Far far away! A bikepacking adventure through South America
Text and pictures: Ferry Weikert and Alina Mayrhofer
The beginning of a great adventure
Just over two years ago we, Alina Mayrhofer (26, CH) and Ferry Weikert (27, DE), met for the first time and it quickly became clear that our greatest common ground was our thirst for adventure. While Alina loves scaling the Alps with mountain boots, touring skis or climbing, Ferry is a passionate mountain biker and adventurer. in 2018/19, he already cycled around the world alone, covering 27,000 kilometers. in 2021, he cycled to the North Cape in 30 days and 3,000 kilometers.
Nevertheless, it was Alina who was looking for a big adventure and wanted to quit her job as a primary school teacher for a year. Ferry came up with the perfect idea: a bikepacking adventure through the Andes. It soon became clear that we wanted to cross South America from north to south by bike.
Arrival in Colombia
After a short period of planning, we suddenly found ourselves at Bogotá airport in Colombia. Ferry was full of anticipation and Alina was visibly nervous and tense. For her, it was the first time far away in a foreign culture and neither of us really knew any Spanish. The first evening turned out to be one of the most exciting and probably most dangerous of the trip. What we didn't know was that the sun sets at half past five in Colombia at the end of September. So we set up our bikes at the airport, quite stressed, and cycled through the heavy traffic of the Colombian capital as dusk fell. Our aim was to find a campsite outside the city. Armed with headlamps, we cycled through the suburbs of Bogotá and desperately searched for our first place to sleep in the dark. So we did exactly what everyone had advised us not to do. Of necessity, we ended up pitching the tent right next to the road in a garbage dump, hidden behind a tree. Alina's heart was beating wildly as we ate the leftover sandwiches from the flight in the tent with the lights dimmed - what a start that was. In fact, we slept soundly, as we had already been awake for over 24 hours. With the first rays of sunshine, everything no longer looked so scary and we started our adventure to the end of the world with renewed energy.
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Allround Taurus backpacking tent 2 persons€300.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free deliveryWith recycled material
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Allround Taurus backpacking tent 1 person€260.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Allround Taurus backpacking tent 3 persons€350.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Allround Space tent 3 persons€400.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Allround Taurus XT backpacking tent 4 persons€700.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Allround Chapel XT tent 2 persons€600.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Allround Ferret XT backpacking tent 3 persons€450.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Allround Chapel XT tent 3 persons€680.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Allround Ferret XT backpacking tent 4 persons€550.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Allround Mark backpacking tent 3 Persons€500.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Mark 3 Persons - Mountain tent€1,000.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Mark XT 4 Persons backpacking tent€1,300.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Mark XT 3 Persons backpacking tent€1,100.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Taurus UL 2 Persons - Mountain tent€580.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Arco XT 3 Persons - Backpacking tent€330.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Heat and sleepless nights
We tried to cross Colombia quickly as we wanted to reach our first major destination, the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route (TEMBR), as soon as possible. In addition, the heat and the mosquitoes were a real nuisance. Occasionally our bike computer showed an incredible 50 degrees, but we hardly sweated as the sweat evaporated immediately. Every evening we struggled to find a campsite, as practically every meter of land was fenced off. When we finally found one, we were soon lying in the tent in our underwear, drenched in sweat. We and our sleeping mats soon stank terribly. It didn't even cool down at night. As we were often surrounded by hundreds of midges, we couldn't leave the tent open either. Alina in particular had imagined the start to be very different. The bike trip she had initially been so looking forward to turned out to be incredibly tough. The sleepless nights, the heat, the physical exertion and the foreign culture all took their toll on her. Tears rolled down her cheeks time and again. But giving up was not an option and the Colombian hospitality brought a smile to our faces from time to time. Time and again, we were handed a chilled bottle of water, given words of encouragement or brought food during a break at the side of the road. Nevertheless, we were glad when we reached the border with Ecuador.
Highs and lows in Ecuador
In Ecuador, we said goodbye to the oppressive heat and set off for new heights after crossing the border. The route took us through beautiful landscapes - finally we were where we wanted to be. Now we had to contend with steep, challenging roads and the thin air at 4000 meters above sea level. But we were rewarded with the lonely, barren landscape of our dreams. Our bike took us up to 4800 meters above sea level to the base camp of Mount Chimborazo. At 6263 meters above sea level, it is the furthest place in the world from the center of the earth. We couldn't pass up the chance to climb it. We had become somewhat accustomed to the altitude; after all, our tent had become our beloved home even at 4800 meters above sea level. Nevertheless, our hearts were pounding when we set off at 11pm with our guide José, equipped with crampons and ice axe. Just in time for sunrise, we reached "The Top of the World" overjoyed and gasping for breath - definitely one of the most impressive moments of the whole trip!
An unexpected setback
After this personal success, the next piece of good news awaited us. Lilian, Alina's twin sister, also packed up her seven things and accompanied us on our trip for around three weeks. Unfortunately, this time was marked by illness. All three of us repeatedly suffered from nausea and diarrhea. Alina also caught it really badly somewhere in the middle of nowhere. With a fever of over 40 degrees, a headache, nausea, diarrhea, chills and hot flashes, she lay in the tent and could barely open her eyes. She had never felt so bad in her life. Thank God there were three of us and Lilian, as assistant doctor, took excellent care of Alina. Our determination to cycle every kilometer from Bogotá to Ushuaia put us in a difficult situation over the next few days. After all, we soon ran out of supplies and the next village had neither a hospital nor accommodation. So we dragged ourselves to the next inhabited village in four times the time, only to be denied a place to sleep by the police. Fortunately, we found a place to camp shortly after the village, where Alina, at the end of her tether, didn't lift a finger for the next 24 hours. This procedure continued until, after a week, Alina's energy finally returned and we tried to regain the five kilograms of body weight we had lost in the next big town by eating huge amounts of ice cream.
Rainy season in Peru
Nevertheless, we reached country number three with Lilian and were looking forward to the next big challenge - Peru. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to her shortly after the border. While she had an adventurous bus ride to Lima ahead of her, we cycled to the highest mountains in Peru. We knew that we hadn't chosen the best time of year to explore Peru. Unfortunately, we couldn't leave Switzerland any earlier and so we arrived in the Peruvian Andes just in time for the start of the rainy season. It didn't take long for us to realize what this would mean for us. Basically, we got up at 5 a.m. with the first rays of sunshine and were caught up in heavy thunderstorms by 2 p.m. at the latest. None of this would have been so bad, but as we spent most of the time above 4000 meters above sea level, we were pushed to our physical limits at times. Even on the beautiful Cordillera Blanca circuit, we were surprised by a thunderstorm at 4700 meters above sea level, which soon turned into heavy snowfall. We set up our tent in record time with ice-cold hands right next to the road and were amazed when our bikes were covered in a thick layer of snow a short time later. In the warmth of our tent, however, we couldn't help but laugh out loud at the situation and were grateful to be able to melt the snow into drinking water.
The magic of the Peruvian Andes
However, it wasn't always as funny as on this pass. Another time, we were on the verge of tears and sought shelter with a shepherd, as we could hardly feel our limbs and were soaked down to our underpants. Nevertheless, we were overwhelmed by Peru. In the sunny morning hours, we were surrounded by the most beautiful mountains we had ever seen in our lives.
We pitched our tent with a view of glaciers, hardly saw any people for days, pushed our bikes past herds of llamas, were invited by friendly Peruvians and saw landscapes that we still dream of today. Despite the rainy season, Peru turned out to be our absolute favorite for a bikepacking trip. If you are looking for adventure and breathtaking landscapes, you will find them here. We spent two months in this fascinating country and can well imagine returning again.
Peru also demanded the most from us by far. In the first 100 days, we cycled 100,000 meters in altitude. The incredible altitude, the rainy season, the small villages with few shopping opportunities and the difficult road conditions not only tested our bodies, but also our relationship. On a trip like this, you experience the highest highs and the lowest lows. As beautiful as it is to share all of this with the person you love, it is quite demanding to spend every minute together 24/7 and not let your emotions get the better of you. And then came Bolivia..
Bolivia and the endless expanse of the Salar de Uyuni
We had little idea about Bolivia and were sure that we had reached the pinnacle after our favorite country, Peru. Of course, we also wanted to cross the famous Salar de Uyuni - the largest salt lake in the world. With a strong headwind, we cycled across the huge expanse and saw salt as far as the eye could see. We experienced a sunset par excellence and then spent another short night thanks to the strong wind. So the next morning we decided to leave the Salar de Uyuni again. A short time later, we were stuck in the mud and could only push our fully loaded bikes forward meter by meter with difficulty. There was simply no end to our efforts. When we arrived in the next village, salty and dirty, we were invited in by a Bolivian family who could probably tell that we were at the end of our tether. The last few months had left their mark on us. We spent the afternoon at the family's table and talked about God and the world. We received such a warm welcome and, at least for Alina, who had really struggled in the first three months, the journey was now fundamentally different. The next few days flew by and we grew into an incredible team with each passing hour. We fell in love with the rough, barren and endless landscape of Bolivia. Not even the sometimes fierce headwind dampened our spirits and we often cycled through the seemingly endless pampas screaming with joy. We felt as free as a bird and could hardly wait to get back on our bikes the next day. A feeling that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.
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Mountain Bivy emergency bivy bag for 2 people€85.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Sioux 400 II synthetic fibre sleeping bag€100.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Performance 7 L Winter sleeping mat€200.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Hochgrat 700 XL - Down sleeping bag€350.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Sioux 1000 II synthetic fibre sleeping bag€140.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Sioux 800 II synthetic fibre sleeping bag€120.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Sleeping bag compression sack big€18.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Sioux 400 II XL synthetic fibre sleeping bag€110.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Performance 7 M sleeping mat€160.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Rotstein 200 - Down sleeping bag€300.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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The change to the Chilean Coast
As a result, the days flew by and we were sad to have to say goodbye to Bolivia after just over two weeks.
Nevertheless, we were looking forward to a change, because after more than four months in the Andes, we were saying goodbye to the mountains and cycling to the Chilean coast. We swapped the frosty temperatures at 4000 meters above sea level for the salty Chilean sea air. We were delighted by the enormous choice of products in the supermarkets and were amazed every day by the incredible hospitality of the Chileans. In no other place were we so warmly welcomed as in the north of Chile.
We cycled through the Atacama Desert and along the sandy coast until it slowly became greener and greener and we reached the last big chapter of this trip - Patagonia
The beauty of Patagonia
With its many lakes, mountains, pleasant temperatures and good infrastructure, we felt right at home. Initially, we enjoyed this luxury, but we soon missed the simple and traditional conditions of Bolivia and Peru. Nevertheless, we were still amazed every day when the towering mountains loomed up in front of us, the notorious wind blew us off the road or we found a beautiful campsite surrounded by nature. We now shared the roads with other cyclists and headed further and further south to the end of the world. It got colder and colder and winter was not long in coming. Wrapped up warm, we marveled at the autumn colors and Ferry took countless pictures from morning to evening.
The end of the journey
With winter breathing down our necks, we reached Tierra del Fuego and the last 500 kilometers of our journey to the end of the world. We tried to enjoy and savor every minute of the day. At the beginning, the end of our journey seemed so far away and unattainable for Alina during the first three months. Many tears were shed, many curses were shouted to the heavens and now the destination was so close. This chaos of emotions accompanied us throughout the day, somehow we were suddenly not ready to end the journey. We delayed the last few days a little longer. As we drove through the gates of Ushuaia with tears in our eyes, we could hardly believe it. Our journey had come to an end. In 210 days, after almost 13,000 kilometers and over 170,000 meters of altitude, we reached the end of the world. We returned to Switzerland as a stronger team with thousands of memories. Memories that we will never, ever forget.
"Adventures begin in the mind. Come alive in the world and end in stories at home."
- Marlene Rybka
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Moab PRO mountain bike rain jacket men´s€260.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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Monviso 3-layer alpine ski touring jacket women’s€470.00Incl. VAT, plus shipping free delivery
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