Carpatia Divide 2019

634km
Distance: 16,677m
Elevation

In 2019 Carpatia Divide was my second big event of the year and my first race abroad. Poland is a neighbour country and the language is similar, but I had a difficult time understanding the locals. As always it was harder than I expected. It didn’t rain, but the route was muddy and the terrain so hard I had to walk a lot.

#Bikepacking

A lone bikepacker, wearing a white helmet, sunglasses, a white and orange cycling jersey, black shorts, and white calf-length socks, rides a black and red mountain bike with a yellow water bottle across a grassy, slightly rutted track. A black saddlebag and a small bag near the handlebars are visible. In the background, rolling green hills covered with forests and scattered villages stretch under a light grey, overcast sky. To the left, a stack of wooden planks and fence posts sits on a higher part of the hill.

Day #1 When I was terribly wrong

As I finished my last race very strong, I pricked. I though I can beat anything. But the Carpathian mountains gave me an important leason. I had no energy but I needed to climb just one more hill to get to shelter. Read more

Two cyclists with bikepacking gear are standing on a dirt track in a sunlit grassy field, looking out over a vast mountain landscape with dense forests in the foreground and layers of blue-tinged mountains under a partly cloudy sky.

Day #2 How can one zapiekanka change the whole race

I tried to forgot the first day, which was extra tough, and I tried to find an appetite. The Carpathians were not showing me their friendly face, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Despite my suffering, I found redemption. It came in the form of special Polish pastry. Read more

A muddy, rutted track, likely used by vehicles, cuts through a dense forest with tall trees and lush green undergrowth. Puddles of water reflect the overcast sky in the deepest ruts.

Day #3 When I was crossing endless meadows

As it often happens, I turned off race mode and focused on survival. I chose the only tactic I knew: keep moving at all costs, despite what stood in my way. Unfortunately, that meant dealing with mud and ruined sections of the path. Read more

A first-person view of two muddy legs and feet, likely from a bikepacking trip, resting on a patch of grass next to a gravel path. Both feet are adorned with black, well-worn, and heavily mud-splattered cycling shoes with visible laces and straps. The wearer's calves are covered by white compression socks, also heavily splattered with mud, with red bands at the top and bottom. The socks show some signs of wear and minor tears.

Day #4 How I sang the bear song

The ending was epic, as it should be. I wanted to reach the finish line so badly that I decided to ride all night. In the darkness, I traversed bear territory, comforting myself with the thought that they were sleeping. I was so scared that I sang until I lost my voice. Read more