Two weeks, a thousand kilometers — on the road in the heart of the Balkans - Zsolt Kővári's Expedition with GÉPTESZT

Two weeks ago, our colleague Zsolt Kővári set out on his journey, and the first stage is already giving shape to the kind of expedition that is unfolding. After departing from Budapest, he stopped in Véménd, his home village, where he gave a talk and said goodbye to family and friends before taking on the greatest challenge of his life so far. expedíció Kővári Zsolt Balkán

Since then, he has passed through three countries. After a brief loop through Croatia, he crossed Serbia and reached the heart of the Balkans. He passed through Belgrade and then, entering Bulgaria, encountered more serious elevation changes varied terrain. In the past few days he has left Sofia behind him, closing out the first major regional stage of the trip.

His route aligns well with the international cycling corridors: after the stretches along the Danube, he continues along the interior routes of the Balkans, partly following the EuroVelo network — particularly routes 6 and 13 — before gradually breaking away from them and heading southeast. This region is well known among long-distance cyclists, yet still relatively uncrowded: estimates suggest that only a few thousand cyclists choose this direction each year. GÉPTESZT expedition Kővári Zsolt Balkans

The Balkans, however, represent more than just a geographic shift. The terrain is becoming increasingly rugged, daily elevation gains are noticeably growing, and traffic conditions demand constant adaptation. This stage is no longer about “warming up” — it’s about finding a rhythm.

Zsolt’s performance reflects this. Although there have been days when he covered 123 kilometers, his average daily distance tends to fall between 60 and 70 kilometers. This is a deliberate choice, and an essential one on a journey of nearly 10,000 kilometers. What matters is not the daily maximum, but a sustainable daily distance and pace over the long haul.

The numbers are now really starting to take on meaning. In two weeks, he has put 1,000 kilometers behind him, meaning he has already completed one tenth of the full distance. This is the point where the expedition moves beyond its opening phase into steady, deliberately built progress.

This kind of consistent, step-by-step approach is close to our own way of working. In our field too, what counts is what holds up over the long term: reliability, thoughtful preparation, and the technical and mental foundation that can be counted on under any circumstances.

The road ahead is still long, but the lessons of these first weeks are clear: he is going to make it! We follow Zsolt’s progress day by day on LiveTrack, keeping an eye on where he is, and he often comes up in the office conversations. It’s a good feeling to watch him advance kilometer by kilometer — and of course, the whole GÉPTESZT team is cheering him on.

You can read more about the inspiration behind Zsolt’s journey and his departure in our previous post.

Followers can track Zsolt's journey on our Facebook page.

More interesting stories about Kővári Zsolt's journey and the B2TR expedition.