Bikepacking the Estrada Real

Arriving in Diamantina for the start of the trip felt magical. So much history and beauty. Small colonial houses with colorful wooden windows surrounded by the majestic Espinhaço Mountains, Diamantina is one of the best-pre- served historic towns in Brazil. From the food to architecture, one can quickly fall in love with the region. What a place to start!

We woke up early and began packing our bikes. “Are you bringing sandals?”—“How many socks are you carrying?”—“Is two liters of water enough?” For the first time I was going on a credit card tour—staying at hotels rather than camping out in nature. I somehow felt like I was cheating. Would I get the same personal satisfaction from this trip, if I take daily showers and sleep in beds? The aspect of bikepacking I enjoy the most is being fully immersed in the adventure. By depriving myself of some comforts, I become more appreciative of the ‘small things in life’—such as hot water and blankets. There’s also the fact that I’m not able to afford this type of touring in the U.S. But in Brazil, especially on this route, there aren’t many places where you could pitch a tent, and hotels aren’t as expensive as they are in the U.S. Adam and I have toured together quite a bit in the States. One thing we’ve learned during our trips is that we aren’t the most time-efficient riders out there. We are both photographers seeking to create the best visual story possible. This means stopping to make images is imperative, but somehow we thought it would be a good idea to plan to ride an epic 700-mile route with almost 70,000 feet of elevation gain in only 10 days. Needless to say, we got ourselves into a misadventure as soon as we left the hotel in Diamantina. We severely underestimated the difficulty of this route.

August 2023 || Published on Bicycle Quarterly Summer 2023 Edition