Picsporadic

Category: Expedition Ancash

  • First Views of the Cordillera Blanca

    Fatbiking on an Active Volcano

    Volcán Santiaguito, Guatemala

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    Baptism by Fire

    Our attempt at fatbiking on the Santiaguito Volcano – one of Guatemala’s most active Volcanoes.Volcan Santiaguito was our first attempt in this expedition, and it would prove to be the most difficult. We had no beta on the route besides a few vague GPX waypoints and some local beta from the rockclimbing club who said the volcano hadn’t been attempted in the past two years due to extreme activity.To reach the volcanic terrain we would need to descend the landslide on the backside of Santa Maria.

    The entire mission would be an inverse hike – 1000m down then 1000m up – this was not going to be a straight forward volcano.  I thought to myself: “It’s only a thousand meters, how hard could it be?”The approach to the Santiguito Volcano was overgrown and had was no resupply for food or water. We would have to take with us three days of supplies which meant traveling with bikes that weighed over 70lbs loaded with gear.

    Neither of us had any idea of what we were about to get into on this volcano and the only thing I think we really proved  through all of it was that we both were really crazy to think up such a preposterous idea!

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    Brendan James

    Traveler and photographer, Brendan has cycled throughout Latin America currently lives in Guatemala. bio

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    Elizabeth Sampey D.P.T

    Endurance athlete and former pro USA Cycling national champion. Visit website

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    Quezaltenango

    The Journey Begins

    Quezaltenango, or Xela is about 2 hours away from Panajachel by chickenbus. We packed up everything (checking twice) before heading out in the evening. We were staying at Hostel Nim Sut, our favorite, modestly priced hostel in Xela. For about $10 a night we got our own room, which didn’t matter because the place was completely empty. The owner complained about how “Americans don’t travel anymore.”

    While we were going over the bikes in the courtyard an older Danish couple arrived and immediately began talking to us enthusiastically about the fatbikes. “Where do you take the bike?” the older gentleman asked. We told him we were going to Santiaguito. His face grew long. He said he had gone to the volcano the last time he was in Guatemala – some 10 years ago.

    “You will not succeed with the bicycles” he said, holding his hands out as if he had a handlebar. “There are many small trees, your bikes will not fit!” … Great, more encouraging news…

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    Quetzaltenango, or Xela is the second largest city in Guatemala. The city is home to several major universities and sports centers.  It’s metropolitan vibe is a interesting contrast to the native villages that surround the city.

    Packing for the Unknown

    Nothing about this is going to be easy…

    After packing and repacking throughout the morning we finally got on the road – following the cobblestone roads out of Xela changing to the dump-truck battered roads of the highway. We crossed the plains getting ever closer towards our goal: the flanks of Volcan Santa Maria.

    We had only been riding for an hour, and I was starting to get a nervous. Because my bike frame was so small I had to carry quite a bit of the weight on my back, and after only an hour of climbing it was starting to ache. This expedition was going to require a level of toughness and creativity that I hadn’t tapped into before.The road changed from pavement to cobblestones and finally to gravel. I was off my bike pushing as the pain in my back became unbearable. When the grade eased up I took off the backpack and put it lengthwise across my handlebars, balancing it between my arms as I rode. Ah, much better.

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    Trash Everywhere.

    I rode along at a good clip and started to enjoy myself, looking around at the beautiful scenery and finally finding my rhythm. Hmm, Brendan must be pretty far ahead, I thought. Well, we’re turning off this road and he’s got the GPS, so he’ll know and wait for me at the turn. I pedaled harder. I passed a turnoff that looked like the one we had marked, but no sign of Brendan, so I kept going.I flew downhill and rounded a corner, and saw a sight that stopped me in my tracks. What lied before me was a HUGE dump. Miles and miles of trash staked in giant heaps.

    From my position up the hill I could see wild dogs picking around, people sifting through piles, and smoke rising from trash fires.Hesitantly, I continued forward and soon found myself riding right through the spectacle. People stopped their picking and stared at me like I was an alien. With my hot pink baggy bike shorts and my bike with huge tires fully loaded down with bags, I pretty much was.I rode slowly through a mile of burning trash on both sides of me, hoping the dogs would ignore me as I passed.

    There are no words..

    I finally spotted Brendan in the dump. He had stopped to take photos up on the plateau and in my stupor I had ridden right past him. He assumed I had seen him and didn’t call out to me, and I had been cranking along fast enough that he hadn’t been able to catch me. I wanted to be angry, but it was an honest mistake on both our parts, and it wouldn’t have helped anyone.As I looked around at the remnants of people’s lives there in the dump, I realized: it all ends up here. When we buy things, we don’t often think of where they will end up when we break them or they are no longer useful to us.In the US, “we” have the money to send the trash away or cover it up so we don’t have to see it. In Guatemala where they don’t have the money to hide it, it is on display. It’s all the same. It still exists, and we are all guilty.

    Hesitantly, I continued forward and soon found myself riding right through the spectacle. People stopped their picking and stared at me like I was an alien. With my hot pink baggy bike shorts and my bike with huge tires fully loaded down with bags, I pretty much was.I rode slowly through a mile of burning trash on both sides of me, hoping the dogs would ignore me as I passed.

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    Contrasts.

    Back on the trail to the mirador, after leaving the valley of burning trash behind, we climbed through the most beautiful cloud forest I had ever seen. We were riding on a ribbon of tacky, loamy singletrack, its dark brown color a stark contrast to the brilliant green on either side.

    As darkness fell we donned our lights, and they sparkled off the dew collecting on the grasses and shrubs as we rode. In Guatemala’s dry season, where they can go for months without seeing rain, the dew serves to keep everything sustained until the rains come again.

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    Preparing the vegetarian staple of Protemás (dehydrated vegetable protein)

    Mirador Volcano Santiaguito  el. 2600mWe finally reached the mirador, and it was stunning. There was no moon – and the brilliant stars overhead matched the twinkling lights of the pueblos far below. In between was the Santiaguito massif. Smoke puffed silently from the volcano.Night birds began their cheerful chatter, and we watched fog swirl in and out between us and the volcano as we cooked dinner.

    The smell at the mirador was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. A faint tinge of sulfur mixed with the crispness of the night air and the fresh scent of juicy foliage swelling to accept the dew forming, drinking the sweet nectar of night.If I could bottle up the scent itself, even without the view, it would be priceless.- Liz Sampey

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    The best way you can support the work I do is through purchasing photos and prints on this site.I love seeing my photos in print!All photos here are available in high resolution – they can be downloaded and printed at up to 48in on the longest side. Prices start at $2.99Check out the store for more: www.picsporadic.com/digital

  • Laguna Coñocranra – Highpoint of the Cordillera Negra

    Laguna Coñocranra – Highpoint of the Cordillera Negra

    Coñocranra

    Highpoint of the Cordillera Negra Peru

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    The Cordillera Negra

    Coñocranra 5150m (16,896 ft)

    Our tires clamored along rough roads and for the first time in nearly 4 days of bikepacking we stopped climbing. At nearly 14,000ft there were massive landscapes at every turn. Chunky, morphic peaks rose on the horizon – their couloirs laden with mineral deposits. Everything here was the color of brown rust.  Folded fault lines dipped into bottomless valleys.  On el Camino Silencio we saw no one.

    Gusts of wind bent the grass in waves -fluttering across the plains. When the winds passed the air would be left silent and still.  Liz and I devoured the open space. I would ride ahead – pausing to take pictures and she would hopscotch me  – pushing into the lead. She was doing much better here then in the desert below.

    We were out of water and pushed the pace. We searched the landscape for lakes which we had on our map – but around each corner we would only find more vistas and dried expanses. We were on el camino silencio: a desolate stretch of road at 14,000ft with only had the odd furry Andean cow to keep us company.

    Brendan James

    Brendan James

    Traveler and photographer, Brendan has cycled throughout Latin America and currently lives in Guatemala. bio
    Elizabeth Sampey

    Elizabeth Sampey D.P. T

    Endurance athlete and former pro USA Cycling national champion. website
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    Where is the Water?

    Challenges in the Dry Mountain Range

    Although we had only used the Steripen a handful of times it was becoming problematic – erratically flashing and not doing it’s job. I was charging the Seripen with my dynohub via USB. It would take hours just to charge it up to sterilize a single bottle. We carried the dirty water in water bottles on our forks, sterilizing it with the pen – before dumping it in our hydration bladders with the second filter. Our system was working but it was fragile.

    Liz and I eventually encountered a seep of water on the side of the road. Droplets trickled out of a tuft of moss. It was the only spring for miles and the cows knew it – all around us were their pattys. After getting deathly stomach sick on other expeditions in Guatemala – we were using a double purification system which included inline Sawyer Mini water filters and the aformentioned Steripen portable UV filter.

    Crossing the desolate and remote Cordillera Negra (black) mountain range. The vastness of the space – and size of these dark mountains made us feel small on our bicycles.

    Laguna Coñocranra

    An Alpine Space

    It was mid afternoon when we rode up to Laguna Coñocranra, a serene lake below a towering mountain of rock.  All around us were ancient herding structures and stone walls, no one was around – only a few curious cows. Coñocranra is the largest peaks in the Cordillera Negra at 5150m (16,900ft) – but from our vantage at 14,500ft high it appeared small. I stayed to make camp and Liz went to go exploring  – scrambling on the cliffs at the opposite side of the lake.

    Coñocranra was a pristine oasis. Spring-fed water gurgled in channels through the Andean grass – feeding a diverse variety of plants and cactus.  The only thing out of place here were the numerous cattle that grazed on the lake’s shore – Their fur grown thick from the cold nights spent at elevation.

    An afternoon shadow crept across the lake and the temperature plummeted. Liz returned and we prepared dinner. With temperatures dropping we quickly put on every layer of clothing we had and went straight to bed! Part of my weakness on this trip was my  old sleeping bag – which I pushed far past it’s rating of 40° F. That night our water froze.

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    Highpoint

    The next day before we broke camp I climbed up to a neighboring slope to catch the first rays of sun – thawing out my body. I watched the light change and the shadows pull across the valley. After 5 days outdoors I felt a switch – and was content to simply watch the landscape change.  So much time in the outdoors can be spent watching the light change.

    We continued on the road – passing through a myriad of lakes all-the-while climbing. Our destination was a pass at 15,000ft – the last summit before descending down to el Cañon de Pato and the Callejón de Huaylas. We walked the bikes up the last bit of rocky road – steep and worn loose by four wheel drive trucks.

    Winding roads of the Cordillera Negra zig-zagging down impossible slopes. |?

    Up and Over

    The slope was our final challenge after days of climbing with the heavy bikes. As I breathed the thin air hiking the load I yearned to see what lied on the other side. At over 15,000ft were still on mere sub-range and had yet catch our first views of the Cordillera Blanca: the highest tropical mountain range in the world.

    #expeditionancash

    Stars and full moon camping at Laguna Coñocranra – 4000m Peru

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  • Camino Silencio – Bikepacking the Cordillera Negra Peru

    Camino Silencio – Bikepacking the Cordillera Negra Peru

    Camino Silencio

    Bikepacking the Cordillera Negra Peru

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    El Camino Silencio

    Crossing the Remote and Desolate Cordillera Negra, Peru

    We awoke on the floor of the restaurant when the first guests arrived around 5am. Clinging onto our last moments of sleep we rustled in our sleeping bags as people ate softly behind us. After a bit we dusted ourselves off -rolling up our sleeping bags and packed up the bikes. By this point there were at least 10 people eating  but they hardly gave us a second look.

    Jimbe: the gateway to the high mountains of Peru. The town was the last civilized center and the end of the paved road. The central park had a selection of beautifully pruned topiary figurines – a Peruvian staple.

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    Liz and I were at odds with what route to take. Our original plan was to follow a faint track that switchbacked from Jimbe up to the high passes at 15,000ft. We had only been on the bikes 2 days and it seemed a little ambitious. In the end we decided to take a longer route up – by our calculation we would be climbing for the next 2 days. There would be no food, and probably no water so we stocked up…

    Brendan James

    Brendan James

    Traveler and photographer, Brendan has cycled throughout Latin America and currently lives in Guatemala. bio
    Elizabeth Sampey

    Elizabeth Sampey D.P. T

    Endurance athlete and former pro USA Cycling national champion. website
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    Bikepacking the Cordillera Negra

    “It’s all uphill from here”

    Liz was not feeling well, she was used to excelling on the bicycle –and with the added weight of the bikepacking rig I could tell she was out of her comfort zone. She dipped into her easiest gear and fell back on the climb.

    We cut along a deep vallies, all the while ascending before encountering our first steep switchbacks in the road. Elevation 6,000ft.

    Just buckle up and do it. – Liz Sampey

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    Arriving in the small town of Lampanín we looked up at the road ahead: it zig-zagged as far as we could see on bare, shade-less slopes – joining with the horizon and into the unknown. We visited the tienda in town to escape the sun and ordered up a liter of beer. It was high-noon. Outside, dogs perched in small puddles of shade. A few goat herders wandered through town – the sound of television sets floated up from the tin homes. Siesta time.

    Inside was a dread that neither of us wanted to talk about. Lampanín was the last point on our map. Our next re-supply wouldn’t be for at least 3 days of climbing ton the 15,000ft passes of the Cordillera Negra. I knew we would be fine, but we were both stuck in the last moments of apprehension before taking the jump. About 3pm we headed out – water bottles full, up the switchbacks to the mountains.

    The Dead Zone

    The sun lowered in the sky as we climbed and around us the mountains began to gain definition – their ragged slopes and rippling ridges spread in stacked layers on the horizon. Above us, enormous peaks came into view – rocky, black, ominous. The black mountain range: La Cordillera Negra.

    The only traffic we saw on the road was a taxi driver who cheerfully pulled over and jumped out of his car for a conversation. He told us the road went to Huaylas – which was good news. He told us that it was camino silencio -a silent road used by only by the occasional maintenance workers as access remote mountain reservoirs. We continued on.

     A young child was wandering around half dressed eating chicken poop off the ground – he offered me some stuck to the tip of his small finger, I declined.

    Quilcoy – a Small Town in the Foothills of the Andes

    After camping at 8,000ft we headed out the next morning. The air was pleasant and cool -we continued the climb. We came to an intersection with a sign for a place called Quilcay – an out-and-back not that was not on our map. We gambled, figuring that it might be a good resupply and headed up.

    The altitude was beginning to effect us. In Quilcoy I was dazed and stumbled into a school for shade. I talked to a traveling teacher who made the 5hr drive twice a week to teach the handful of kids that lived there. She was a bit in a hurry, and eagerly awaiting the bus that would come and pick her up that day – and tame her back down to civilization. Outside in the mid-day sun the town was a cacophony of animals: dogs, sheep, goats, chickens and pigs scampered around.

    We bought some eggs off the locals and I had the stove going outside to boil them. Liz and I were feeling the elevation – the last two days we had not done that much distance but we had climbed over 10,000ft. I was ready to either get moving or take a nap. The women of the town poked out of their houses and eventually came to talk to us – they said the men were coming back from the fields soon and invited us for lunch. “when?” we asked – “in a little bit”. We both waited for what seemed like hours.

    When the men arrived they were a bit more reserved than the others, giving us a few shy nods before dipping into a low doorway for lunch. The women invited us in.  Their home was made of crude adobe – with slivers of light cutting through the bricks in the walls. The ceiling was stained black from smoke. On the television played telenovelas – whose white actors and made-up faces beckoned like a glimmering portal to a culture a world away.

    Over a delicious plate of of steamed potatoes and rice the men told us that there was a trail that left from town – crossing the high mountains. That same phrase came up again “Camino Silencio” which they used to refer to the pass to Huaylas. Very few people go there, and the men said they had said they had never gone. So we still didn’t know what lied ahead for us…

    Following “el Camino Silencio”

    The women refused our payment – repeatedly, and with a whirlwind of thanks and group photos we were on our way -pushing our bikes up the slopes out of town. The road ended and we found ourselves on our first trail of the trip – too steep to bike. We encountered several sections of rock steps and made our way around an out-cropping along a cliff. A woman trailed us with a horse below -keeping her distance. Perhaps she was keeping an eye on us?

    The trail mellowed and we got in brief moments of riding which brought some joy for the first time in a few days. It was much more rocky here  – and the mountains ahead rose in huge vertical cliffs forming a passage.. The light was fading. We were at 13,000ft and it was getting cold. It was clear that we had entered a new environment.

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    Sunset

    The sunset started slowly, colors growing warmer. We layered up preparing for the cold to come. We were quite high now and in the desert below us showered golden rays of light cutting across the coastal plains it’s sub-ranges, mountains and ravines. It was clear the ocean -some 13,000ft below where we had started 3 days before. The sun dipped into the  shimmering horizon.

    In the afterglow everything was gold. The light faded from crimson to violet and indigo – stacked in layers all the while shifting with rays of residual light. We both agreed this was the most fantastic sunset we had ever seen and were frozen in awe.

    Entering the Aline (a Familiar Place)

    Off the beaten track Liz and I immediately felt more at home and relaxed. Everything we had carted across the desert seemed less impractical now. We set up camp and bundled up in the cold. For dinner we had hastily prepared sandwich of hard boiled eggs and bread sprinkled with ají. The journey had begun. We had entered the Andes…

    – #expeditionancash

    One of the few places in the world where the sun sets below you. Camp at 13,000ft with views down to the Pacific. |?

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    All photos here are available in high resolution – they can be downloaded and printed at up to 48in on the longest side. Prices start at $2.99

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  • Coast to Jimbe – Bikepacking the Peruvian Coast

    Coast to Jimbe – Bikepacking the Peruvian Coast

    From the Coast

    Expedition Ancash Day 1

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    Peru.

    Bikepacking from the western coast to the foothills of the Cordillera Negra

    We stand on the side of the Pan-American highway near the fishing port of Samanco – this wasn’t an official bus stop -we were at an intersection of roads. To the west: across myriad of sand dunes was the Pacific ocean, to the east was our objective: The Cordillera Negra who’s shadowy peaks towered at 16,000ft above sea level. It was hot. Our first feelings: scattered, doubtful, apprehensive.

    After 3 days of travel we were here, carrying everything we would need for the next 40 days on the bike. “I brought too much stuff” Liz stated, fumbling around trying to lash a few last-minute objects to her bike. Inside I feared the same. We had not had time to do a test run – this was it.

    In reality there was no way for us to prepare for the journey that lied ahead. A tour of the Ancash State: home to both sweltering desert and the amazon basin perforated by the second highest mountain range on earth and remote glacial passes. This is a limit to what you can carry on a bicycle after all. When we lifted our 70lb bikes off the bus in Samanco the task of crossing the Andes felt overwhelming and far. –

    Brendan James

    Brendan James

    Traveler and photographer, Brendan has cycled throughout Latin America and currently lives in Guatemala. bio
    Elizabeth Sampey

    Elizabeth Sampey D.P. T

    Endurance athlete and former pro USA Cycling national champion. website
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    Expedition Ancash

    40 Days Bikepacking in the Peruvian Andes

    Our plan was grand: A massive tour of the Ancash State in northern Peru – a region as diverse as the country featuring a wide variety of ecosystems.

    We would start in the western desert – crossing the Cordillera Negra (16k feet) as a warm up for the high passes of the Cordillera Blanca (23k feet) before dropping to Yanama on the western frontier with the Amazon.

    The idea was dreamed up after countless hours going through photos with Liz from my previous trip: Expedicion ANP. “we have to go back” told her. I longed to share the vast and rugged landscapes of Peru – The country had always had a special place in my heart, and left so much to be discovered.

    We resolved to travel on as much trail as possible – taking with us some seriously capable full suspension bikes. The last time I had been here I remember longing to go more off-road and penetrate deeper into the Andes. This was our chance.

    I knew of few people would be up for a trip of such magnitude. Liz had outperformed me many times with her capacity for endurance in our Volcanarchy expedition in Guatemala and our past year racing together. I was confident in our ability to problem solve and “not freak out” when the times got tough and looked forward to us getting lost together (just a bit).

    The Ancash department stretches from the western coast to the eastern amazon basin. Within its bounds are two mega ranges: The Cordillera Negra (black) and the Cordillera Blanca (white) – with some of the highest peaks in the world including Mt Huascarán at 22,000ft.

    Gateway to the Cordillera Negra

    Land of Sugarcane and Searing Heat

    We cross the blistering coastal plains following a large river eddy – a ribbon of green with a backdrop of barren landscapes in all directions. The mountains here are rocky, adorned with scrubby cactus’ and boulders. The land is raw stretching upwards to the craggy horizon of the Cordillera Negra and it feels as if we riding through and enormous construction site. Mounds of rock and riffraff as far as you can see – the discarded building blocks of the Andes.

    It’s hot – it is not yet noon and temperatures are already above 100°F. Double semis rattle past with overloaded cargo of sugarcane. I can feel my skin blistering. We down water and keep the pace up to ensure airflow.

    San Jacinto and the Ruins of Punkurí

    All the water in this part of Peru is used for the irrigation of cash crops. Peru in general is a very dry place. Water courses through concrete irrigation locks like veins that spider out across the plains. All water here is privately owned and controlled feeding industrial operations of sugarcane, and fruit trees.

    We pass through the town of San Jacinto – home of a large sugar processing plant. I ponder as I have many times the incredible waste of the sugar industry absorbing incalculable quantities of water and energy to produce a product that is borderline toxic.

    Eager to take a rest – we stop at a roadside archeological site – sponsored by the sugar company. After looking around for a while we find the guardian – who was a bit spooked to see us.

    Inside was large map illustrating the spread of the Inca civilization with hundreds of ruins throughout the area. Human remains have been found in this area dating over 5,000 years old. Some 2,000 years ago people worshiped around a pyramid at this site with large sculpture of a bloated cartoon-like puma. Strange.

    It’s hard to cross such dry landscape without thinking about water. –

    Levels were seriously low at this reservoir.

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    Taking some shade visiting the ruins of Punkurí

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    Our First Views of the Dark Mountains

    Past San Jacinto the road turns to dirt and steepens. We begin switchbacking and the load of the bikes becomes more apparent. Emotion, however rises as we climb higher returning back the natural environment after days in transit – no more city!

    We climb to 2,000ft then 4,000ft -the light wanes and the temperature cools. The humid haze from the hot coast clears and we can take in the views – which are getting greener. – Cows graze in pastures and pine trees dot the landscape.

    Our day began at sea level and climbed to the high desert. The light in this part of Peru is golden the sand in the atmosphere catching the glow of the Pacific. ? Purchase

    Jimbe – el. 5200ft

    We reach the small town of Jimbe by dusk – the mountains of the Cordillera Negra catch the last light of day filtered red through atmosphere of the desert. The light lingers and shifts from marigold to crimson to violet and indigo. We search out a place to eat.

    Children whisper, scampering in the shadows behind us. Locals give us second looks as we rock our two-wheeled steeds through the town. We knock on the only restaurant we can find. “La Caravana” and order up a dinner – then a second. In the corner of the room are two old men drinking from a liter of beer  watching the violent noticias on the television from the city. Outside we can hear the children whispering among themselves – urging each other to get a look at the two gringos through the window.

    “Tranquilo”

    I go over to talk to the two men watching television.  The oldest is sitting hunched in his chair – his hand balanced on a cane. He tells me he was former teacher and owner of the restaurant. His son in law keeps the cup full of beer for him as he talks. “I’ve traveled all over” he says. “I grew up here – and crossed all of Peru by motorcycle in the 60’s”. When I tell him our plans to camp in the fields outside of town he tells us that is unnecessary -and invites us to sleep on right on the floor of the restaurant!

    I order up a beer and listen intently as the man continues on his life story. “I was in San Fransisco in the 70’s” he tells me “I lived in the U.S for 5 years, my children are there now.” -He gazes at the flickering TV screen. Murder, violence, calamity traverse airways from Lima, far away on evening news. “But I came back here to my home” he says “Jimbe is a tranquil place.”

    Outside in the darkness the children cup their hands over their faces against dark glass window to get a better look inside. I tell the man about our plan to cross the Cordillera Negra and that we hadn’t quite settled on a route.

    “I went up there years ago” he said. “es un camino silencio” (a silent road) – “there is nothing up there.” He told us it is a full day’s ride to Huaylas on motorbike -which means 2-3 days for us on bicycles.

    I think about the mountains outside – no lights dot their slopes, there slopes black silhouetted in the darkness – cold and quiet. “Camino Silencio”. Would we find water up there? Would there be any re-supply? Or would we need to take everything with us for the next 3 days: crank-stroke by crank-stroke up to 15,000ft?

    Scoping out a camping spot for the night near the fishing village of Los Chimus on the Pacific coast. |?

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  • Expedition Ancash – Gear

    Expedition Ancash – Gear

    Gear List

    Expedition Ancash: 40 Days Bikepacking in the Peruvian Andes

    Published: by PICSPORADIC

    2,884 Views

    40 Days

    Preparing for an extended bikepacking trip

    One of the biggest considerations when planning any bikepacking trip is calculating just how much gear you should bring.  Lightweight camping gear can help to keep the weight down, but there is always a compromise between weight and comfort.

    Enjoyment on the bike can directly depend on carrying the least amount of weight. A light setup will give you a ride great offroad and uphill but you will be making sacrifices in other areas like comfort at camp.

    In Peru we would be riding trails but also crossing vast distances on road. So whatever bicycle we picked would be a compromise between trail plush and stiff road machine. In the Ancash department we would be crossing several ecoregions including desert and snow which made selecting the right clothes for the trip an interesting task.

    Caches

    Most of the equipment we kept with us through the entire 40 days. However there were some loops off of our main route where we would cache our gear. We also slimmed down our weight as we went including a few extra parts we ended up not needing. We ended up leaving a tire near Laguna Klanganuco. On one of our last days of the expedition we decided to bike back up there and get it back!

    Brendan James

    Brendan James

    Traveler and photographer, Brendan has cycled throughout Latin America and currently lives in Guatemala. bio
    Elizabeth Sampey

    Elizabeth Sampey D.P. T

    Endurance athlete and former pro USA Cycling national champion. website
    Recent Posts:

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    [tags]

    Liz’s Bike

    • 2018 Scott Spark RC Ultimate 29″
    • Industry Nine Enduro 305 Wheelset
    • 2×10 Shimano Drivetrain
    • Sunrace 11-42 Cassette
    • One-Up Radr Cage
    • Maxxis Ardent 2.4″ Tires

    Full Gear List

    Misc.

    Osprey Syncro 15 Backpacks
    Steripen Freedom – USB water filter
    Sawyer Mini Water Filter
    Sinewave Cycles Revolution USB Inverter
    Anker Power bank
    USB Charger for Gopro and Camera Batteries

    Camping

    Big Agnus Jack Rabbit 2 Tent
    Primus Gravity II MF Stove
    GSI Cookware
    Marmot Sleeping Bags
    Thermarest Sleeping pads

    Cameras

    1x Panasonic G7 4k Camera
    Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH. Lens
    Cannon 50mm FD Lens
    LG G4 Smartphone
    2x Gopro Hero4 Black
    Various Gopro Mounts
    Tripod, Gorillapod

    Luggage:

    Custom Defiant Pack frame bags:
    Malamut Seatbag Harness
    Geissler II Feedbag
    McClure Handlebar Harness and Front Bag Kit
    Sea to Summit Dry Bags

    Clothing:

    GORE Bike Wear
    Julbo Stunt Glasses
    Julbo Aero Photochrromatic Glasses
    Julbo TREK Photochromatic Glasses
    La Sportiva Down Jacket
    La Sportiva Boulder Approach Shoes

    A Frantic Start

    Last Minute Part and Bike Swaps

    Pedal Pushers Cyclery in Golden Colorado was invaluable with getting us setup with our bikes and extremely accommodating with all our frantic last minute component swaps!

    Brendan’s Bike

    • BMC Fourstroke 02 FS Bike 29″
    • Defiant Pack “Wave” – Downtube storage
    • WTB i25 Rims
    • Shutter Precision PD-8X Dynohub
    • Sinewave Cycles Revolution USB Inverter
    • 2×10 Shimano Drivetrain
    • Sunrace 11-42 Cassette
    • One-Up Radr Cage
    • Maxxis Ardent 2.4″ Tires

    Putting it All in One Big Box.

    The days leading up to our departure to Peru were some of the craziest. We were waiting on Liz’s new bike to come from Scott – and wThe days leading up to our departure to Peru were some of the craziest. We were waiting on Liz’s new bike to come from Scott – and were unsure of what gear we would bring. I was packing for an unknown amount of time abroad (it would turn out to be two years) – and we were both stressed over what equipment to bring.

    Defiant Pack had prepared bags for Liz’s new bike sight unseen using promotional photos from the internet – which was really quite a feat. At one point we even considered bringing my old Weber Monoporter Bike Trailer – and had a local machine shop modify the hitch for Liz’s enduro bike.ere unsure of what gear we would bring. I was packing for an unknown amount of time abroad (it would turn out to be two years) – and we were both stressed over what equipment to bring.

    Defiant Pack had prepared bags for Liz’s new bike sight unseen using promotional photos from the internet – which was really quite a feat. At one point we even considered bringing my old Weber Monoporter Bike Trailer – and had a local machine shop modify the hitch for Liz’s enduro bike.

    Liz’s bike finally did come the night before our departure and we frantically worked to re-outfit it from race machine to bikepacking rig. Which meant phoning various shops in the front range to try and find small pieces for this rare bike.

    The Scott 900 RC Ultimate was a full carbon race-ready rig and came with a brand new Sram Eagle 50t 1×12 drivetrain. We knew that parts for the Eagle setup would be hard to find in Peru so we opted to exchange the drivetrain for a more practical 1×10 Shimano system with an extended range Sunrace 11-42t cassette – which was also the same system my bike was running – so we could use the same spare parts.

    Read on…

  • VLOG Expedition Ancash Day 09

    VLOG Expedition Ancash Day 09

    Expedition Ancash Day 09

    Mountain Biking in Caraz, Peru

    Join adventure athletes Elizabeth Sampey And Brendan James on their search to find mountain biking trails in Caraz at the foothills of the 6700m Cordillera Blanca, Peru. This video is part of our 40 day bikepacking tour of the Ancash district.

    A large thank you to our sponsors!
    Scott Bicycles
    Defiant Pack
    Gore Bike Wear
    Industry Nine Componentry
    Julbo Eyewear

    Equipment / Stats:

    Lumix G7
    GoPro Hero 4
    LG G4
    48 hrs
    24p 4k
    Adobe Premiere
    After Effects
    Sony ECM-CS3 mic

    Original Recording Date: April 2, 2017 | Published: by PICSPORADIC 

    3,721 Views

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