RTG1 - Flipbook - Page 21
29 Sept to 13 Oct 2024
Day 10
Shkodër to Berat (382 km)
9 October 2024
Text & photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
Design: K-Design
Peter Spak and Lisa Schnell, 1956 Volkswagen Beetle 1100
Taxi anyone? Danny Day and Ron Doyle, 1975 Mercedes-Benz 280
The rally shifted up a gear today, with a long day
through the mountains. The Organisers turned up
the heat on our only full day in albania.
Elbasan. We turned to the hills again for the final Regularity
to Kaçivel, where we rose and fell through countryside
covered with olive trees and vineyards.
at this point the pull of Berat and the night halt in the
Hotel colombo was proving irresistible. Slightly delayed
were Ivan and Tisa Pusnik who needed help from andy
Inskip and charlie neale when their ford coupe developed
a mysterious electrical issue just after the final timing
point and ground to a halt.
The weather’s been kind the last few days, but it seemed
to be payback time today. after a night of heavy rain, the
roads out of town were wet. Perhaps fittingly, as we passed
a statue of Mother Theresa, rain slashed across us in biblical
torrents as we struck east to the first Regularity through
Pukë and towards the misty hills of the Mali i Munelles.
More bends and rain followed leading to the second
Regularity on the old road, the Rrugë SH30, with its endless
interlocking hills and relentless climbing. What goes up
must come down and, after an intense morning, a helterskelter descent delivered the rally to the tranquillity of the
Time control in liqeni Qafë Mollës.
next was a long, scenic road section via Route checks in
liqeni Ulzë on the River Mat, and soon after we crossed the
Qafë Murrizë pass and into the environs of Tirana, the capital
city. Due to the rain and localised flooding the Organisers
allowed an extra ten minutes at the Time control in the
Restaurant Dy luanet, giving crews the chance to dry out
and enjoy the seemingly endless trays of hot and easy food.
after a tough morning the postprandial period was
fairly relaxed as we took an easy motorway run down to
www.rallytheglobe.com
