Editorial method

How routes are researched

Verification is an editorial fact about how a specific route was checked. It is not a guarantee that conditions will remain unchanged.

From route idea to public guide

  1. The editorial team defines the intended alignment and researches enduring facts using relevant, attributable sources.
  2. Route geometry, distance, elevation, surface, practical information, restrictions, and operational details are checked for internal consistency.
  3. Public editorial sources are recorded. GPX and media origin, rights, and usage constraints are retained in internal provenance records.
  4. Where field evidence is available, the complete published alignment and its material claims are assessed against the applicable review method.
  5. The route is published with its method, last-reviewed date, and next review date. Time-sensitive information is checked at least every 12 months.

What the labels mean

Desk researched

The guide was assembled from cited, relevant sources and checked editorially, but the complete published route has not yet been confirmed by a qualified local review or a recorded verification ride.

Locally reviewed

A named, trusted person with current local knowledge checked the complete alignment and route information using direct, recent observation. The author did not personally complete the qualifying verification ride.

Ridden and verified

The named verifier personally rode the complete published route and checked its alignment, surfaces, hazards, practical stops, and material claims with a recorded track and supporting field evidence.

Needs review

The route is due for another editorial check, either because its scheduled review date has passed or an editor flagged it early. It remains visible and keeps its actual research or verification method, but riders should treat its information as needing renewed confirmation.

Method and freshness answer different questions. A route can be “Ridden and verified” and also “Needs review” when that earlier ride no longer provides a sufficiently current check.

What a field check covers

A qualifying field check accounts for the complete published route, including its endpoints, surface classes, access restrictions, navigation ambiguities, hazards, traffic observations, practical stops, and operational claims. Material discrepancies must be corrected or clearly resolved before the stronger method is published.

A partial ride, a nearby alignment, old memory, or a source-only review does not qualify as “Ridden and verified” or “Locally reviewed.” Field observations are dated and cannot establish permanent conditions.

Sources, GPX, and media

Route pages link to their public editorial sources and to official road-condition publishers for the countries they cross. A link records where information came from; it does not claim that a road is open now.

GPX and media provenance is recorded with the route content, including authorship and licence information. Temporary illustrated route plates may support presentation, but they are non-documentary: they do not prove route identity, current conditions, or field verification, and they never count as evidence for a verification label.

Before riding

Conditions can change after any review. Check the official sources linked from the route, current weather, local restrictions, ferry or border information, and the suitability of the route for your motorcycle and experience. Turn back when conditions are unsafe or access is restricted.