Dusty Lizard Campout in Romania

Life can be really simple at times. A few days of riding, camping, and sharing stories around the fire can create the kind of memories that stick with you.

What am I talking about? The Dusty Lizard campout in Romania—an unforgettable long weekend organized by the amazing Mosko Moto crew. As soon as the event was announced, Nikola and I jumped at it. Like we needed a reason to ride...

This type of event draws in a special sort of riders. People who like to be outdoors, don't mind getting muddy, sweaty or covered in dust while exploring new trails in search of The view, can't be bothered by rain or cold. We all speak the same adventure language, no matter where we come from.

Beyond the pure joy of riding just for the ride, trips like this are also our testing ground—for both current products and the new ones in the pipeline (CFMOTO 450MT, wink wink). 

It’s the perfect chance to connect with fellow adventure riders, hear their real-world feedback, and learn what works, what doesn’t, and what could be better. Honest conversations happen most naturally around a campfire or during a scenic trail break—and nothing beats that.

Base camp was set-up on slopes of Păltiniş ski resort, near Sibiu. I can't say enough good things about the organization. It will be a challenge to surpass this! Amazing food prepared by a local family, chillout zone, live music, axe throwing and so on. Oh, and let's not forget the most adorable shepherd dog ever.

Waking up with a sunrise view straight from the tent door. It feels right to start the day like this

And then there was riding, that's what we came for. Scouting team explored the whole area to make sure there are tracks for everyone. All we had to do was to go out and enjoy them. So, that's exactly what we did :)

Definite highlight from day one was strada Strategica with its spectacular scenery.

A nice extra reward for riding strada Strategica is that you get to ride one side of Transalpina pass. We sampled the north side this time and I can't wait to come back and experience the whole thing.

Trails take their toll on bikes and things break. One flat tire, one broken rear brake pedal and shifter lever adjustment for our special group. Nothing that couldn't be sorted (or ignored) in a couple of minutes.

Local wildlife was also involved in the ride. A lizard gave us navigation tips, shepherd dogs made sure we didn't ride slowly, cows, horses and sheep just did their thing. No bear sightings which was perfectly fine by me.

There are two types of dogs out there. Photos above and below nicely illustrate the subtle differences.

Trying to capture the full Dusty Lizard experience through words and photos is an impossible mission—some things just have to be lived. I know I can't wait for the next one.