This is not a conventional travelogue, nor a military memoir, nor a guidebook \u2014 though it carries elements of all three. It is a personal record of journeys taken by E-MTB through the high and hidden parts of Western Crete: routes shaped by war, faith, and the old myths of this island.<\/p>\n

Each ride is real. The places are real, the distances real, the terrain often unforgiving. The histories are true, drawn from reliable sources and cross-checked where possible. I have not embellished. Where I speculate \u2014 about myths, meanings, or memories \u2014 I make that clear.<\/p>\n

This website is written for anyone who values clarity, place, and the persistent thread of memory. The language is direct. I write with the discipline of a soldier and the eye of someone trained to notice what others overlook. Dyslexia has shaped my voice \u2014 concise, grounded, and free of unnecessary metaphor.<\/p>\n

Some readers may follow these tracks themselves. Others may simply follow the words. Either way, I hope the journey offers something worth remembering.<\/p>\n

I ride an E-MTB in Western Crete, mapping and publishing off-road routes that explore some of the island\u2019s most rugged and remote terrain. Every ride is documented with downloadable GPX files via Komoot, along with elevation, surface data, terrain notes, historical context, and field-tested insights.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve spent countless hours in the saddle exploring off-road Western Crete\u2014mountains, ridge lines, olive groves, goat tracks, rocky gravel tracks, and ancient paths.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Most routes fall between 25 and 50 km, with up to 1,200 m of elevation gain. They\u2019re designed for capable riders who enjoy challenge, exploration, and practical detail.<\/p>\n

Before settling here, I served in the British Army. After retiring, I continued long-distance cycling\u2014bikepacking across Europe, unsupported and self-planned. Then came a heart attack.<\/p>\n

Without pedal-assist, I wouldn\u2019t be riding at all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Recovery took two years. Traditional bikepacking was no longer viable. On my cardiologist\u2019s advice, I took up E-MTB.<\/p>\n

These days, I ride three times a week with a group of mates. Rides are posted via our WhatsApp group. What began as recovery has become discipline, adventure, and connection\u2014to the landscape, to the past, and to myself.<\/p>\n

What started as recovery has become a way of life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

If you\u2019re into off-road riding, military history, Greek mythology, or just want to know what\u2019s out there\u2014welcome.<\/p>\n

Enjoy the journey.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alan
Crete, 2025<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is not a conventional travelogue, nor a military memoir, nor a guidebook \u2014 though it carries elements of all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-197","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emtbcrete.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emtbcrete.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emtbcrete.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emtbcrete.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emtbcrete.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=197"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/emtbcrete.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":328,"href":"https:\/\/emtbcrete.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197\/revisions\/328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emtbcrete.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}