would be possible to stamp it. The volunteer will stamp participant's card. If the working hours of a checkpoint are over (e.g. participant has arrived at night), participant has to find a stamp left near by the entrance and mark checkpoint card himself. If the stamp is missing or can't be found - a selfie photo has to be made next to the checkpoint, so it would be clearly identified and then should be presented at the finish.

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Age restrictions

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Persons 18 years and older are allowed to participate.

Participants under 18 can participate together with their parents.

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Help

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Participants can receive help from other participants in case of:

Medical help - encouraged.
Technical help - encouraged.
Moral help, talking - encouraged.

Food or water - in extreme cases.

Navigation help - in extreme cases.

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PostPacking

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Sending your prepared packages to different post/parcel machines and post offices and collecting them along the route is not allowed.

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Partner license

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In case you would like to use your participation in this event for commercial purposes you would need a partner license. The aim is to control the unsupported rule of Hydra and preserve the support of the official partners that make it possible.

The licence is not required when you tag your partners in your own social media, but in other cases, such as sharing your content with them, you must ask for the partner licence by contacting hi@epas.cc at least a month before the start, explaining the project and the partners involved.

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Technical and inventory check

On pre-challenge day an experienced bicycle mechanic will do a quick bicycle check, as well as "Obligatory to have" items will be checked, so participants need to make sure their bicycles and inventory are OK. The mechanic might have some time for a small fix of participant's bicycle if it's not OK but don't count on it. This check is done to lessen technical problems along the way, so more participants can finish the challenge.

In case of serious issues with inventory or bicycle, the owner/rider might be restricted from starting. Organizers might give time to fix problems.

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​We would like to remind

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Any human powered bicycle in good condition is OK, even those that are not used in traditional events (we recommend mountain bikes, but the choice is yours).
The participants are responsible for their own safety.
Only participants are responsible for their actions during the challenge.
Organizers can exclude a participant from the challenge for not following the rules.​