MTB marathon Stepski Vuk (Steppe Wolf)

MTB marathon Stepski Vuk is one of the most beautiful cycling journeys through the deserted Deliblato sands. These 48 km long trail is reserved for MTB with wide tires, and since the trail is not marked with mountaineering markings, GPS or a map and a sense of space are a mandatory part of the equipment 😉

The trail starts from the Čardak Youth Resort. The journey begins with the marked trail no. 2 to the point furthest from the resort. The road here is good, well maintained, there is no way to get lost.

Then comes the ‘small’ change. The road separates from the marked path and becomes an unmarked forest road that winds through the sandstone. There are occasional forestry signs, but to interpret them you need either a forester or a wizard... the best option is a wizard forester if you ask me 😉

Deliblato Sands is intersected by a regular network of roads that make squares of approximately 600x900 meters. So you just have to choose a path and follow it. But some of the roads are missing, some are interrupted, some roads lead to nowhere .... I said at the beginning - map, GPS, sense of space, wizard forester ... whatever 🙂

That first stage to the village of Grebenac was the most beautiful for me. For the most part, it winds through a pine forest whose scent is simply intoxicating. The road is good, there is very little loose sand.

From Grebenac, the trek climbs to Zagajička brda. I chose a slightly harder climb up the hills which in turn offers the best view of these green dunes. The hills are not green yet, but they are full of wild saffron. Spring has arrived 🙂

After the descent to the village of Šušara, the road continues along the old asphalt road to Deliblato, only to separate somewhere in the middle of the Sands and return to the forest. I guess this asphalt section could have been avoided by some of the forest roads, although ...

Sand dunes are formed in the Sand so that they follow its width. This means that most of the less well-maintained roads that intersect the sandstone in width must overcome the ups and downs of these sand dunes. While the road I took in the south-north direction crossed the sandstone was quite good, the road in the opposite direction was a nightmare. At least for cyclists.

The sand is so fine that it acts like dust. Even very wide tires can't fight such terrain, so I ended up pushing a few miles. There was relatively little wind, but again I had to put on my glasses and tie a scarf over my nose. A day later, something is still gnashing under my teeth 🙂 And a bicycle - it's a symphony of squeaking and scraping, definitely not for those with a weak heart 🙂

After a few miles of breaking through the sand dunes and scattering the sand, the road get better and finally it merged with Path number 2. The alternative was to continue through the asphalt road to the end and avoid the last annoying sandy part. Another alternative is to find a better-maintained road, but that means drinking a couple of beers with forest rangers 😉

The scenes are typical of Sands. Dunes, a road that rises and falls, short grassy sections. Zagajička hills as an eternal surprise. The road is good, a little harder due to the sandy surface, but quite ok. For the most part, it leads through an evergreen forest that smells divine even at this time of year. And most importantly, through all travel, you will be awarded with absolute peace and complete silence ...

By the way, the time of year is approaching when acacia blooms. Then this trail will look and smell like a real paradise.

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