Cycle Touring, an Option for Expert Backpackers
Around the beginning of this year, I was attending a small talk given by a figure who became popular on social media in South America, with special e…
Around the beginning of this year, I was attending a small talk given by a figure who became popular on social media in South America, with special emphasis on Venezuela. A man who one day woke up and simply set himself the goal of traveling almost half the continent by bicycle, from his native Uruguay to Panama. His name: Tabaré Alonso.
A simple, easygoing, humble, serene fellow—at least that was the impression he gave me at the time.
Mountaineering vs. Cycle Touring
As a mountaineer, I have had the opportunity to admire beautiful places and reach the summit of several mountains. When the nearby mountains began to grow scarce, I started to travel farther and farther, exploring the places few people knew, documenting more routes, learning from diverse climates and environments—coast, mountain, jungle, desert—as if I were preparing myself to travel the world, and perhaps that is closer than I had imagined until now. Tabaré Alonso's adventure undoubtedly lit a spark—one that arises not from curiosity, but from the certainty that dreams can also travel on two wheels.
Route 40
Until now it had been me, my backpack, my tent, my boots, my camera. What ultimately separates a hiker from their adventure is transportation—the route they choose to get there and to return. For a mountaineer, optimizing resources, rationing energy, and efficiency in choosing the route are key. What matters is meeting the main objectives of the expedition; that is, the priority always rests on something specific. When you are at the summit and take in the dimensions of the immensity surrounding you, I—at least in my case—feel somewhat frustrated at not being able to embrace so much, something that cycle touring, in my view, resolves. Cycle touring gives you the independence to explore more, with the opportunity to do so at an incredibly lower cost; having the ability to set the pace of your own travel and to interact better with your surroundings is something I will undoubtedly sign up to experience.
I dare to confess that, even before trying the discipline, I have already set myself a goal: to travel Route 40, which crosses Argentina, starting from the Río Negro region, Bariloche, passing through Chile to visit Torres del Paine, and ending with a view of the sea, at the southernmost point of the American continent. They call it the route of the end of the world. The mythical Route 40 has earned a place on that list of destinations each of us builds for ourselves.
Happiness Can Be Found in the Pedaling
The sun smiles, the air is dry, the wind strikes my face, my feet pedal, I am heading downhill. I get the chance to timidly let go of the handlebars, I lift my gaze, and the markings of a road vanish into infinity while I find myself surrounded by snow-capped mountains I will eventually climb. That is how I might briefly describe happiness.
A New Opportunity for Adventure
Returning to the point, I must add that that talk with Tabaré left me with two phrases: “great things take time,” and the other was: “sometimes happiness lies in simple things.” Tabaré remarked that, day after day, he used to suffer for a few more minutes of sleep after the alarm sounded to signal that it was time to get ready for the office, and at that moment he confessed to us that, unlike in other times, he now eagerly looked forward to starting the day—because, obviously, when you enjoy and love what you do, sleeping too much seems unforgivable. I am definitely signing up to include cycle touring in my portfolio of adventures. © Alejandro Guipe | All Rights Reserved.