Alpine Adventure

Club Triumph’s Ten Countries Run is an insane idea that makes perfect sense once you have done it – two days of driving nirvana in some of Europe’s most spectacular scenery. The editor and his brother Paul were privileged to join this year’s adventure in their Herald.

At last, after weeks of preparation, a small fortune spent on new parts and long nights agonising over just how many spares to pack into the boot, we are underway on Club Triumph’s Ten Countries Run (10CR). As the name suggests, this is a tour through various European countries. However, you can instantly dismiss any thoughts of gentle runs during the day, extended lunch stops and time to wash and brush up before a leisurely evening dinner. That is simply not how Club Triumph rolls. As far as I could tell, the 10CR consists of a mad dash down to the Alps on day one, followed by two days of driving up and down as many Alpine passes as possible, before concluding with another slog back north on day four to finish in a Dutch monastery that brews its own beer. Have I sold it to you yet...?

This event has been running and evolving since 2003. Usually it includes an overnight section that gives 36 hours of straight driving, participants catching what sleep they can on the move, but this year there was the luxury of an overnight stop each day. In an ideal world, everybody would arrive in time to meet up for a few drinks in the bar and regale each other with tales of the day. But of course, we don’t live in an ideal world and for many of us the reality was rather different.