Snow, Mud & Unexpected Kindness (Montsec Bikepacking Loop)

Snow, Mud & Unexpected Kindness (Montsec Bikepacking Loop)

This is where I slept last night. Because Santi took the sleeping couch. But yeah, they let me sleep here. The two brothers, Alfonso and Santi. Thank you very much. Muy agradecido. No, thanks to you. Alright, another day, Monset Bikepacking Loop. Now the route goes into those clouds. It’s drizzling. Snowing. What a day.

Let’s go, let’s go. I don’t think it’s gonna be snowing or raining a lot. Just a tiny bit. If I remember correctly when I checked the weather, it should be cloudy until 1 o’clock. So as soon as this cloud moves away, the snow should stop

The last time it was snowing was in Morocco in January. This is the second time with the snow in 2023. it is snowing a little I mean, it’s a light snow, but it is snowing a little Now I go down a bit, it will probably become rain, and then I go up again.

I was gonna comment about the rain and the snow, but I feel I wanna comment about this dog now. Good doggy. Good doggy. Good, good dog. Do not follow me. Now I’m about 100 meters below the snow. In a little bit I turn left and I start to climb up

Into these clouds, but it looks like it’s clearing very, very fast. It’s a long climb. And if I’m not mistaken, this is the highest point of the Montsec Bikepacking Loop. Let’s keep going up. I removed my jacket as well. I don’t wanna sweat too much. Easy, easy climbing. It’s a paved road.

It’s a long climb. The temperature went up. I don’t know if this is accurate, but 5.3 This climb is way longer than I thought. I checked my map again. I still have over 9 kilometers of climb. Again. Well, slowly but surely. Wonderful views, even in a cloudy day.

Here it’s a little worse, but I think in a few hours It will be almost sunny. Today I think I need to drink as much as possible. I don’t know why my right kidney hurts. I want to hope it’s just a muscle. I don’t know.

But where there is my right kidney hurts. Let’s keep on going, let’s keep on climbing. It’s all good. What a blessing I didn’t have to climb all this bit in the rain. Down there is Puente de la Montaña, where I was yesterday. I think there is where I slept last night.

Let’s keep going up. I’m well above the treeline now, sort of. I think here I’m kind of at the top. But I’m going on the other side and I still have 2 km. climbing, before starting descending. But here there is an heliport. Not sure why, maybe there is a water reservoir

For the firefighters. It’s a bit chilly. I can’t really see much around because… I’m basically in the cloud now. Another two kilometers. I’m almost to the top guys, I go down there and climb up the last ridge and then I’m starting to descend. The last bit of effort.

The wind is cold, let’s see if there is a nice view here Before I climb back up into the cloud. I see you. Chilly. Wind is chilly. Wind is very chilly. Come on, let’s do it. The last 500 meters. The last effort. I’m almost there. Almost there. Oh, the fucking wind. So cold.

Ok, this is where I start to go down. I go down a bit and then I cover myself. Oh, cold, very cold. That’s an observatory. Because this is one of the regions in Spain with the least light pollution. Alright, it’s time to start descending. Officially. Slowly but surely What a view now.

My hands are so cold, they’re freezing. The breaking doesn’t hekp The descent was really rough. It’s much better now. Very, very rough. This coming up is the tiny village of Beniure, if I’m not butchering the name. I think there is nothing, there’s no bar, there’s no shop

But I’ll stop here and eat some of my food and rest a little bit. I think if you’re interested there is a paid accommodation here. I’ll use this bench. Let’s leave this charming little village of four houses and let’s get going. Let’s dispose the trash first.

My lunch was a piece of bread, a tablet of chocolate and an apple. The temperature and the weather this time of the year, not that nice, but the colors, very very beautiful. This is where I turn right on the dirt after the little village. Yes sir, I will turn left.

What an amazing landscape. Great route, very very beautiful, I love it. This one in the summer, amazing. Amazing. Luckily I don’t have to cycle through that one. It’s a bit muddy on this trail, but it is what it is. The mud is doing my head in. So much time consuming.

The drivetrain got stuck, I cannot pedal anymore. Then people ask why do I want a Pinion bike Yeah, this is why. Fecking Hell Now I have to throw away the chain, 40 euro down the drain This is like how to destroy a brand new chain and possibly drivetrain.

In two days, in less than two days. Let’s try to be generous with the squirt It’s called squirt The days in December are definitely too short for bike for bike traveling. It’s 3.20pm 3:25 and the day is winding down already. Not enough daylight to make meaningful, meaningful meaningful progresses.

I remember when I was in Poland in December 3:25 was like the sunset, it was terrible. At least there most nights I had a horst so I could ride a little bit in the dark and arrive to someone’s house, take a shower. I love it here, such a beautiful place.

The trail is quite muddy, I’ve been on the verge of almost getting stuck in a few places. And I think the more we are going down, the worse it gets Like here. I’m almost stuck, I’m almost stuck. Let’s get to some stones. I’m almost stuck.

This soil is so sticky, I can’t even clip in my shoes anymore. At least here there is a bit of stones, but in between the stone is so sticky. So beautiful, so annoying. This is terrible. Fecking hell. So beautiful, so depressing for the mud. I have mud in my shoes,

The panniers are covered in mud. I think this way Today between the snow, the rain, the cold, the mud, very very little progress. I need to stop again and clean the the chain a bit and lube it. How convenient, this is perfect. It’s one hour to sunset but I’m already in the shadow.

I was hoping to get to the bottom before the sunset and already started to climb on the other side and arrive to a somewhat dry place to spend the night at higher altitude. Now I’m thinking it’s gonna be a bit of a miserable night At least I’m in a really beautiful place,

On a really, really enjoyable ride, despite the weather conditions and the mud. Not like this. More mud. More mud, but beautiful. Almost made it to the water reservoir. Once I reach the shore of the water reservoir there should be a little hamlet and

Yeah I don’t know if there is any chance to camp there but it’s gonna be very humid next to to the water I better start climbing back immediately. I’m out of the forest. Let’s go. Let’s go left. Oh, it’s cold. Water equals cold. 20 minutes to sunset. Let’s see if I’m lucky.

The last two nights I’ve been really lucky. When I camped under the roof and last night with the guys Super, super lucky. Hotel, restaurant. If I had some money, I could take a room here. But I don’t. So, let’s keep going. There’s no chance to camp.

I mean, there is a chance to camp, but next to the fucking water. No way. Nope, no way. Why my map doesn’t tell me to turn left? Yeah, turn left here. I’m gonna stop and I check on the map If There is something after the village I can aim to, like

A church or something in four kilometers Almost five there is another village. I didn’t check how much climbing there is involved though maybe between here and there I’ll find a place to camp This is the village, a few houses, that’s it I don’t see any opportunity to camp to be honest

Let’s keep going Let’s keep on going At least this side of the mountain doesn’t seem to have that much mud. It seems a little drier and less sticky. Let’s hope it continues like this. I don’t know why I don’t keep my mouth shut. Look at this fucking mud. Sticky mud. Shit.

Let’s push it. So I don’t get the chain. all wet Let’s see if I can… Let’s hope it’s just a little bit here. Yeah it seems a little better, let’s keep going another bit What a day, what a day. I’m back at pushing through the mud

It’s getting dark fast and I’m still 2..6 km away from the village. All right, tonight looks like I’m out of luck. Everywhere very humid, no opportunity to camp in a dry place. The trail is wet, loads of mud and I’m still about a kilometer from the village.

The village is my last opportunity, I can see the lights nowl Fingers crossed guys, but there is no church, no building, no roof, no run-down house, nothing, nothing, just wet fields. Oh man, the mud is killing me again and I thought the village was closer I’m still one kilometer away

And I got stuck in mud again. What a day, what a day. I’m going slowly because it’s very slippery as well. I’m about to get stuck again in mud, thank you very much. Here it seems a bit drier. One kilometer to the village. I hope to find a place to camp there, seriously.

Wonderful day, but now I’m a bit exhausted. I’m at the village and I see two things a roof and a dog A roof and a dog. A roof and a dog. A roof and a dog. A roof and a dog. The roof is useless. The dog is hopefully useless too.

It is useless, it’s more scared than me. What a village. I was talking to those two people, they told me there are no opportunities to camp, maybe at the church. So let’s go to the church, but there are so many fecking dogs in this village. I think this is the church.

This is the church. I could camp here, no? So this is where I’m gonna camp, here. The weather is not east-facing, so I won’t get the sun in the morning, maybe a little bit. But I think this is the best option. There is water around the corner and there are tables

To cook my dinner.

Cycling the world – Europe: 146 episode
This is seventh episode of the Montsec Bikepacking Loop in Catalonia, where unexpected kindness and nature’s challenges blend into an unforgettable journey. The night before, in the quaint hamlet of Castellnou de Montsec, home to just one permanent resident, I encountered two brothers with a passion for cycling. Their offer of hot tea blossomed into dinner and a warm invitation to sleep indoors, a gesture of hospitality that extended our conversations well past breakfast as snow began to fall outside. Setting out later than anticipated, I faced the first hour of travel under a snowfall that soon gave way to clearing skies. The day’s journey involved a strenuous climb amidst cold wind and fog, followed by a lengthy descent to a water reservoir. The path challenged me with frequent mud traps, leading to an arrival at the shore by sunset, far later than expected. With darkness encroaching and no viable camping spots due to wet and muddy fields, I pressed on to a village where I finally found refuge for the night.

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