Journey into the Unknown
Our journey took us from Alaska to Ecuador and then to Spain, from where we cycled back home. Often, we faced routes whose conditions we could hardly assess. It was uncertain whether the path was feasible with our bicycles. We couldn’t always rely on navigation apps or locals to judge the terrain. It was often a journey into the unknown, much like life, where you like to plan the future, but the outcome is often uncertain. I want to share a few experiences to give you a small impression of what we experienced in 16 months on bicycles.
Canada: A Climb That Demanded Everything
In Canada, we faced a difficult situation when we had to push our bicycles, loaded with our equipment, up a steep and bumpy path on Kelowna Mountain. But how did we get into this situation? We were on the Kettle Valley Railway Trail and left it because we needed a few things and had the opportunity to shop in Kelowna. We actually wanted to stay in Kelowna for two nights, but since we had completed all our errands by 10 a.m., we decided to take advantage of the perfect weather and continue our tour.
Without paying attention to the elevation profile, we took the most direct route back to the former railway trail. Leaving the city, we were still on a paved road with “normal” inclines, as we were used to from Alaska or the Rocky Mountains. But at the end of a residential area, there was a construction site, and the road ahead of us was completely closed. At this point, we questioned our chosen path for the first time. We could have easily returned to the city. It would have been so easy to simply choose another route to Penticton. But by this time, we were already too indecisive, and no one had the courage to give up the last hour of work.
At this point, we questioned our chosen path for the first time.
When a few residents passed by and told us about small paths leading to a forest trail that then leads to the KVR, the decision was made and the spirit of adventure awakened. We took small, foot-wide paths next to the construction site and roughly oriented ourselves to the surroundings, and indeed, after another hour, we were on the forest trail that would bring us back to our actual trail in 4.5 miles.
Happy but also a bit exhausted, we tackled the last difficult section up the mountain. But after half a mile in the blazing sun, we had doubts again, as the path had inclines in some places that were hardly manageable with our bicycles and luggage. At this point, a father with his son on proper mountain bikes came down the mountain. The father stopped briefly with us, and we told him about our plan. He was a bit surprised, as his wife had brought them up the mountain with a pickup truck. Nevertheless, he was confident that we would reach the summit without any problems. There were only 2 to 3 sections where we would probably have to push. This statement was good for our mood, we took a short reinforcement break and then tackled the last 4 miles.
These are among the craziest routes I have ever covered with a bicycle. In the end we rode maybe 1 mile and pushed the bikes the other 3 miles up the mountain, constantly holding the brakes to keep the bikes from rolling back. Unfortunately, we couldn’t prevent this from happening a few times and the equipment had to endure several frustrated kicks from Frauke. We repeatedly had to make way for off-roaders or pickups. Dusty and at the end of my strength, a pickup driver stopped next to me and asked if he should take me and my bicycle. I was immediately on board, but the driver behind the pickup objected, and when Frauke realized the situation, both explained to me that it was only a quarter mile to our actual destination, the KVR.
These are among the craziest routes I have ever covered with a bicycle. In the end we rode maybe 1 mile and pushed the bikes the other 3 miles up the mountain…
At the top, we looked forward to a great bike path that we didn’t want to leave until our planned camping spot. But unfortunately, we were rather the exception with our bicycles on a partially very loose sand path. We constantly encountered cars.
We quickly had enough of the exhausting day and just wanted to get to a campsite and pitch our tent. But the first place turned us away because there was a private event that weekend. There was still a second place marked on our map as a state park. But to our great surprise, there was only a house with clear signs that it was private property. Quite disappointed and exhausted from the day, we faced a decision we didn’t want to make. We continued our route on the KVR, hoping to find a place to pitch our tent.
The ground of the path was now significantly better, and cars could no longer drive on the path, but it began to get dark, and there were simply no areas that could serve as sleeping places. We decided to leave the Kettle Valley Railway Trail again and drive on forest paths to Naramata. The short motivation from the beautiful descent at dusk quickly disappeared, as the two identified overnight options were not suitable for us either. We rang the bell at a guesthouse in the middle of Naramata and decided against it when we were told the price. However, after finding only accommodation in the same price category and being too exhausted for the further route to Penticton, we accepted the offer, locked the bicycles, and carried our luggage one last time for the long day to our room on the 2nd floor. We just wanted to sleep. In the end, we stayed another night in the beautiful guesthouse with a pool and river access. Overall, it was a wonderful time in the small wine village in Canada.
Mexico: Elevation Profiles and Physical Limits
Months later, we got a tip from other cyclists to follow a route from Komoot for the stretch from Mexico City to Oaxaca. During the planning, we relied on the elevation profiles shown in the app. Although we were far away from traffic in many sections, this also meant significantly more difficult surfaces to ride on. Frauke coped better with the strain than I did, and unfortunately, I didn’t listen to my body.
When we arrived in Oaxaca, we treated ourselves to a 4-day break and visited a few sights. But when we wanted to continue after the break, the muscle hardening set in so strongly that it pressed on my sciatic nerve, and I could hardly walk. As a result, we had to take a forced 2-week break. I was a regular at physiotherapy and almost had cabin fever, and we probably continued the tour a bit too early for me.
What we had neglected too much since Baja California were the nights in the tent. More and more often, we slept in very cheap hotels where you only want to sleep or not stay at all, and so we spent the days in really beautiful nature in the saddle, but “only” to lie in too simple hotel rooms in the evening. And then looking forward to the next day in the saddle.
I wasn’t back to 100%, and the days on the bike became a great challenge for me. Luckily, we asked ourselves the right questions just before we were about to abandon our journey and decided to rely more on our tent as an overnight option. We agreed to try again for at least two weeks. That’s why we adapted our route more to the available campsites and headed into the mountains of Chiapas towards Palenque. We were rewarded with breathtaking nature, the most beautiful campsites, and friendly people who quickly found a place in our hearts.
In retrospect, Chiapas came at the perfect time and was a turning point back to the absolutely positive on our trip. Even the broken air mattress and the associated waiting time for a replacement in Palenque were no longer a problem. We simply used the time to visit a few old Mayan cities and take trips into the breathtaking nature. We were also very lucky with our host Pedro and his wonderful family in Palenque.
In retrospect, Chiapas came at the perfect time and was a turning point back to the absolutely positive on our trip.
Ecuador: Cobblestones and Tears of Exhaustion
Even when we looked more closely at the conditions of the paths, we accepted difficult passages to be rewarded with breathtaking landscapes. One day we fought our way over cobblestones for miles to reach Cotopaxi National Park. As the day started, we wanted to ride from Quito to a lodge in the national park.
Leaving Quito, we first went over a short climb. After enjoying the descent and only having to brake due to a traffic situation, an aggressive dog ran up and bit Frauke, luckily only in the rear pannier. After the exertion and the shock, we needed something for our stomachs and rode into the center of the next small town. There we had delicious roast chicken, but we were a bit early and had to wait until we were served. We had no stress, as we were convinced that we had enough time for the last 19 miles.
But unfortunately, half of the 4000 feet of elevation went over cobblestones. Shaken and with only 2 hours until sunset, we tried to sleep at the property of a tour provider after about 12 of the 19 miles. But even before we reached the gate, two large dogs stormed at us, and after the previous dog encounter, we had no desire to be attacked again. That’s why we jumped back on the bikes and continued up the mountain. After a little over an hour, the incline slowly decreased, and to my dismay, it continued over a washboard track, which, although better than cobblestones without suspension, is still an absolute torture for the back.
With the last daylight, we reached the entrance to the park and had to realize that the gate was already closed. Therefore, we had to find a place to camp and luckily found a little river where we could wash after the strenuous day. After a quickly cooked dinner, it was now so cold at 12300 feet altitude that we wrapped ourselves up well in our sleeping bags and fell asleep completely exhausted. The next morning, Frauke got up early with the sun and was amazed to see what a breathtaking place we had set up our tent. Moreover, it was only 300 feet to the national park. Overwhelmed by the incredible view and perhaps also a bit due to my back pain, tears of exhaustion and happiness flowed down my face. On this beautiful day, we not only enjoyed the long descent on the well-paved road but also treated ourselves to a few breathtaking views during a hike on the Rumiñahui.
Overwhelmed by the incredible view and perhaps also a bit due to my back pain, tears of exhaustion and happiness flowed down my face.
Andorra: The Tour de France Dead End
Back in Europe, we looked forward to many paved roads without much traffic, bike paths, and very precise signage. We started with a slight delay from Barcelona because one of the bicycles, not for the first time on our journey, took a later flight than we did. As it had become a habit, we planned our first section through the Pyrenees to the French Atlantic coast with Komoot. With now quite well-trained legs, the first climbs were relatively relaxed. But shortly before arriving in Andorra, we suddenly found ourselves on mountain bike trails in the middle of a Spanish ski resort after a longer paved climb. A bit out of place with our fully packed touring bikes, we had to push down a ski slope and luckily quickly got back on an access road. Unfortunately, it was not a relaxed descent, as the road was very bumpy, but at least we were back in the saddle and rode down the mountain. However, this was not going to be our last visit to a ski resort in Europe.
After a beautiful night by a small river near El Serrat in Andorra, we were supposed to ride over Ordino-Arcalís to France. This route had already been a Tour de France stage three times, and this ends in Paris, so we didn’t question our planned Komoot tour further. As a result, we didn’t check the individual inclines of the climbs. After a longer but very beautiful climb, we found ourselves in the middle of a ski resort. We treated ourselves to a cold drink in the first ski hut and joked on the phone about our further route, as we could only see relatively steep mountain ridges around us.
We then continued our ride towards France at noon and quickly reached a point where the app showed our further route directly over one of the mountain ridges. We saw an entrance into the mountain, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a tunnel either. Now we checked the information on Komoot more closely and saw a picture of a road cyclist carrying his bicycle on his shoulder over the steep ridge. We wondered how we should continue with our loaded bicycles, and none of us wanted to return and take a completely different route.
Once again at a “point of no return,” we alternately carried our bicycles and bags up the mountain for three hours. Quite exhausted at the top, only one bag rolled halfway down the mountain. Unfortunately, we had to descend the mountain on the other side again on small hiking trails. Cycling was still not possible, and one of the bicycles fell a few meters and broke the front brake lever. We saw a small stream and luckily still had a baguette and some extra provisions with us. Therefore, we could decide to hike the last mile to the passable gravel roads the next day. We pitched our tent at a beautiful spot, and the next morning rewarded us with one of the most beautiful views of our tour.
We pitched our tent at a beautiful spot, and the next morning rewarded us with one of the most beautiful views of our tour.
How should I end these stories?
We also made many connections on this tour, but I was more interested in writing about experiences. You could ask what we learned from all the situations. Or I could try to describe it for you. But I want to leave it open and let everyone make up their own mind. I was just happy to recap some situations. I’ve never been a good storyteller, and I’m not going to become one. But I also didn’t enjoy cycling for years, and nowadays, I like to jump on the saddle and let my mind wander. The bike has become a great feel-good place for me, and I hope that each of you has your own place of well-being.
The bike has become a great feel-good place for me, and I hope that each of you has your own place of well-being.
From Nils and Frauke: We both grew up in the countryside near Hamburg, one north and one south of the River Elbe. Even before we knew each other, we both had wanderlust and spent longer periods abroad. We have been traveling together and sharing our experiences since 2018. We went on our first short bike trip together in 2020 and enjoyed it so much that we quit our jobs in 2022 and booked our flights to Anchorage. Since we’re back from our trip we started hosting on warmshowers to keep the good traveling spirits alive. We hosted Chris for one night on his “Biking the Euros” tour. Even if it is online a short time we get to spent with cyclists in our home, we enjoy every minute of it.
Chris’ Note: Nils and Frauke were my first Warm Showers hosts when I cycled across Germany last summer, and, ironically, I was their first Warm Showers guest! I met them after my third day of riding, while I was still warming up for a trip that would last five weeks. After a rainy day of riding, they gave me a warm, dry, super comfortable place to stay. They weren’t home when I arrived but they left me directions for how to enter the house, and when I did, I found a plate of fruit and snacks and a bottle of water waiting for me. In my wet, cold condition, it was heaven. They returned later that night. We didn’t get much time together, but I learned quickly of their adventurous spirits and their generous souls. You can see more about Nils and Frauke’s cycling adventure on Instagram @webikeaway