Slovakia Divide Gravel is the gravel-focused sibling of the renowned Slovakia Divide, offering a faster and more rideable crossing of the country without sacrificing the adventure. Designed specifically for gravel bikes, the event follows a self-supported format that takes riders from western to eastern Slovakia through a carefully curated mix of forest roads, quiet backroads, and flowing gravel tracks.
The route covers approximately 790 kilometres with around 13,000 metres of elevation gain, starting near Modra, beneath the Little Carpathians, and finishing in Beňatina, close to Slovakia’s eastern border. Along the way, riders traverse ten mountain ranges, including the Little Carpathians, Považský Inovec, Kremnica Mountains, Poľana, Muránska Planina, Low Tatras, Levoča Mountains, and the Slanské Hills, showcasing the country’s remarkable diversity.
The event follows a strict self-supported philosophy. Riders are responsible for their own navigation, resupply, accommodation, and mechanical repairs, with no outside assistance permitted. The route is provided as a single point-to-point GPX with no mandatory checkpoints, rewarding efficient pacing and smart decision-making throughout the journey.
While more gravel-friendly than the original MTB version, Slovakia Divide Gravel is far from easy. Long climbs, remote mountain traverses, and extended stretches through forests and valleys demand endurance, resilience, and careful planning. For riders looking to discover Slovakia’s hidden landscapes on fast gravel roads and quiet country lanes, it offers one of Central Europe’s most rewarding bikepacking adventures.
Based on this event's terrain, difficulty and riding style.
At 790 km with 13000 m of elevation gain, Slovakia Divide Gravel is roughly the distance of 19 marathons back to back, with climbing that adds up to more than 1.5 times the height of Mount Everest.
A Gravel Bike is the right tool for Slovakia Divide Gravel. Set it up with 45-50mm Tubeless rubber and gear it low — a 38-40T (1x) chainring and 10-51T cassette will keep you spinning on the steeper sections.
Slovakia Divide Gravel carries an overall difficulty rating of Advanced. The terrain itself is rough, technical terrain for a good stretch of the route, the climbing is steadily rolling, with a healthy amount of climbing, and conditions tend to run mild and generally comfortable.
Slovakia Divide Gravel takes place on August 1, 2026. That puts it in summer, with long daylight hours, though heat can become a real factor.
Slovakia Divide Gravel runs primarily on gravel, and we'd recommend 45-50mm Tubeless tires to handle it comfortably.