Farawayistan

Author: Robin Patijn

Bikepacking Routes Sweden – Söderåsen and Hallandsåsen

For this Swedish Bikepacking Route (more here and here), we share our micro-adventure bikepacking Söderåsen and Hallandsåsen. Should you travel to Sweden especially to ride this route? Probably not. But if you’re looking for a bikepacking route near Malmö and Copenhagen, definitely keep on reading.

The western part along the coast of Skåne isn’t exactly off the beaten track. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a great ride. The two bedrock ridges Söderåsen and Hallandsåsen give the route some vertical dimension, in this otherwise flat region. And the easy accessibility with the starting point in Helsingborg leaves no excuse not to try it.

Bikepacking bike on train and ferry to Sweden

Take the train to Helsingborg from Malmö or Copenhagen, or the ferry between Helsingør and Helsingborg. The Öresund-strait is only 4 kilometers wide here, so the ferry ride only takes 20 minutes. We took the train from Malmö, which took 45 minutes. Bikes come along for free on the train in Sweden, but from Denmark you have to pay a fee.

Ride hard, fika harder

The first stop in Helsingborg is Backhaus Bageri & Café. Ride hard, fika harder is our motto. We each stuffed a generously filled baguette in our jersey pocket and hit the road setting off in eastern direction. We’re not gonna lie, the first stretch is a bit dull. But after 20 kilometers the business parks and industrial companies make room for undulating hills that start to rise on the horizon and the roads turn from tarmac to gravel.

Resupply along the route

We built the route with easy resupply in mind. Along the way you’ll pass small villages, but be aware that you can only find resupply in Höör, Perstorp, Örkeljunga, Båstad and Klippan. Restaurang Jernkällaren in Höör is the place to be for a schnitzel or a steak. Plan your ride carefully so you know where to stock up on food and water.

Söderåsen

The first climbing starts when you reach Söderåsen – this ridge is a tectonic landform shaped during the last glacial ice age. Here you’ll also find the literal highlight of the route: Kopparhatten, Skånes highest point at 212 meters. The route makes a small detour to the view point. We’d recommend the extra few kilometers to enjoy stunning views into the deep ravine.

At the 100-kilometer mark there’s a long tarmac section. But even seasoned gravel cyclists will love this road. The narrow and twisty road meanders through the typical Swedish countryside. There are barely any cars, and you’re back on dirt roads before you know it.

Hallandsåsen

The moment you see the gradient go up on your cycling computer, you know it’s time for the second ridge: Hallandsåsen. The highest point here reaches 224 meters above sea level. The area even offers a bike park: Vallåsen Bike Park is Sweden’s southernmost chairlift-assisted bike park with 10 downhill single trails and a pump track. The route takes a hard-right at the shoreline of Rössjön lake and the gradient goes up even harder. Firstly on a paved road, but then gravel. We even put in a little surprise at the end, in the form of a short hike-a-bike.

2-day pace

It’s up to you to decide in how many days you’d like to tackle the 300 kilometer-long route. The fast randonneurs among us, might like to finish it in a weekend covering 150 kilometers per day. There’s a wind shelter on the route after 156 kilometers – nearly exactly halfway. We shared this shelter during an earlier trip with three snoring Swedes. Hope you’re luckier than us.

3-day pace

In case you’d like to take it a little easier, you can divide the distance over three days. Riding roughly 100 kilometers per day means you will sleep at the wind shelter next to Dagstorpssjön (km 98) on day one. This shelter is beautifully located on the edge of a small lake. There’s a fireplace as well to grill some sausages. After day two you can camp at wind shelter Koarp (km 178) Here you’ll find a water tap and two curious (and hungry) cats. Alternatively you can sleep at wind shelter Korröd (km 206).

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

10 October 2022
Bikepacking the Banvallsleden with Dad

My father is the one who inspired me to take up cycling. Every year, we took a trip to a popular cycling destination. We traveled to Mallorca, Girona, and Flanders. This year, we chose bikepacking the Banvallsleden in Sweden.

Perhaps you recall the family bikepacking journey down Denmark’s Haervejen last year. A few weeks ago it was time for our yearly father-son trip. Time to explore Sweden’s finest gravel roads, grill sausages on open fire, and sleep in wind shelters overlooking picturesque lakes.

Gravel cycling in Halen, Olofström

The course we designed was divided into roughly two stages. In the first section I wanted to show dad one of my favorite spots: The Halen region is a 700-hectare nature reserve located between Skane and Blekinge. The numerous inland lakes west of Olofström are a graveling and bikepacking paradise.

We mapped out a ride on komoot. Starting in Sölvesborg the route zigzags its way around countless lakes.With the gravel roads constantly winding up and down. After 80 k’s the Wahoo showed an elevation gain of almost 1.500 meters. Pretty hilly for an area that most people call flat. As two Dutch, we know flatter. At the end of the day we were rewarded with an amazing wind shelter. Time to fire up the barbecue.

Resupply for bikepacking

We had some difficulty crawling out of our comfortable sleeping bags after a cold and clear night. But, as soon as the sun began to rise, the temperature started to go up as well. The fact that the nearest bakery was only 15 kilometers away also encouraged us to get out of bed. And, well, the views with the first light touching the trees in the background of the lake certainly helped. And coffee and pastries in prospect, obviously.

Bikepacking the Banvallsleden

After several shots of espresso, it was time to embark on the second stage of the journey: the Banvallsleden. This gorgeous route follows the former railway lines that linked Karlshamn and Halmstad. It is approximately 240 kilometers long and passes through nearly 40 former railway stations. Highlights are the straight gravel roads that lead to some of the most magnificent landscape in Southern Sweden: the wetlands of Åsnens Nationalpark.

We were riding on old train tracks and like an express train ourselves. Halfway through the day we already passed the only wind shelter. A little too early to stop, so we choose to continue. Our only chance of a sleeping place was a hotel in Grimslöv. But tourist season in Sweden apparently hadn’t started yet in April. The hotel was closed. But after a mere phone call a friendly woman showed up to open the hotel, just for us.

Hotel on the Banvallsleden

I heard some spooky noises during the night. But it might also just have been my (snoring) dad. Who can tell? The next morning, a private breakfast was already prepared when we started to wake up. The weather was nice and sunny. And for the very first time in 2022 I was able to drop my leg warmers.

In Ljungby we bought the longest Subway sandwich we could fit in our frame bags. The sandwiches were so big, it lasted us through both the first and second lunch. Ljungby is also the place if you’re looking for your daily caffeine fix. Here you can find a few nice coffee shops. Yes, you got it right. We’re quite coffee addicts.

Impressions bikepacking the Banvallsleden

One of the prettiest sections of the route is at Piksborg. From both sides of the old railway bridge you have an epic view. Not long after we got a little lost. Don’t ask why, but we rode past an old saw mill twice and lost almost an hour. Because of the delay we had to rush to Lidhult. The supermarket was about to close, and we had to buy grillkorv – Swedish for grilled sausage. From here it was another 10 kilometers to the wind shelter. And it did not disappoint. The wooden cabin was located on the edge of Årshultsmyren, and the view during sunset was stunning.

Gravel in Simlångsdalen

The last day was a relatively easy one. We rode back to the supermarket in Lidhult for breakfast. After a cup of co.. You get it, right? The last part of the route went through Simlångsdalen. The abundant nature here feels like real wilderness. The straight gravel tracks cross through endless forests. And the best thing, from here it’s all downhill to the finish line. It’s only between 1 or 2%, but still.

If you are looking for an easygoing bikepacking route in Sweden, the Banvallsleden is your pick. Effortless navigation with signs along the way, easy logistics, and not too remote with plenty of accommodations.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

19 June 2022
Farawayistan does Trans Balkan Race

It is almost race day. Our very first ultra bikepacking race, the Trans Balkan Race starts June 3rd at 8am sharp. We will cross four former Yugoslavian countries and cover 1.356 kilometres and 26.680 meters of elevation in the short period of 10 days.

We have trained for months, studied every meter of the route meticulously and dialled in the bikes to fit our setup to the millimetre. Emotional support to get us through this unfathomable challenge will mean the world to us. You can reach out to us throughout the race on our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farawayistan/. We will do our best to share some snippets from the road as we are racing!

Dotwatcher: see our live location

Dotwatcher covers the race with race reports and a GPS map with the live location for all riders here: https://dotwatcher.cc/race/trans-balkan-race-2022.

Sabina Knezevic – cap numer 42

https://www.instagram.com/sabina.knezevic/

Robin Patijn – cap number 64

https://www.instagram.com/robinpatijn/

For first time Dotwatchers

Find a short guide how to dotwatch here: https://dotwatcher.cc/how-to-dotwatch. Below you find some additional wisdom when following off-road and remote ultra races. There are a number of circumstances that could affect the race and how our dot is moving. So, no need to panic when our dots stop moving.

Tracker/Battery issues: first of all the trackers need to be recharged from time to time. So if our dot shows a red light, it could possibly mean that it ran out of battery.

Tiredness: second, sometimes we might just be tired and in need of a long stop to rest and refuel. Look at our dot history to understand if a long stop could be expected (midday sleep is not at all uncommon).

Mechanical/puncture: lastly, remember that mechanicals are always lurking and some may require a bit of time (and engineering) to solve.

To better monitor our dots, try some useful techniques such as studying the surrounding dots. Has the general riding peace slowed down? It’s highly possible we’re on a rough uphill section or in a very demanding weather condition. Satellite mode is also a good trick to spot a pause in a hotel/restaurant.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

30 May 2022
Winter bikepacking – A photo report plus 5 tips to help you survive the cold

Winter bikepacking takes a special breed of cyclist. You have to be willing to embrace the cold winds and snow. Yes, it can be cold. Very cold. But if you prepare, it can also be a liberating experience when the rest of the world is stuck indoors. Here are five tips to help you survive the cold on your next winter bikepacking adventure.

Tip #1 Eat a hearty breakfast

Your body needs fuel to warm up and keep you going in cold weather. Make sure you eat a hearty breakfast before heading out on any long rides. Eating a warm and filling breakfast will help you get off to a good start in the morning, while also keeping you full until lunchtime.

The best breakfast meal when camping is of course porridge. Make a mix at home with oats, nuts and seeds and add milk powder, so you only have to add hot water in the morning.

Tip #2 Don’t forget to drink

Avoid dehydration while bikepacking in colder weather by drinking lots of warm water. When exercising in the cold, it’s easy to forget to take regular sips from your water bottle. But it’s even more important than ever to drink enough water. Just like we lose body heat through our heads, we also lose water through our heads — you’ll have a runny nose, and you’ll be breathing out warm, moist air. This means you’ll still need to drink plenty of water to replenish.

You can use an insulated water bottle or a thermos with warm water, so you don’t feel like the outside cold runs straight into your body when you drink.

Tip #3 Keep body temperature up

You’ve probably heard it a million times before, but we want to stress the importance of layering up, preferably with merino wool. Wearing multiple thin layers rather than one thick layer will trap more heat between the layers.

It also makes it easier to manage your body temperature by adding or removing layers as you get warmer or colder during the day. We advise merino because it helps with the next tip.

Tip #4 Stay dry

When you start cycling, you might also start to sweat. Wool however, absorbs but also wicks moisture out through small openings within the fabric. This way, the surface of wool yarns remains dry to the touch, thus less cold.

In winter, you don’t want to cycle around wet and cold from an unexpected rain shower. So it might be worth carrying the real-deal rain gear and gloves even when the weather looks decent.

Tip #5 Use lithium batteries

You don’t want to run out of power on your bikepacking trip. And cold-weather conditions can be devastating to alkaline batteries. Try to keep your electronic devices in your sleeping bag at night and invest in good batteries. Lithium batteries are less affected by cold, but they’re expensive. Alkalines will save you money. But the money you saved on your alkaline batteries will seem insignificant if they fail and leave you in the dark.

Do you think you could do bikepacking all year round with these five winter bikepacking tips? Bikepacking in winter is harder, it’s true. But as long as you’re being mindful of the challenges, you too can have an amazing adventure.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

9 March 2022
N+1 – Mason InSearchOf, a bikepacking dream bike

Our latest addition to the bike park, The Mason InSearchOf has quickly proven to become the talk of the town. And the trails! This rigid steel drop bar mountain bike made for bikepacking catches everyone’s eye with its oversized tires and sleek look.

But why a new bike? Well, why not! Simply following the rule of N+1, the correct number of bikes to own is N+1. But there were a few other good reasons for purchasing a brand-new workhorse. Or better said, I self-designed a few good reasons.

Drop bar mountain bike versus a gravel bike

After 10,000+ kilometers on my 3T Exploro aero gravel bike, I’ve come to a realization. The Exploro might not be the right bike for off the grid-bikepacking adventures. The racey geometry, the limitation of max. 42 mm tire clearance (with 700c wheels) and no mounts on down tube and fork made me long for a new companion. And there was one candidate who checked all my boxes: The Mason InSearchOf bikepacking bike.

The Mason InSearchOf bikepacking rig

It is obvious why the Mason ISO triggers responses. It’s safe to say that the bend on the frontside, exorbitant tire clearance, radical full carbon ‘HotShoe Fork’ and mega dropbar can be called pretty unusual. But what kind of bike is it, and why do I like it so much? The bike – made of steel – is a bikepacker’s dream, it rides stable and comfortably in rough terrain.

’I am a huge fan of steel bikes. I personally love the look of the frames and the shapes of the tubes. The distinctive kink in the frame reminds me of my good old Avaghon X29, which escorted me from Georgia to India’.

The frame is made of Dedacciai ZERO tubes. To add a little extra strength the seat tube is made of Reynolds 853 tubes. One of my favorite qualities is the boost spacing. With just 6 mm extra, boost spacing allows for much bigger tire clearance than the standard 142 mm spacing. With a max clearance of 29 x 2.4” or 650b x 2.8” the bike tackles those rough and rocky Moroccan singletrails without any problem.

Besides these obvious features, there are innumerable little details to be found. An abundance of lugs and mounting points and internal cable routing through the fork for a dynamo powered light to name a few.

Bikepacking build

The frame is finished off with a Sram Rival 1X group set. Simple, solid and easy to fix, so perfect for adventures in remote places. The 34T crank set combined with a 10-42T cassette allows me to spin fast enough to get over steep hills. Also when fully loaded with bikepacking bags.

The Mason x Hunt The Search Son Dynamo wheel set paired with Teravail Sparwood tires rolls pretty nicely. Both on gravel and pavement. The Son dynamo is connected to a Sinewave Cycles Beacon front light, which also works as a USB-charger. Equipped with Revelate Designs bags and some other attachments like the Profile Design aero bars and King Cage bottle cages, and the bike is ready for ultra racing and bikepacking adventures. Ready for the Trans Balkan Race, L’Esperit de Girona and Atlas Mountain Race.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

31 January 2022
Bikepacking videos – Part III

It’s getting chilly outside. Winter is rapidly approaching, we already went past the end of daylight saving last weekend. While some of you may be diehard bikepackers who prepare to go out in the snow and frigid temps, this may be the off-season for others.

Wintertime, though, means relaxing with a hot chocolate in front of the fireplace, regardless of what type of rider you are. And what could be a greater complement than a few motivational bikepacking videos? So here you are, relax and take it all in.

Matty & Clare – Lost Captures

By Bombtrack Bicycle Co

Matty and Clare’s Lost Captures is certainly one of the most beautiful bikepacking movies. Norway’s stunning nature, with its rocky mountains, raging waterfalls, and beautiful fjords, isn’t the only draw. I t’s the personal touch of following Matty’s Grandfather’s footsteps on a bike touring trip through Scandinavia in the 1950s. Matty and Clare retrace Grandfather Bob’s wonderful voyage with the help of an old photo album.

Rapha Gone Racing – Alaska Pipeline FKT

By Rapha

Lael Wilcox is known for her spectacular adventures. In this short film by Rapha you follow her time trailing her way across the Alaskan tundra along the historic oil pipeline from Deadhorse to Valdez. Despite her best efforts to be as quick as possible, she prioritizes having fun. The film looks into the ins and outs of bikepacking, such as closed roads, where (not) to pitch your tent, and where to buy food. All of this performed with a constant beautiful smile on her face.

Gaëlle on Tour: Whiteout

By Bombtrack Bicycle Co

There are few places in the world that seem more ‘wintery’ than Russia’s Siberia. Gaëlle Bojko set off on a month-long bike expedition over a frozen Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater lake. Temperatures as low as – 20° Celsius are common in northern Siberia, just north of Mongolia. The pictures of the frozen lake’s pattern are stunning.

Rapha Gone Racing – The Alt Tour

By Rapha

We follow Australian pro-cyclist Lachlan Morton during his battle of beating the peloton to Paris during the Tour de France in Rapha’s latest film. Lachlan is also riding the transfer stages, as if the challenge wasn’t wild enough. The Alt Tour. Without teammates, rest days, a mechanic, or a cook, he covered a total distance of 5,500 kilometers and gained almost 65,000 meters of elevation. But who needs a cook when you can have chocolate milk, beer, and soda all at the same time?

Montanus – Second Wind

By Montanus

Montanus’ blogs, pictures, and films never fail to wow. Second Wind, their most recent bikepacking video, is no exception. After the lockdown measurements were lifted, the duo returned to the Italian Apennines Mountains. The video’s slow pace, along with the magnificent cinematography and soothing music, creates an almost meditative experience. It surely makes you want to travel to the Apennines someday.

More time to kill? Here you can find part 1 and part 2.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

2 November 2021
Lightweight bikepacking set-up – 3 day bikepacking trip in spring

Every trip we take our bikepacking set-up gets lighter, and we manage to slim down our lightweight bikepacking set-up. After experiencing how hard it was to push a heavily loaded touring bike through mountainous terrain, we turned saving grams into an art form. Here is what we brought for a three-day bikepacking trip.

When the temperatures here in Sweden finally rose above double-digit numbers, we packed our gravelbikes for a three-day bikepacking overnighter in central Skåne. It was our first time riding the 3T Exploro gravelbikes with bikepacking bags strapped to them, and we were pleasantly surprised that the handling wasn’t that affected by the extra weight. Just the turns felt a tiny bit slower. Of course we packed them much lighter than we did for our year-long endeavour. The carbon frames also offer way less space for mounting than our heavy-duty steel touring bikes.

Bikepacking bags on a gravelbike

Robin used the following bags:

– Revelate Designs Sweetroll Handlebar bag

– Egress Pocket Handlebar bag

– 2 Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbags

– Revelate Designs Mag-Tank Top tupe bag

– Apidura Backcountry Saddle bag

Sabina’s set-up looked like this:

– Apidura Backcountry Handlebar bag

– Apidura Backcountry Food pouch

– Apidura Expedition Top tube bag

– Ortlieb Roll-top Frame-Pack

– Apidura Expedition Saddle bag

Bikepacking sleeping set-up

We are still using the same sleep system as on our previous adventures. Warm, comfortable and durable. The Sea to Summit sleeping bags, pads and pillows are not the lightest, but they have been keeping us warm and comfy while being under heavy use for two years already.

It is also not the weight that matters the most when it comes to a lightweight bikepacking set-up. It’s the volume of the gear that you want to be as small as possible. This is definitely something that we want to improve on our kit list. The pad and the bag are still quite bulky. We both carried our sleeping gear in the handlebar bag and strapped to the handlebar.

Since we could sleep in wind shelters, we didn’t bring a tent. That saved us a lot of packing volume and a bit of weight. We carried our silk liners, but with nighttime temperatures just below zero, it would have been better to use fleece liners. Just to take the chill off.

Our sleeping kit:
– MSR Universal Footprint
– Sea to Summit Comfort Plus Insulated sleeping pad
– Sea to Summit Spark III sleeping bag (Robin)
– Sea to Summit Flame III sleeping bag (Sabina)
– Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow Down Regular
– Sea to Summit 100% Premium Silk liner

Cooking system for bikepacking

After the fuel line in the MSR Whisperlite stove clogging up again, we have been trying out a few different cooking systems. Our favourite thus far is the Optimus Crux Weekend cook system. The lightweight set contains two pots, a super small, yet powerful stove and a gas canister. We even had room left inside the set to store matches and a small towel. Robin carried the set in a cargo cage, mounted to the down tube. Sabina forgot her spork in the Netherlands, so she just brought a fork from our kitchen drawer. We also had a Swiss army knife and Robin had his spork.

Water on a bikepacking trip

On this trip we regularly passed small towns with supermarkets, so we didn’t need to carry that much food and water. Perfect for a lightweight bikepacking set-up. Robin had two water bottles, and Sabina had one bottle and a 2l water bladder. Because Robin rode without a frame bag, he could fit one bottle in his frame. The other bottle he carried in one of the cockpit bags. Sabina kept her bottle in her food pouch and the bladder in her frame bag.

Food for bikepacking

Always make sure to reserve extra space for food. You’ll be surprised how much you eat during long days in the saddle. Food takes up a lot of space and is often relatively heavy. We carried our food in Sabina’s frame bag and Robin’s saddle bag. Snacks we keep ready to eat in the cockpit bags, so that refuelling is easy. That way we can keep the flow of incoming calories as easy as possible.

For dinner, we ate out one night (because the supermarket was closed), and we had the Trek’n Eat freeze-dried meals the other night. Especially the Couscous with chicken was very tasty.

Everything together, this was probably the lightest kitchen we ever had:
– Optimus Crux Weekend cook system
– Swiss army knife
– Small towel
– Spork, fork and Swiss armyknife
– 3 water bottles
– 2 litre bladder
– Trek’n Eat meals
– Oatmeal
– Snacks and meals we bought along the way

Tools in a lightweight bikepacking set-up

A toolkit can really make or break an adventure. The bare essentials of a kit are a multi tool, chain breaker and something to fix punctures. Now that we’ve both switched to riding tubeless, we also carry a plug just in case the sealant won’t do the job. And if that would also fail, we carry spare inner tubes as well. Better safe than sorry – you don’t want to end up walking to the nearest bus station. Other than that we only brought missing links and a spare tubeless valve, that Robin actually ended up needing.

Our entire lightweight tool kit (except for the tubes of course) fits in a small tool wrap that Robin can easily fit in the rear pocket of his jersey. We stored the tubes in our saddle bags.

Clothing on a bikepacking trip

For clothing and accessories the risk of ‘over packing’ is the highest. It’s actually also the category of stuff where you don’t need that much of. Yes, you will be smelly after three days of riding and spending a few nights in front of a campfire. But that’s just the living proof you had a fun trip.

For this weekend we brought one set of clothing for riding and one set for off the bike, which we also slept in. Sabina is prone to saddle sores, so she had an extra pair of bibs. We also both brought a rain jacket. Here is what we wore:

Robin’s clothes:
– bib tights
– 2 base layers (1 on and 1 off the bike)
– merino boxer shorts
– thermal underwear
– 2 pairs of socks (1 on and 1 off the bike)
– long sleeve cycling jersey
– rain jacket
– down jacket
– 1 pair of gloves
– merino beanie

Sabina’s clothes:
– 2 long bib tights
– 2 base layers (1 on and 1 off the bike)
– jogging pants
– 2 pairs of socks (1 on and 1 off the bike)
– merino underwear
– long sleeve cycling jersey
– rain jacket
– down jacket
– pair of gloves

The clothing easily fits in our saddle bags. We just stuff it into the pack and keep things we might need, like a jacket if it gets cold, accessible at the front. You really need to put some force into the stuffing, otherwise the saddle pack sweeps from side to side when riding off-road.

What else in a lightweight bikepacking set-up?

Then there are always a lot of extra little things you need to have with you. For personal hygiene, to document the trip, your other electronics, something to keep you entertained at night. For us that list looked like this:
– sanitary wipes and toilet paper
– toothbrush and toothpaste
– contact lenses
– phones and charging cables
– 2 powerbanks
– earbuds
– cycling computers
– camera
– wallet

We learned that there is always something we forget, but at the same time manage perfectly fine without. On this trip we forgot to bring sunscreen and painkillers, annoying but not life-threatening. Packing light is also about calculating risks, how far am I from civilization in case I need first aids? What does the weather forecast look like? How much extra weight am I willing to carry to be able to fix my bike?

After having forgotten so many things on previous trips we learned that we will be fine either way. Everyone has a different packing list, and what lightweight bikepacking set-up works for us might not work for you. But the only way to find out what you don’t really need or maybe forgot, is by going on your own adventures!

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

15 May 2021
Komoot Bikepacking Collections – Part II

When it comes to travel, 2021 didn’t really have a promising start. But we keep on hoping for better days. And in the meantime, we’ll simply have to get our dose of wanderlust differently. That’s why we present to you another five inspirational bikepacking adventures across the globe on komoot.

This time we’ll virtually take you to Northern Spain, Alaska, India and Nepal, Rwanda and Scotland. Let us know in the comments below which one of these routes ended up on your bucket list! And in case you miss the first on, read it here.

Cycling Northern Spain

In the past years Tristan Bogaard and Belén Castelló have become a household name within the wonderful world of traveling by bicycle. From June 2017 they’ve been cycling together all over the world, and taking stunning photos and videos on their journeys. Be sure to check out their social media channels for some more inspiring content.

”Northern Spain is a paradise for riding. The temperatures are pretty agreeable all year round and the landscapes won’t disappoint you. Expect a lot of climbing, lush forests and encounters with plenty of cows. Of course, there’s also great food and Spanish culture-vibes in every quaint little town on the way”.

Photo credit: Belén Castelló

”We cycled in Asturias, Cantabria and País Vasco, and these are some of our favourite stretches”.

Lael Rides Alaska — Main Road System

Lael Wilcox is without a doubt one of the most inspiring ultra distance cyclists out there. She is not just very good at riding fast and long, she also always seems to enjoy it most of all if you look at the always apparent big smile on her face. There are several videos on the internet where Lael plays the leading role in an ultra distance ride or bikepacking race, like in the video accompanying to the Main Road System Collection.

”I am in fourth generation Alaskan. I began endurance riding in 2014, borrowing my mom’s Specialized Ruby and riding as far as I could on my two days off from work as a bartender, scouring the map to see where I could go. At the end of that summer, I entered my first race, the Fireweed 400. At that point, I realized ultra-endurance racing and riding is both something that I love and am good at. I vowed that I’d come back someday to ride all of the major roads in Alaska”.

Photo credit: Lael Wilcox

”This summer, I’m back home in Alaska with Rue so we can ride together and she can document the beauty of the place. We’ve been revisiting my favorite roads together and extending the rides to some islands in Alaska that I’ve never visited before. As I look at this Collection, I want to connect all of the dots again. I want everyone to see the possibilities of riding in Alaska. The main idea is to encourage others to start adventures from home, dream big and feel good about the time we spend outside”.

An unforeseen incredible journey — India and Nepal

In the latest issue of Dropped Magazine Robin wrote a personal story about his ups and downs during the journey from India to Nepal. End of 2019 and beginning of 2020 Sabina and Robin rode from bustling Indian cities to the highest Nepali Himalayan mountains. Places where Robin wasn’t really fond of at first, but later on the ride turned out to be an unforeseen incredible journey.

”I have been dreaming about it for years, cycling over the most beautiful mountain passes and through beautiful landscapes. You can imagine how happy I was when the adventure finally began. Together with my girlfriend Sabina, I traveled from the Georgian Caucasus through the blistering hot desert plains in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to the high mountains of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Unfortunately, the original idea of cycling from Almaty to China fell into the water. Winter knocked firmly on the door early in the season. At temperatures of minus 25, the comfort limit of the sleeping bags was exceeded by a large margin. Mountain passes were hit by heavy snow and roads were inaccessible”.

Photo credit: Robin Patijn – Farawayistan

”Suddenly, the adventure took a completely different turn. A plan B had to be made, the route had to be reorganized. The Himalayas were also on our wish list, and a flight to India was the fastest way to get there. The contrast between Central Asia and India could hardly be bigger. Within a few hours I went from extensive Kazakh steppes to the Indian metropolis New Delhi with over 30 million inhabitants. The adventure from India to Nepal turned out to be a wild ride, accompanied by the some perilous moments. Through the crazy traffic from Delhi all the way to the highest peaks of Nepal.”

Journey around Rwanda

The bikepacking route through Rwanda (and Uganda), stands very high noted on our personal bucket list. We even had tentative plans to discover this particular area in Africa somewhere in 2020. But we all know what happened. So luckily Eleonoro took us there. The amazing photography of Nils Laengner makes us want to go to Rwanda even more.

”With lush landscapes, warm and friendly people, breathtaking wildlife and plenty of smooth tarmac roads, the Journey around Rwanda bikepacking adventure challenged my preconceptions of Africa. Far from being dry and dusty, Rwanda is green, vibrant and one of the most welcoming places I have visited”.

Photo credit: Nils Laengner

”The second Journey around Rwanda took place at the end of January 2021. Due to local Covid restrictions and curfews, the organizers skipped the race and transformed it into a bikepacking event. The course took the riders all around Rwanda; on smooth tarmac roads, dusty gravel tracks, technical single trails and—thanks to frequent thunderstorms—into some mudfests”.

Bikepacking Scotland’s lochs and coastline — Wild About Argyll Trail

You might know Katherine Moore as an editor at ADVNTR.cc or host of Unpaved Podcast, but she’s also collecting the best gravel and mountainbike Collections in the UK on komoot. It was hard to pick just one Collection from her profile, because she created a staggering number of 80 beautiful Collections. One of our favourites is the awesome bikepacking route through Scotland’s loch and coastline.

”Another brilliant long-distance mixed terrain route from Markus Stitz, founder of Bikepacking Scotland, the Wild About Argyll Trail takes in some 407 miles (655 km) of West Scotland’s gravel tracks, forest roads, lanes, cycle paths and singletrack.

Explore the tracks of the mainland, the Cowal, Ardgartan and Kintyre Peninsulas, the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, cross the mighty Arrochar Alps and enjoy a few ferry rides between trails, all with spectacular lochside views and far-reaching vistas to the islands of the Inner Hebrides”.

Photo credit: 8bar

”You’ll rarely be far from water as you trace the length of both freshwater and sea lochs, hug the coastline, climb up rocky river glens and transfer between peninsulas and islands on a series of short ferry crossings. Besides the incredible landscape, there’s plenty of fascinating human history to see along the route too, including the ancient burial grounds at Kilmartin and numerous lochside and inland castles”.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

3 March 2021
A new Farawayistan adventure, join us in the fascinating Ultra endurance cycling world

Farawayistan has always been the place where our passion for bikepacking and storytelling come together. We have loved to show you the world from our handlebar perspective, and took you on a grand adventure, all the way from the Republic of Georgia to India and Indonesia.

Regular readers may have noticed that our website recently got a makeover. A sleeker look and a brand new logo. That’s because from now on we would like to add something new to our storytelling and talk about ancient Egyptian archeology.

Just kidding. We’re still doing what we love most – sharing our cycling adventures. But we are adding another aspect to it. We are entering the world of ultra endurance cycling.

The Atlas Mountain Race 2021

Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith. So when the opportunity arose to compete in one of the most heroic off-road ultra-cycling events, we jumped in the deep. As a pair, we entered the Atlas Mountain Race to be held in October 2021.

We’ve done some crazy things before. Like when we tried to cover a bikepacking route in the Georgian High Caucasus with heavy steel touring bikes or that time when we pushed our bikes over one of worlds highest mountain passes in the Nepali Himalayas. But this one might just top them all.

The Atlas Mountain Race is an unsupported cycling race across the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The fixed and single-staged route starts in Marrakech and ends after roughly 1,200 kilometers in the coastal town of Agadir. There is very little tarmac and the race mainly follows gravel roads, single tracks and old colonial pistes. If the harsh environment of high mountains and dry deserts aren’t hard enough, we’ll need to conquer approximately 17,000 meters of elevation. And we have no more than eight days from start to finish.

Why ride an ultra endurance race?

But don’t call us crazy just yet. We both thought long and hard about entering, and we have good reasons to do so. Robin: “Ultra cycling has always intrigued me. I don’t really have an explanation for this, and it doesn’t rhyme at all with the way I used to ride before. Purely in a recreational way and getting me from point A to B. But for some reason looking at ultra-events always made me feel excited. In particular the endurance aspect of physical and mental abilities. I’m not competitive in any way. Therefore I’m not going to Morocco to race other participants, but I’ll be racing mostly against myself.”

Life after travel

“After the journey I found it hard to motivate myself to ride” Sabina says, “because I didn’t have a goal. But while I was not riding I poured all that excessive energy in to my work. A bit too much. The balance was gone. Cycling made me happy, and being so over focused on my job didn’t. I’m someone who goes all in, and have proven to myself time after time that I actually am capable of doing more than I initially thought. I used to look at ultra cyclists as super humans doing the impossible. But now it got me wondering: ‘could I also do that?’ Only one way to find out.”

Shaping the new normal

Our lives changed quite drastically in a very short period of time. From freely roaming around with our loaded bikes in exotic places like India and Nepal to fulltime jobs with sales targets and deadlines. We went out as much as we could, but since we’re both working from home days quickly started to all look the same.

Introducing something brand new into our lives, in this case preparing for an ultra-event, brings excitement and a renewed focus. If we want to stand any chance of succeeding we have no choice but to be disciplined. The mental and physical training gives us structure and the excitement makes us feel awake.

Come along on our journey

We may have some experience cycling in challenging conditions, but we’re total newbies in the world of ultra-cycling. So we thought you might find it interesting to come along on our journey to the race. If you’ll have us, we will share our thoughts, experience, progress and setbacks and we’ll talk about anything to kit lists, training and bike fits.

Those who come here just for the pretty pictures, no worries we got you too. We will still be posting about our weekend adventures and bikepacking trips. Those are luckily also part of our preparation. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram and we’ll take you along. With a little bit of luck and a whole lot of hard work all the way to the finish line in Agadir.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

3 February 2021
Swedish Bikepacking Routes – The wilder side of Stockholm

A big of a part of preparing our move to Sweden, was of course researching trails and routes. We read all the articles and blogs on bikepacking and gravel cycling is Sweden that we could find. The endless gravel roads, easy camping rules and extensive nature reserves surely called for bikepacking adventures.

At every little snippet that we found one name kept popping up in particular: Michael O’Dwyer. An Irish guy living in Stockholm and sharing tons of amazing routes. Together with Björn Merlin he collects the best routes and shares them on their platform @bikepackingsweden. One of the rides they created – as part of the Local Overnighter Project by bikepacking.com – was the Wilder Side of Stockholm. A wilder side that we were eager to get to know.

In this second write-up (first one here) of our favorite Swedish Bikepacking Routes, we’ll tell you all about our overnighter Wilder Side of Stockholm. A story about our ride, with some practical tips and additional information. At the bottom of the page you’ll find the gpx in komoot.

Stockholm

After an eight-hour bus ride with the bikes on the back of the bus we finally reached our destination. More than 650 kilometres up north, we found ourselves in the capital of Sweden, Stockholm. Scandinavia’s largest city is one of the nicest in Europe; idyllically situated at an archipelago of fourteen islands and with centuries-old architectonical beauty.

We didn’t really know what to expect when we looked at the starting point on the map. The Wilder Side of Stockholm starts in Södermalm, the bustling heart of the hipster neighbourhood. The endless gravel roads and pointy pine forests seemed hopelessly far away in this concrete jungle. But we were so wrong. It’s impressive how fast the concrete and asphalt environment changed to deep forests and remote singletrack. In under fifteen minutes of riding we were no longer hearing cars honking, but just the crunchy sound of gravel coming from underneath the tires.

The bikepacking route

The trail covers a total distance of 121 kilometers (75 miles) which makes it the perfect weekend getaway. The altitude gain doesn’t get too steep but the roads and trails go up and down for the entire length of the route which accumulates to 1,000 meters of altitude for the entire route. Pretty much the whole thing is perfectly rideable, but for some stretches we were faced with rocks and roots underneath our wheels – or shoes depending on your skills. Not used to these tricky trails Sabina was pushing her bike, cursing the pedals every time she kicked it with her shin. According to the data on komoot, the road is made up of 14% single trails.

Along the way we passed numerous of nature reserves and national parks. The first one – Naturresevatet i Nacka – is just a few kilometers away from Stockholm. A favorite hang-out for Stockholm residents to escape the bustling city. We rode this route in the middle of august and temperatures rose up to 30 °C. The first big lake was simply too inviting to pass by, so we took a dip. The first of many.

Rich in oaks and with plenty of forest lakes we felt like we were in the midst of nature already. Riding in to Tyresta National Park we cycled amongst old giants. The pine trees here are up to 400 years old. The excellent double tracked gravel roads here are truly spectacular.

Paradiset, the highlight of the route

After Tyresta National Park we made our way towards Paradiset. A name like that set our expectations high, and we were definitely not disappointed. The area is a popular weekend hiking destinations for Swedes. One of the longest trails of Scandinavia covering over a thousand kilometers – the Sörmlandsleden – runs through here. But the real highlight lays on the bank of Trehörningen, a small lake on the southern edge of the reserve. The crystal clear lake is fully surrounded by trees.

Scattered across the shore are a few vindskydds (wind shelters) with idyllic fire pits for night time camp fires. All around the lake there were people grilling, swimming and simply enjoying quality time in nature. We arrived a bit late, and for the shelters applies first come, first served. But we pitched our tent on a secluded spot on the bank and spent the warm summer night with only the inner tent.

Wild camping is allowed

As is the case (almost) everywhere in Sweden, wild camping is allowed. You simply find a good place and pitch the tent. Finding a good spot is no challenge, there are nice spots around every corner. The shelters in Paradiset are located after roughly 66 kilometers from the start, so a little over half way in.

The next morning, after crossing the railway near Västerhaninge the gravel and trails started pretty much straight away. It felt like we were flying here, compared to yesterday’s tricky trails. Near Lida recreation the route makes a loop which leads to the last nature reserve: Orlångens naturreservat. We had some time to spare and swam and sunbathed, soaking in the summer rays. Ready for the last short stretch we rode the open and easy rolling gravel road to the endpoint of this route in Huddinge. Here we could personally thank Michael for putting together this stunning route.

Supplying for the ride

Finding food and water is no problem on the Wilder Side of Stockholm. We found various shops along the route. And if needed, a village is always just a small detour away. If you’re planning to stay for the night in the Paradiset windshelter, it’s best to stock up for the night and morning in Västeraninge. Here are a few bigger supermarkets and even a Systembolaget: the government-owned monopoly distributor of alcohol. So if you fancy a cold beer at the campfire this is your chance. Unless it’s Saturday after 3PM or Sunday, then you’re out of luck.

Getting there

Sweden has an extensive rail network, but this time we opted for the bus. Taking your bike on long distance trains in Sweden is a pain since you need to pack the bike in a bag or box. You can however bring your bike on the local trains, called pendeltåg. Make sure you get off the train at Stockholm Södra, since bicycles are not allowed on Stockholm Central. In Huddinge – where to route ends – you can easily hop on the pendeltåg back to Stockholm.

The Wilder Side of Stockholm is a great bikepacking route – ideal for a mini adventure during the weekend. It’s amazing how quickly the scenery changes right after leaving the bustling city centre of Stockholm. Gorgeous gravel roads and a few fun single trails through a gorgeous landscape with thick forests and pristine lakes. We loved every second of it.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

22 December 2020