A race where you don’t count kilometres, but vertical metres. With 27,000 meters of climbing, it is one of the vertical kings of bikepacking races. Not only did I have to deal with aggressive dogs, but I rode through rain, mud and storms. It was so warm in places that I could barely ride, but at night I couldn’t avoid freezing temperatures.
I didn’t have much time to acclimatize, so I was just getting acquainted with the local environment. In the first encounter with the dogs I completely failed, but the next days I at least knew how to do it. The first 38 hours of the race and I was trying to find the right rhythm. Read more
As soon as the rains stopped, I started complaining about the heat. The sun had its advantages. The views were worth. I visited enough hills to enjoy them thoroughly. There weren't many opportunities to replenish my supplies, and I had no choice but to eat spaghetti in bulk. Read more
For those brutal climbs, I needed strength I simply didn’t have anymore. I was so hungry, a single gas station wasn’t going to cut it. And with just an hour of sleep per night, I was in such a state I started chatting with random strangers just to stay awake. I was pushing on with one goal in mind — reaching CP3 before the supermarket closed. Read more
The last day of the race didn’t go without twists. I was catching up sleep using power naps. A piece of my pedal broke off. I got caught in a thunderstorm with lightning. And until the final kilometre, I was fighting for position. It was intense. And those views at the end… the best ending to an adventure I’ve ever experienced. Read more