Bikepacking the Montañas Vacías: 700km across Spain’s wild landscapes

This is Ilse’s first bikepacking adventure! She has never ridden more than 30km’s on her city bike on the flat, city roads of Belgium. We followed the Montanas Vacias, a stunning bikepacking route that winds through the most remote region of Spain. We deal with mud that clings to everything and makes pedaling impossible. We encounter snow. We even run out of food. Most of all though, we enjoy our time in the wilderness and experience the culture of Spain.

Link to main route website: https://montanasvacias.com/route/
Link to the Bikepacking.com route info: https://bikepacking.com/routes/montanas-vacias/

[Music] final touch this before we leave for Spain very [Music] personal I’m packing for our trip in Spain we’ll fly to zagula take a train to Tel to start cycling that’s my first biking trip so it’ll be nier good experience look forward to it can you tell me how you feel right now [Music] nervous hope the gods are at our side today shouldn’t be picking your nose while we have this yeah I’m sorry super itchy we made it to the airport but now we have to carry these two giant boxes for like a kilometer across the entire airport Elsa is taking a break because she’s exhausted they’re not light uh usually it’s just us in a backpack packing but now it’s the bikes the airport of Chara doesn’t have any carriers so we have to carry it by hand and it’s quite overwhelming but we’re managing we ask keep your f sign on your comfort and safy we can I help you just to make sure we’re putting them on the right way yeah I know I am tired very tired it took probably close to 2 hours to get these bikes fully packed and built and all set up everything’s kind of just bulging and stuffed in there right now so we’ll have to do some adjustments tomorrow but we’re here everything’s together and now we got an hour ride to the hostel let’s do it [Music] yeah what a day a damn what a day I’m exhausted what a long day [Music] bye-bye terwell [Music] [Applause] yeah that is not good we are 4 km into the start of our route the m is completely seals the wheels and they’ll no longer TI we call this peanut butter mud K kak look at my shoes even mud everywhere horrible mud we’ll have to clean the bikes now before we even start what do you think Lisa I’m thinking hiking is easier all right let’s go [Music] [Applause] [Music] ch reminds me a bit of Utah here yeah nice with the Juniper and the yeah the landscape open our first night camping bike packing that’s exciting That’s so exciting Joey you set up our I wish we had Marsh tent and ground sheet and the poles are in here we just finished our very first day bike packing together we ended up riding all told probably close to 30 km since we had to ride out and then turn around with the mud problem there but we’re just outside of a small town called ELO the fountain wasn’t working so we asked a Senora fora I think the temperature is going to go around freezing tonight could go under freezing and it’s pretty windy so to Gold to gold in Spain For Heaven’s Sake and at the Spanish beaches people are already sunbathing but no we go to the mountains of course maybe one day we’ll take a a Ting holiday we should nice veggie chili yeah we’re having veggie chili for dinner tonight just what I said from the decathlon mhm favorite store in the world yeah like half our stuff here is from to C yes good lemony taste H yeah like a lemony tomato taste huh [Music] s some information about the [Music] landscape first I light it [Music] [Music] I take [Music] it or 1 kilometer into the our morning and we’re back into this crazy mud it sees the bikes off and yeah we’ll just kind of push through the grass here and try to keep going so this the TR very yeah nothing to do but there you go [Music] yeah it’s fully impossible and I’m going to my deria is going to end up breaking be really careful with [Music] that here’s a question MH would you rather be here here doing this with the or in school I don’t know it just saddens me I want to be I want to stay in this forest and I don’t want to go to the road so I hope it stays dry fingers crossed for Sunshine oh boy not a good start [Music] [Music] all right back to our campsite but there’s a paved Road over here so I’ll just ride out onto the pavement and then continue on to El betterine at least out here it’s my own choosing I get to choose to be out here I’m still outside in a beautiful place I’m doing something I love so the bad times will pass the roads will dry out and we’ll be cruising [Music] again a lake in Spain nice ready Ste yep this is probably the last rain shower I hope so on this entire trip hey it’s snowing wow yes that’s snow wow we’re not too far from Elber now or like 15 14 km at least the roads are now it’s been really fun riding the last like 10 km so we had some like legit gravel roads that aren’t just all mud be careful there is poo there so don’t go to theik tell me what are your impressions of uh bike packing right now it’s not for the faint of heart uh tired happy grateful but it is rough because when you backpack it’s just you your body in your pack and now it’s a bike and it’s not just your feet your feet can handle a lot and bikes have certain conditions and certain limitations like mud like mud oh my God it’s snowing vroom vroom guess who’s bleeding w oh my God [Music] [Music] [Music] I [Music] [Applause] [Music] let’s do it [Music] [Music] what’s Happ there right now we’re about to leave town it’s day three now and we’re about to climb time into the mountains we’re leaving the town a beautiful medieval Town reminds us of Bruges a little bit we’ll miss it it’s like from a fairy tale but it’s time to keep moving [Music] [Music] h [Music] [Music] that’s fun El from the best bakery the entire region yum wow that is lunch now that is lunch now that is lunch we B is in the Teensy tinest Bakery where there was a long line of people waiting a real authentic Bakery where they still bake the bread in the oven um an older couple who runs the bakery it’s incredible it’s really good what do you want all three oh or just whatever you think whatever you’re making [Music] [Music] [Music] wow no we come from brues where it’s completely flat and it’s at sea level and now we’re at 1,500 M climbing to almost 2,000 so these climbs and the elevations really kicking our butt I’m feeling it we’ve done almost 1,000 M today and yeah we still have hundreds more to go if we don’t Camp early which I think we might how are you feeling yeah butt kicked butt kicked butt kicked fugio tonight supposed to be a really nice one and we’re really hoping to make it there it’s another 20 some kilm so time to get a move on here and have a nice cabin to sleep in tonight with a stove cuz we’re looking at freezing temps tonight all right capan capan Refugio here we come actually let’s eat one of these all this PL in good for us steepest hill in the [Music] world yeah just missed the snow we were just too tired to go on and not right leave you that is actually you know I don’t get it what don’t you get this door that door yeah what’s not to get come take a peek good it snowed a bunch up here yesterday we got super lucky they had I don’t know multiple feet of snow it’s melted off pretty quick but you can see there’s still a good bit left we have a jar of the Balan sauce but no totally need go with it we did have some emergency food thankfully we’re having two bags of uh I don’t know pasta carbonara basically the same I guess just not quite as good cheers cheers cheers salute salute [Music] woo that’s hot hot [Music] TOA morning of our fourth day mhm yesterday was kind of a butt kicker I want you to tell me how you feel and how yesterday was okay yesterday was a lot of climbing um and I feel it in my body not that I bum strangely enough I think I have a lot of cushion there um but I feel it in my back yeah I feel it mostly in my back so fortunately today is a little more relaxed in the morning we have one huge climb ahead but after that things flatten out a bit and it becomes a bit more balanced so that will be nice and we might be able to cycle a little bit more today so tell me before yesterday what was the most you’ve ever climbed on a bike in your life I Havens yeah Belgium’s flat um well where I live at least it is flat and um I’ve been riding bikes since I was little but always around my home area where it’s really flat there are even no Hills where my father lives there are Hills but I’ve never um ridden a bike there so have I ever climbed with a bike no that was all new to me the gear shifting and um yeah everything um yeah goofe tags this get on my sleep [Music] B all right ready that’s F mhm [Music] [Applause] [Music] the forests are full of people who are waiting for the snow to melt and now that the snow has melted they’re like picking mushrooms it’s too soon for berries but it must be mushrooms it’s fun people obviously really like the forests [Music] [Applause] here okay yeah because we can’t stay in those refugios anyway way so we’d miss a little town in that big ass climb all right cool let’s stay straight on then how hard is it to drive and useing cam not easy right no it’s not easy we just saw our first [Music] wildf pre [Music] dear crossing the road we’re kind of big huh that one was very big okay with a little bit of luck we’ll see some more camera ready Wednesday morning we decided to cut off a few kilometers of a big climb basically to a Refugio we’re kind of 2 days behind schedule with drain mishap and then with all the mud and everything so it’s nice to just cruise this beautiful Road and uh continue on the route here [Music] happy puppies [Music] negro here’s snow [Music] melts where are we we’re at the start of the river Taho and the river runs for about th000 kilm um through the Iberian Peninsula Iberian Peninsula we’re wondering what Taho was we were thinking bull but that’s sto and Taho means block anyways it’s beautiful it’s modest it’s small but there are like several strings coming together and yeah can you tell us where we are we are in a refug you can really smell the smoke of the fire that’s in here charcoal graffiti which I really appreciate at least it’s not permanent sleeping wise maybe there’s a wooden platform on the floor in the other room there but as far as like a dinner lunch spot to hang out in it’s really nice um this one’s right off the main over here so we’ll move on try to get another 45k [Music] [Music] yeah uh yeah maybe don’t know what that [Music] riding a long way for nothing no day number four of bike packing how do you [Music] feel good this Sky pretty tell me how many kilm you rode today 70 70 km tell me in a full sentence I rode 70 km today wait [Music] again I rode 70 km [Applause] today try again more convincing this time I rode 70 km today 65 would have been good the last five were too much no actually just the last kilometer that was too much we had to cross the river and no that’s where it stopped but the sky so that’s good and what’s happening [Music] now well we’re going to eat after we find water we’re next to a church I’m praying and we’re going to go into Refugio and hopefully enjoy the heat with uh two other people yeah and then eat and then sleep are you ready for some sleep yes I am overall consens cameras are so annoying when you’re tired she’s such a trooper she rode 70 km up some steep mountains and not easy not easy riding out here yeah and we’re getting here obviously it’s Sunset right now so yeah I’m pretty tired so I know she’s tired yeah but it’s really really really beautiful here let’s go get some food in this cuz I’m hungry welcome to the Refugio San Lorenzo there is a Camino that goes around here so many hikers use the Refugio um let’s take a look it’s a pretty one oh I just closed so we’ve got four beds nice and tidy a stove warm yourselves at the fire at night and some trinklets from other hikers I think these are her corn soup honey sugar beans a mirror um little trinklets little snacks yeah even some weed Viva espa first eight kit and a nice note no breakfast some of the Apple some bars me always e chicken curry good breakfast apple and chicken curry where’s your PL or your read of the [Music] bag it was very cold in the night our water froze a little bit we’re getting pretty low on food so we’ll have to resupply today as The Villages were closed last night when we went through through we had a super chill morning in Camp today but now it’s time to get out of here and get into town this is a vacation as much as it is an adventure for us so it was nice to sleep in and rest relax out here just got to quickly pack up the stuff here and then oil our chains and we’ll be rolling [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] it’s a quick little break get these beautiful cascadas little cave here what are you filming Ryan I’m filming a bunch of sheep crossing the road is it worth [Music] it hundreds wow this place looks like a mini Zion although mini but yes not as big but wow it follows the river Taho and it’s incredible it’s not red but the mountains are more High Majestic nonetheless and we weren’t expecting this so it’s even it makes it even better there were about five to six Condors flying over first we thought thought it were Eagles um but turns out it are Spanish Condors godamn what a place it’s Heaven you’re such a sensitive little ladybug see at the other side [Music] can we get through there got a little crazy last night we had to race into town and we got here just after Sunset kind of rolled into town in the dark this section was so beautiful that we really just had trouble going and we also we decided to get a hotel in this town that’s a little bit off the route but we didn’t make the decision until like 3 or 4:00 and it was 40 km away so then as we’re trying to ride and get here we were so distracted by how beautiful the landscape was that we just kept stopping to take it all in and to try to capture the beauty of it all so yeah we got in really late pretty tired pretty saddle sore so today our mission is to find a beautiful spot along the river set up camp and just chill we’ll call it a Nero yes gado gado s me too y them be in yeah very tired I’ll just move your breik here all right there we go my bum hurts a little today some saddle Sor [Music] [Applause] fing we just left the town of Bida de laser a little mountain town and we’re following the Big River T now the one that we’ve been seeing when it was this tiny and now it grew really large it’s wonderful to see the evolution of it today is a chill day and why are we taking a chill day cuz we deserve it last few days have been challenging 70 km 70 Kish and so it’s time to rest up a little bit [Applause] [Music] yeah no bathroom we’re going to make some eggs and bacon now have a nice lunch and it’s 2:00 in the afternoon so we’re just going to chill for the rest of the evening just rest relax read right you did all the reverbs that I can think reintegrate reintegrate Rew re all right here’s the eggs I hope they survived and bacon y [Music] yummy nice that’s exciting the Bacon’s getting nice and crispy now almost time for the [Music] eggs nothing better than b bacon frying out in the wilderness next time we’ll need to pack out some catchup or something [Music] [Music] sh [Music] [Applause] we bought this kyos not knowing what it was and now we finally got a translation it’s beef tripe intestines it looks gelatinous and very red and Saucy oh I’m sure it’ll be good should I put it in there I don’t know you sure about this oh it looks gross oh it looks so gross the secret here is not think about what you’re eating just eat it mhm you want to look at it no smart very smart just eat it when it’s done there’s the scary Le scary and how does it taste to like fries and beans and meat nothing to special but it’s hot food so the sausage is good sa I think that’s one of them yeah there was only like two or three humps there was a tiny bit of bacon too I was checking the route it’s like 300 km to make for that cut off through [Music] Turell all right let’s roll [Music] [Music] hope they a little far [Music] still it’s so insanely pretty here that it’s hearts a bike or actually get anywhere so hard giant waterfalls just absolutely perfect Road here along in the Tahoe it’s a beautiful day beautiful day what do you think Lua oh my God we’re climbing away from the Tahoe now and we hit pavement but we’re climbing into 40 50 km per hour headwinds we do have a town in like 5 kilm zorus so we’re going to get a sandwich and drinka colola yeah and a cappuccino and definitely some coffee and a cappuccino yes yeah it’s hot and also pretty vague pretty I don’t know strange weather strange weather with this overcast Sky yeah [Music] yeah hey [Music] [Music] it’s quite the view of the whole Forest here we’re in the haze in the clouds it’s super rickety up here a little sketchy with all this wind it’s kind of you can really feel it wobbling but can’t get inside it though it’s closed little tiny door down there wow all right now let’s see if we can get down through here the uh staircase is super narrow it’s like a tunnel with wires so it’s kind of tough with my camera bag here smacking off every one of these post but hey I made it yeah not in the hospital currently wow all right that was cool definitely a little sketchy baby it’s [Music] time it’s Sunday morning the 7th of April we are in bet and we have 210 km to go roughly to finish our route we’re taking a short cut off to finish early because we have a train back to the airport to fly to Brugge on Wednesday so we have to be there by like 6:00 in the morning so 3 Days To Do 210 km 70 some a day and we’re done with our route here I’ll miss it are you feeling up to 70 km days we don’t have a choice wrong way you ready [Music] [Music] [Music] today is very windy again and there’s a lot of smoke I think from forest fires we’ve got a long way to go and I’m waiting for Ryan as usual oh I didn’t mean to zoom in how do you go [Music] [Music] back oh yeah the rain in the north there wonder where the fires are though they any good uh they need salt they need more salt more salt is that literally a cuckoo bird I think so there fast why did the caterpillar cross the road [Music] brutal brutal absolutely brutal brutal indeed Co harsh [Applause] sweaty C harsh and sweaty very good now 1:00 no food food just chippies [Applause] Sun I know that a lot of people hate music on the trail I’m one of them except for difficult stretches I totally get it but I’m going to play this the devil’s advocate here and if it’s silent if it’s just you and there’s no one else you’re having a tough time and you forgot your earpods at home yeah [Music] sorry half an hour ago we were riding the highway a Mountain Highway not too busy and then we took a left up the hill Offroad but the tracks were still pretty wide and it was gravel and how spoiled were we now we are on a smaller path like what you would call a hiking trail really um special I it’s good for mountain biking um and we can do it and our bikes can definitely do it but with luggage it’s a whole lot harder uh it takes a lot of physical strength to survive the humps and bumps and go from left to right uh yeah it’s it’s intense you got snagged yeah what happened snagged by one of these oh no but I can see the appeal of mountain biking without too much luggage strapped to your bike it’s still fun but it’s intense do you agree oh I most definitely agree fun but intense yeah bumpy bumpy challenging lumpy yeah easier than single track but uh double track yeah double track lumpy double [Music] [Music] track shall I try go for it oh here goes nothing yes yes yes oh well done my feet are wet anyway well done it I hate it I hate it h Ryan for once I’m waiting for Ryan ah there he [Music] is it’s a beautiful evening it’s uh Sunday Domingo everyone’s quite drunk so we’ll have to be careful on the road there is Ryan with a drone [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] how bad are we in talking to the camera we can be kind of awkward sometimes yeah especially together yeah yeah when it’s just one of us it’s not so bad it’s more natural but when we stand there together trying to talk to it then it’s like hello um is it your turn or is it my turn I don’t know but we can try again eh [Music] ah hello good people how do we are good enough oh that’s better okay pretty orange too byebye beautiful cabin goodbye beautiful cabin this was a really wonderful stay it was yeah nice little couch to sit and read on a little strange dubbed Spanish television American television dubbed into Spanish I should say and where are we going today well we’re going to try to ride as close to terol as we can we’re hoping to make it somewhere near like rubal probably won’t get quite that far but we’re like 100 km from Terell from here so that ought to be a nice decent just two-day ride and then get the Terell for our train at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning back to zaragosa back to zaragosa then a flight to bruha the end of her journey the end of a journey yeah almost it’s been really fun I’ve really enjoyed this me too on some more bike rides on some more bike rides what are you doing packing up my bike here yeah [Music] yea [Music] [Music] what do you see there two beautiful horses right in the same pose with their ears perked up maybe it’s just wor they’re interested mhm [Music] oh goodness these last 10K or so have been really challenging there was a lot of super muddy rded out roads a lot of rocks and now super steep descending here the Montana vasus is throwing one final challenge at us here and Elsa is having a really hard time with it she’s kind of had enough this is really pushing her abilities to sending on these rocks and these super steep mountains so it’s hard it’s a lot of upper body strength and it’s a lot of bouncing over these rocks and she shouldn’t be too far behind me there she [Music] is yeah tough riding so we got 20K to alob bras where we’re hoping there’s a restaurant open we’re pretty much out of food so we really need this restaurant to be open like 15K to go how are you doing and busy how was that last stretch uh I didn’t enjoy it I didn’t think it was fun uh I was too tired and my body too achy and uh I’m happy that it’s over I’m happy to be on PTI pavement what didn’t you enjoy about it what would made it so hard the bonkin going from left to right all the time and the focus and because I don’t think it’s because we don’t have enough food that I’m not focused enough and I didn’t feel safe you had to keep your wits with you all the time and if you don’t have enough nutrition then it’s really hard to stay focused and then you get the lot of our food lots of dramatic ending this was supposed to be a nice peaceful fun ending now we’ll be food for the Condors instead dramatic starving last bite there we go wish us luck F you right off [Music] theels in my heart [Music] keep just be on for you okay all my savings yeah we’ll feel better with some food and everything so uh yeah super cute beautiful place here and then tomorrow we finish off the route she’s not feeling too well [Music] can you describe our stay here yeah um the owner of the place is ju P um the house is really old he doesn’t even know how old it really is um every room is like almost in a different style um but it feels real you know it’s Timeless um super cozy you feel right at home there are a lot of books downstairs and little artifacts and little thingies it’s really fun A beautiful view of the town too and the mountains La Monas Las Monas and we had a great extensive dinner three courses which we never expected at the end we drank some herbal tea and a little herbal shot of yeah herbal alcohol his own Brew really good so yeah feel totally totally ready for the last day it was a good stay happy as a baby what did you think of our stay here up not really glad we stayed here yeah we were curious too about the Kaza rurals um and they turned out to be really really really fine yeah homely friendly you feel welcome so much authenticity and character yeah it’s been amazing [Music] [Music] well rested well rested to wellfed to Fed happy as a clan happy as a clam huh yeah a cycling clam I know oh it’s cold happening we’re in tont 5 km from where we slept there’s a lot of wind we’re big babies sorry guys want to drink a coffee again last day right last day there we go yeah the accent thoron [Music] thone and the other one’s the other one’s leaking efficiency vles okay [Music] [Music] we just completed the climb through toramon and now it’s basically downhill to terwell maybe 25 km left and our route is complete safe to say that wind sailing is not my thing I’ve never tried it and now I know I never will sh is it windy today it’s so windy had to do everything not to get knocked off the bike what the what the you enjoyed the trip oh it’s been incredible yeah it’s been such a fun trip I haven’t been on a bike tour in 2 or 3 years now so it’s been really nice getting back on bikes how do you feel stronger stronger definitely how else I still need to reflect upon that I’ll let you know it’s hard to describe it it’s been a week but it feels like so much longer I don’t know you’re like seeing your old self who you were a week ago and how much you’ve changed Americans yeah full circle full circle I mean it’s true though I feel more connected more quiet I feel more like at peace now after all this time outside and in nature and it’s a fun feeling I feel more focused and just I feel better now yeah see you in the bar [Music]