iStockphoto / Pavel1964
The best dirt bikers in the world recently descended upon the French Pyrenees mountains for the Impossible Climb Arette 2023, just a few hours drive from Barcelona.
Riders attempt to make it to the top of the mountain without falling over but they don’t call it the Impossible Hill Climb for nothing, and dirt bikers were falling down the mountain and spectators were forced to run in every direction as chaos ensued.
A quick side note, if you ever have the chance to visit the French Pyrenees mountains you should take it. This is one of the most stunning parts of the world I’ve ever been to with breathtaking mountain views in every direction. Being there felt like the first time I saw the Rocky Mountains. Now back to the Impossible Hill Climb…
Dirt Bike Mayhem At The Impossible Hill Climb
The 2023 Impossible Climb Arette 2023 was held in the French Pyrenees at the end of August. Sadly, this even flies under the radar for people who aren’t tapped into the dirt biking community, even when those individuals (like yourself) would be interested in seeing the action.
This year’s winning rider was Yohan Peltier. He was riding a KTM 1190 YPRT Montée Impossible Prototype up the mountain and his winning run was caught on video from multiple angles. These riders are all on custom/modified bikes that have been elongated to make them more stable going up the steep inclines. Due to the steepness of the mountain, the clips had to be spliced together so we can see what the full run looked like.
With 5,000 people in attendance, there were a lot of spectators on the mountain. Events like this and the Red Bull Rampage offer the chance for spectators to get up close and personal with the action. That also means that when a dirt bike rider loses control and a bike goes flying that spectators have to run for safety.
This video shared by Enduro Life Media on YouTube shows just how wild the Impossible Hill Climb was this year.
The slope of the mountain was between 70-82%, just let that sink in for a moment. Most people wouldn’t want to hike that let alone try and ride a dirt bike up an 82%!!! incline knowing that if the bike flips it’s a long way down.
This isn’t the only Impossible Hill Climb of the year. The Impossible Andler was also held recently and dirt bikers were getting rocked left and right by the crazy incline of the Schönberg Hill.
It takes a special type of extreme sports athlete to sign up for an event like that.