Girolcán 2024: Volcanic Heights, Family Ties, and the Joy of Suffering “So what’s the point of suffering by choice? Isn’t there enough pain in the world already? Why would anyone voluntarily push their body beyond its limits?” That little existential whisper showed up somewhere above 4,000 meters above sea level—the highest I’ve ever cycled. My legs were burning, the air was thin, and still, I pedaled on. As tradition goes, every February I head back to Colombia for two weeks. One week working remotely (thank you, work perk gods), and one week exploring my country on two wheels. This time I skipped the organized events and decided to design my own adventure—a handcrafted route that would be both unfamiliar and satisfyingly masochistic. A Ride Is Born: The Girolcán Last summer, my sister’s partner Dani—a hardcore trail runner with a growing love for cycling—and I decided to cook up a plan. He drew up a 250 km route with nearly 7,000 meters of elevation that would take us to the fla...
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Have I Listened to My Smart Self? It’s 9 PM, the sky is pitch-black, and my front light is running out of juice. After nearly an hour struggling through a sticky, peanut-butter-like section of less than a kilometer, I now stand at the entrance of a farm with a large "DO NOT ENTER" sign. Not quite the adventurous, freewheeling moment I envisioned earlier this morning, full of excitement and anticipation. This year, in my quest to complete at least one bikepacking ride in each of Italy’s 20 regions, I signed up for the Romagna Bike Trail —a 310 km mixed-terrain adventure. The route is designed to showcase the lesser-known paths of the northern Emilia Romagna region, famous for Bologna and coastal gems like Rimini. I’ve been hooked on bikepacking long before the gravel scene exploded and before a slew of events promised a laid-back experience connecting with nature. For a lifelong off-road enthusiast like me, the idea of extending the ride beyond just one day was irresistible. ...
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