By Gabor
Article
I signed up for one of the hardest gravel challenges in Europe, an event that ultimately broke me near the finish. Covering 735 km with 14,000 meters of elevation through some of Portugal’s most remote mountain regions, The Goats is something truly different.
Day 1 – Penhas da Saúde to Marialva
We lined up in front of Luna Hotel at 7:30 a.m., ready to tackle the first climbs through the northern side of the Serra da Estrela mountains. The scenery was breathtaking, and before long we were descending smooth gravel roads with incredible views all around us.
By early afternoon, we had made our way down the mountain range via rocky descents. My shoulders were already complaining about the terrain, but thankfully the roads soon became smoother, allowing us to continue on tarmac.
We stopped in a small town to charge our phones while enjoying delicious pork sandwiches. The heat was becoming intense, so we found some shade beneath a few trees and took a short nap.
By kilometer 98, I felt completely drained. The landscape was still incredible, but I couldn’t eat, felt dizzy, and was probably close to heat exhaustion. Temperatures had climbed to 37°C. I knew I needed food and electrolytes, so I focused on reaching the next town. Fortunately, it was only 10 kilometers away.
I sat down, ordered food, put some salt under my tongue, and waited. Ten minutes later, I managed to eat four slices of pizza and even took an extra slice for the road.
At around 2 a.m., we arrived in Barreira at kilometer 138 and found a playground where we could sleep. The night was a little chilly, but we managed a solid four hours of rest.
Day 2
As we left Barreira, I checked the forecast. The heat looked even worse than the day before.
Our goal was to cover 140 kilometers. The roads were steep, and the temperatures weren’t doing us any favors, but we kept moving forward. By 4 p.m., we reached Almeida and Checkpoint 1.
We felt exhausted but reasonably good, so after eating we took another two-hour nap in the shade. Refreshed, we continued along a mix of tarmac, gravel, and rocky sections.
Riding at night was much easier. The cooler temperatures and smoother roads helped keep morale high.
We stopped briefly in Sabugal before continuing towards a dam surrounded by winding gravel and tarmac roads running alongside the lake. It was a beautiful section of the route, but by then we couldn’t wait to lie down and rest.
In Meimoa, we found a river beach (praia fluvial) with a large park and decided it would be our campsite for the night. We slept well and woke up to the sounds of locals opening a nearby café.
Perfect timing.
We had breakfast, cleaned up in the restroom, ate a few sandwiches, drank coffee, applied sunscreen, and by 8 a.m. we were back on the road.
Day 3
Our main goal was to reach Monsanto by midday, a medieval village known for its great restaurants and fresh water fountains.
The heat returned quickly, with temperatures reaching 40°C as we rode through eucalyptus forests and rolling sandy gravel roads. We struggled to cope with it and had to stop frequently whenever we could find shade, which wasn’t easy.
We finally arrived in Monsanto around 1 p.m. and enjoyed what was probably the best meal of the event: bacalhau com grão, a refreshing cod and chickpea salad with eggs, onion, and olive oil. It was delicious and packed with the nutrients and carbohydrates we desperately needed.
After lunch, we washed ourselves in a nearby fountain, soaked our clothes, and set off towards Castelo Novo.
The route took us along beautiful rolling gravel roads. It was my favorite section of the race so far.
By 10:30 p.m., we reached Castelo Novo. We washed our bikes—the chains were screaming for attention—grabbed a short nap, and then began the first major climb towards Checkpoint 2 on the Gardunha mountain range.
The gravel road was excellent, but exhaustion meant we spent a lot of time pushing our bikes.
We spotted around five small scorpions on the climb, which convinced us not to sleep at the summit. Not that we had planned to anyway.
At the top, we were surprised by a three-kilometer hike-a-bike descent over rough terrain. After such a long climb, we had expected a rewarding descent. Instead, we found ourselves walking through large rocks. I even slipped and fell at one point.
It was exhausting.
After nearly ninety minutes, we finally reached rideable gravel through the forest and began descending towards the tarmac below.
A few kilometers later, we discovered several cherry trees leaning over the road, loaded with ripe fruit. We took full advantage and stuffed ourselves with cherries.
At around 4 a.m., after covering 120 kilometers, we reached Lavacolhos and found shelter beside the church. It was a perfectly flat sleeping spot with a pleasant temperature of 17°C.
We woke up to distant dry thunderstorms rumbling across the mountains.
Day 4
We rolled out of the village around 8 a.m. and followed smooth tarmac roads in search of breakfast. Food options became increasingly limited as we ventured deeper into the mountains along the Zêzere River.
We passed through an old mining town that felt almost surreal. The entire morning had a strange atmosphere as we rode through burned forests and along sketchy roads beside the river.
Eventually, we found a fantastic café with a small supermarket attached. We stocked up on sandwiches, fruit, and our favorite ultra-racing cocktail: apple juice mixed with water and ice.
We also charged our devices.
One thing that impressed me throughout the event was my Coros Dura. Since the start, I hadn’t charged it once. Thanks to the integrated solar panel, it still had around 70% battery remaining.
After breakfast, we headed into what would become the most brutal climbs of the event.
The roads out of the valley were barely rideable, and once we reached the tarmac, the climbing continued relentlessly. The final two kilometers, combined with temperatures reaching 43°C, completely shattered us.
Eventually, we reached a dam with a beautiful river beach and stunning mountain scenery. We had no choice but to stop for several hours due to heat exhaustion and sleep deprivation.
I wasn’t feeling well.
I was constantly dizzy and nauseous.
We jumped into the lake to cool down. While the locals cautiously dipped their toes in the water, we went straight in, much to their amusement.
Afterward, we lay in the shade and tried to sleep, but when your heart rate remains elevated, falling asleep is easier said than done.
By 7 p.m., the temperature had finally dropped enough for us to continue.
We spent the next two hours climbing tarmac roads until we reached the summit at sunset. The views were incredible, and we captured some of our best photos of the trip.
Then came another descent towards the river before the next major climb.
Knowing a huge hike-a-bike section was waiting for us ahead, we decided to stop for the night in Colmeal.
By then, we were completely broken.
At around 10 p.m., we found the only café still open. Unfortunately, the only things available were two Milka chocolate bars and a non-alcoholic beer.
We called a friend who had scratched on Day 3 due to a knee injury. As we talked, I could feel the emotion catching up with me. The previous days had taken a serious toll.
Maybe we should have stayed in a hotel at some point, but we always arrived late in tiny villages and somehow managed to find decent places to sleep.
Our friend Colin suggested we get some rest and decide in the morning whether continuing made sense.
I even asked a few locals gathered outside the café if they knew somewhere we could sleep indoors, but we had no luck.
Fortunately, we found another decent spot and lay down for the night.
At 7 a.m., we woke to light rain and the cafe was not open.
That was the moment we decided to stop.
We still had 273 kilometers and roughly 7,000 meters of climbing remaining. It felt impossible.
Many sections ahead were reportedly unrideable, and other participants had warned us about several more two-to-three-hour hike-a-bike sections before the finish.
The End
In the end, we completed 460 kilometers of the 735-kilometer route.
We experienced breathtaking landscapes, brutal gravel climbs, endless mountain roads, and some unforgettable descents among Portugal’s giants.
We were physically and mentally drained, and rather than suffer through the remaining days, we decided to enjoy the area, recover, and appreciate the adventure we had already experienced.
Sometimes the finish line isn’t the most important part of the journey.
And despite not reaching the end, The Goats gave us memories we’ll never forget.