Farawayistan x Gestalten – Grand Bikepacking Journeys

Print is cool! So it’s always nice when a new bikepacking magazine or book is released. Earlier this week Gestalten’s latest book ‘Grand Bikepacking Journeys’ dropped on our doormat. And the fact that two of our stories were included made us pretty proud. 

Stefan Amato, creator of Pannier, asked us a while back if he could use footage from our previous travels. He was curating an exciting book with grand bikepacking journeys for Gestalten. Our travels would fit right in. Months of hard work later, the result is finally here. 

Grand Bikepacking Journeys

In this sequel (see the first book), bikepacking expert Stefan Amato suggests world-famous must-ride routes. Stefan shares helpful advice on prepping, gear, and dealing with the particular problems encountered along the journey. Readers also learn more about the background and geography of each route and highlights any hidden gems. 

The Iditarod across Alaska, the Trans-Pyrenees between France and Spain, the Cross Cape route in South Africa, and many other routes are among those mentioned in the book. We cycled two of the routes: The Annapurna Circuit Trek and the Pamir Highway.

Annapurna Circuit & Pamir Highway

In December 2019 we started our bikepacking journey following the Annapurna Circuit Trek. One of the world’s most beautiful high altitude hiking trails. The trail winds through some of the world’s tallest mountains, with Annapurna I as the highest at 8.091 meter (26,545 feet). You’ll find some of our favorite shots of the trip in the book.

The Pamir Highway is adventure cyclists paradise. We spent a month in the beautiful landscapes of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. We cycled the legendary Ak-Baital pass (4.655 m) and followed the Panj river separating Tajikistan with Afghanistan. Fun fact: we’re sharing the story about the Pamir Highway with Ryan Wilson (@rmdub) – a huge bikepacking and photography inspiration. We coincidently bumped into him when we were riding the Annapurna Circuit Trek in opposite directions.

Hopefully this book will inspire you to get out on your bike. You can find more information about Grand Bikepacking Journeys here.  

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