Cycling Bat Infested Tunnels, Rusted Railway Bridges and Abandoned Buildings – The Ćiro Trail

One of our favourite adventures to date! Cycling over 100km along abandoned railway line through tunnels full of bats.

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Danni & Joe

This week we’re starting our journey along the churro Trail which is a former austro-hungarian Railway line that was abandoned after the war during the War I can’t remember yeah I’m gonna Factor we’ve got no internet to fact check it it’s about 180 kilometers long is that

Right 140 140 kilometers long we go from here in mostar to Dubrovnik in Croatia so you can help you we’re not clamping in a Minefield wow with a couple wow day one it was my 30th yesterday we’ve just got a train back from Sarajevo stayed out a little bit too late had a

Few too many beers and now we’ve got a cycle but luckily we’re only cycling it’s flat it’s flat and it’s like 30 kilometers we’re going to check into an apartment and then sleep wash we stink oh no you had a shower this morning I didn’t have a

Shower I’ve got my Kebab stained t-shirt on still news this morning on the on the train I could smell you last night I was ready to go home but Joe was like it’s my birthday it’s my day I was like oh I can’t really

Say no can I but I closed the tab quick so then we had to go home right we’re gonna get this day over and done with I think the first part is mostly on a road as we get out the city and stuff so it shouldn’t be too interesting today but

Over the next few days ago it’s along a old railway lines that should be stunning wish us luck right let’s get out of here they’ve got drop curbs in a random places it was weird being back on a bike it’s been a couple days well a week feel pretty good though sunny

I’m gonna be raining our blessings up that wasn’t me 6K already surprising how fast it goes when it’s flat come into a bit of an industrial estate there’s signs for the trail still though which is reassuring um I did read somewhere someone they’re on the wrong path for ages but this is right

Winery if I wasn’t so high if I wasn’t so hungover shall we lovely little Olive Grove couldn’t film through that bit in the winery I’m gonna try and remember the name alumin try find a bottle of wine just for the sake of alumin a like aluminum but a-l-u-m-i-n-j I don’t know

How you pronounce that if any locals can help um we’re just hugging the train track at the minute which is the same line as we went on and went up to Sarajevo we might see a couple trains go past and the Old Railway line is in that bit thank you

Mickey Mouse having a drink it’s just so much nicer to be on the flat honestly I’m not made for the Hills and yeah sun shining just a little reminder from the war still about unexploded ornaments I think there’s quite a few minefields on route

We had a look at a map and we basically follow a massive Mineville the whole way so sad isn’t it and it lands it’s all can I dig them up they can but it’s just the amount of them but safest ways to blow them up intentionally but who’s ready for a

Little ramp Danny said why don’t you put the Drone up that’d be nice now bear in mind the drones at the bottom of the backpack which is strapped down really awkward to get the bag out I think I’ll take the Drone out put it all up put the

Phone in blah blah blah gone to take it off and it says aircraft in enhanced warning Zone flow with caution most our airport were right by a [ __ ] airport and I can’t confirm it because we ain’t got any internet we can’t take it off here um I don’t want your peanuts that you

Spilled all over the floor Just saying having the best day sun shining is flat just really feeling it it’s beautiful as well so it’s lovely scenery Foreign Foreign Trail so the weather that we’re trying to avoid by going to or standing most on and then going to Sarajevo hasn’t really paid off because now look at the forecast all week it’s raining now it’s like more wet rain than like heavy rain you’re a rain

Expert you know like when your hair goes ready you just gotta soak you in it gradually um but there’s literally nowhere we’re like in quite a big town at the moment we didn’t go too far yesterday’s we just knew the rest um but yeah there’s like nowhere to stay

On route that was a really cool hotel which we could try and check out but it says it’s fully booked online so I don’t see that changing so kind of Old Railway Carriage Station station it’s like 50 kilometers away so we could try and get there but

Um that’s quite an expensive place to stay but I don’t even think it’s available so it would be wild camping which it’s not the end of the world to be fair just after you get soaking wet all day and then having to put a tent up but what one that would be okay

And it’s gonna load the bikes up and get on the road in a minute so I’ve loaded the bikes up a little bit differently this morning and I’ve also had another go Danny’s patio that was wobbling I’ve actually taken the bolts out and crossed these two metal brackets over and it

Seems a lot stronger and then I’ve also put Danny with the smaller bags all the electricals in um they’re about the same weight but they they’re quite a lot closer to the bike so the leverage it doesn’t wobble it as much and pop these on mine

And I’ve got all the clothes in the big dry bag now and then the food’s just on top with a camera bag in here just case it dries up enough to get the camera out put this in whilst it’s dry and hopefully not take it out but to be fair

The route’s been really well signposted so far and she needed a map um but today we’re taking a turn off up to the gravel but it looks like there’s two routes you can stick to the road or you can push up about three or four hundred meters up but then

You hang onto the gravel go through the Old Railway tunnels and stuff which I’ll see what you want to do um yeah I’m not sure what we’re gonna do for Shelter by tunnels which apparently covered in batshit and snakes and bats obviously that’s quite hard in it all right here we go

Day two day two wet through you’re right in your hand need some money everywhere we go even we went to a restaurant last night and even though we only take cash so I need to go to an ATM because they’re really expensive I think it’s just like cars but it’s like five

Pounds every time we use it so we try and get a reasonable amount out um oh yeah there’s like nowhere to stay on Route so probably just gonna get work but it stays like this is okay Foreign Foreign loose not for the faint-hearted And that down with a lilies canoe there if anyone wants one the beer crating it working on it reminds me of Route 66 this is Sameera Bridge that we would have gone across in the car over there not moved in a while going to utilize the Shelf without a

Little snack under it you’ve got a figgy roll yeah they’re a little um shrewd or filled with fat guys we put them in England fig rolls really nice crumb for them what brand does them in England oh you get a horrible packet don’t you bad use for some more time

If he’s got like a biscuity between biscuit and cake on the outside like slightly crunchy lorry Fig’s not too bitter either also just picked up because the scales weren’t working I didn’t have any bananas then I sing this at the checkup any locals know about this oh no take a banana moose

Banana sweet sugar no no no no no that is not for me yeah yeah you know it’s a big roles about what one color do we want not sure but so it splits in two parts I thought just splitting one where you can either stick to the easier road path

Or actual the um proper Railway went up through the mountains in through the tunnels or whatever but there’s another split here which is Dalmatia ban looks like you go off-road for a bit longer but I just hope there it says you go downhill go up here to show

But then look at the end of it don’t look like it joins up this one saying to go here for now and then we come across off a bit further down then join up with a steep bit then oh yeah Mike it does actually sorry it does join up Luke’s background

Yeah Luke’s back around there so we’re going uphill now well we can do yeah you wanna follow that route that’s what you wanted to do isn’t it yeah this is like an earlier section of what they had on the um commute saved one but I don’t know about kamut anymore

Let me let me read this and then we’ll cover the conclusion there’s no projector screen to knock down here look we’ve got the bike stand up by himself holding onto each other for support they’re alive probably don’t look too much doesn’t look like too much on this camera but it is

Battering the bike you’re right what happened there then Views on it mind harder steering there’s so much Wild Sage here I’ve never seen Wild Sage before Um one stage ready oh yeah what is that smell you want me to go in front Stink it’s done it seems scary we’re gonna have to go through I can see them they’re flying above can you see them all right oh I can see him in the light oh my God [Laughter] oh oh a sinking you wouldn’t get my mum going through there for a million pounds

All up on the ceiling oh okay we’re in the tunnel with the bats what like that with bats you know how long they’re gonna be I can smell the fat [ __ ] foreign foreign even with the rain and even with the hardships I just try and feel present

When I’m in nature like this because I know I’m gonna be back at work in a month or two and yeah I’m just gonna be wishing they were somewhere like this so it’s done in so beautiful I mean obviously it’s raining but it feels like you’re in a jungle

Now we’re going in another tunnel with the back s just so many mosquitoes yeah we have stopped in the cave one of the shortest ones you can almost see the light from the other end I’m not really in it probably still feeling better it’s cool though isn’t it yeah

It’s so hard to like see though and what the flower is yeah the floors this is a little bit better on some of the others and then it gets soft and what I read online that’s all the bat [ __ ] and it’s directly below the bats as well on the

First one that was the most batteries things like standing it if you can’t pedal for it like sinks a bit what’s for dinner chef some chicken stock pasta kind of party little Walnut and we’re gonna have some Sage but this side of the I can’t see any but I picked some

Earlier so we’ll use that I’m gonna wing up my socks The only problem with stopping for lunch when you’re wet feel a bit cold um we’re nearly joining back up with a bit where we would have met up with if we took the roadway um but hopefully we’re a little bit higher up now it’s been gradual whereas

Before we were about to have quite a steep push we just hope we’ve cut off as much of that as possible because there’s still a push but just depends how much we’ve missed I feel like when you look at the Rocks not to hit you just end up hitting them

I think that’s where we would have come up from that way from the push somewhat yeah you’re right yeah fell over same about the rain doesn’t it yeah just I wish we could get the Drone up but it’s not raining that much now but not enough to show the other dangers of this

Trip looks like it’s fairly recently come down yeah and I just saw like a massive spider like walk down and jump off how big well you don’t have to go across because if you don’t want him [Applause] stun him spooky hello okay you come oh Jesus neatly And they’re not full of rain water on it said that they’ve pumped up or something looks clearer than the stuff out there yeah there’s a few minutes of debris and I don’t know I don’t really don’t want the shirts bye We’re getting teased with images of brand new fresh blade smooth tarmac I don’t want to be on that with the button oh there’s no probably on this but look how Brown spanking that is oh okay I don’t think we can ever complain about roads anymore no Hello Honey I think it’s funny don’t jump Joe’s got the shakes if anyone knows Joe that’s the worst type worst type of joke thank you when I get hungry I’ve been let down after let down the food to go for it today I mean this morning went back like a fruit

Bakery they’re all closed when the supermarket was open there’s no fresh bit and you had a smoothie for breakfast yeah that’s gross I am just Railway hotel’s open it’s not very interesting they’re going to rain the man first official mine signs we’ve seen worked twice in one day about four

Kilometers now from the hotel but I’m not sure whether or not we can stay there and if we can I’m gonna have to find someone to camp but there’s landmines like all over there’s just loads of signs so keep going that’s been putting tent up in a garden if not no

Something’s going to run out of battery in a minute but I am so [ __ ] happy we’re not camping in a mowing field in the rain what a whirlwind of emotions looking on booking.com earlier there was this because Joe mentioned this hotel because it’s in the historic um Railway

And it just wasn’t available like you could book it for like Sunday so I thought oh God it’s like sold out we get it it’s just started raining again and I went in I could have kissed him he was like yeah 25 Euros I thought it was 107 Euros but

I still wanted to stay because it’s one of the main Railway stations on route in ravner cracking room as well so we’re gonna have a shower and then gonna try ourselves to a glass of wine or ten and a nice milk warm Mill dry some clothes off as well

So we just checked out of the Old Railway Station absolutely stunning night stay the rooms are gorgeous there’s um had really nice food like homemade chips and stuff liter of wine which probably a bit too much Joe drank most of it together so I think had two glasses

Um and yeah going to be heading into Dubrovnik today again sort of slight change of plan for what we’re going to be doing next I believe uh we’ll catch up with that bit later but yeah I think it’s all road now which kind of good kind of bad

Um I think it’s like 55 6 yeah hopefully it stays dry now last night when we’re in the when we’re having dinner there was like lightning and then all the power went off we’re just now like eating our chips in the dark um and yeah just absolutely chucked it

Down last time I’m so glad we got to stay here it’s just a really nice day as well To remind me I wish the trail was a bit longer actually they are they’ve got plans to join it back up with the line that went through Montenegro as well there’s an isolated section I don’t think we’re gonna have a chance to do it but they’re looking to join it back up

Which would be really cool to come back and do it foreign I’m counting down I’m counting down I’m counting down Count Me Down Counting down down There’s a really nice guy when we checked out of the Hotel this morning who’s the ex-tour guide from Dubrovnik who’s trying to boost tourism in the area he said there’s a cave which we’re just at now um I can remember he said it’s one of the

Most unique ecosystems in a cave in the world or something it’s like 10 year old Euros 10 euros to go and have a look um we’ve got some bam to spend yeah quite a unique amphibious creature yeah so we’ve just come to one of the caves as Joe said earlier it’s

One that uh one of the choice guys who comes from Dubrovnik suggested it was on route from the churro Trail but absolutely stunning you can definitely tell you’re in a different country because they’ve just left us in here so just stick to the path and yeah don’t

Put your flash on your camera basically gave us a torch um it’s absolutely incredible I’ve never been in a cave before they said this is I know there’s lots of places to say in the world but they did say they think it dates back to one of the oldest caves in

The world we’re currently at 260 meters above sea level but above us is a massive Mountain I think it goes up to like 800 meters it stays at 11 degrees all year round in here there’s also little cave salamanders which are these tiny little almost like an axolotl but a lot thinner

Um and skinnier they don’t have any eyes because they just live in the dark a bit cruel but they put one in here every month but as loads of them in the pond I asked them what they eat and they said the insects but I don’t really know what

Kind of insects would be in here but absolutely stunning there’s also this behind her which they believe Rebels lived um in here at one point there’s markings on the ceiling they don’t know what time this dates back to or anything but how cool is that just like a little table and chairs Foreign Foreign gears look at you right it’s on your face I just got a tomato I was sucking it that’s cool Foreign park there sir yeah I don’t want to get hit Project all right basement [Applause] [Applause] We haven’t facted in enough time now but this is another sort of Direction you can go and finish up in trebina trebino um maybe another time yeah here could have gone up to trebino first then ride back and come on boys just going to drop neck

So just going up and down two big Hills not topic 100 meters but um just about to leave Bosnian Herzegovina heading to Croatia again a bit sad it’s been lovely hasn’t it I think you’re fun really nice country I’ll come back for a bit more actually definitely um yeah so we

‘ve got 10K now 11k maybe a little bit further to Airbnb itself we should have um 4G 3G in a minute which across the border I’ve quite enjoyed traveling without it yeah it’s been all right it’s easier than I thought I guess because we’ve had hotels each night we just sort of plan

The route and then yeah download it essentially well it’s already pre-downloaded for the whole churro Trail on commute but let’s have a look where we’re actually going to stop and whatnot stop wow oh hi thank you hey beautiful thank you welcome back to Croatia sure next stop

For any Game of Thrones fans not watched it can’t really uh all right ready so there wasn’t supposed to be any more Hills but I changed the route to take us to the Airbnb about another 70 80 90 meter up just to come down hey best friend wow work with a couple wow

That’s the churro Trail complete we filmed this already so it never sounds as good the second time but the microphone wasn’t in okay we’ve had an amazing three days yeah highly recommend to anyone who’s considering it just go and do it it’s been such a amazing

Experience yeah um we’ve did it in three days now potentially flying to Dubrovnik it’s got more International Airport and then head up to mostar and even potentially do a full loop if you you could if you’ve got like a weak spare or something yeah go Dubrovnik mostar on

The easier route or more tarmac and then come back down the harder Trail within a weekly like something there I think anyone could do I think on commute it says expert but I mean we’ve jumped to expert level with absolutely no no knowledge so definitely give it a go

Definitely as well go on the bit that was a bit harder but make sure you bring like mountain bikes because it was quite hard um how big the gravel was definitely mountain bikes rather than rigid yeah at least front suspension uh join us next week we’re going to be exploring to

Bovnik and we’ve got a bit of a different plan now everything keeps changing as you know so stay tuned and thanks to our patrons we love you all Where are you going I said left