Epic Bikepacking Routes: Andalusia’s Camino Cuatro Sierras and Badlands Gravel Recon Adventure

Embark with me on a five-day bikepacking adventure through the breathtaking landscapes of Andalusia, Spain, as we trace the Camino Cuatro Sierras route in the Sierra Nevada region. Join us on this gravel-packed journey that weaves through traditional white villages, challenging climbs, and parts of the route used in the Badlands ultra-cycling race.

Find more information about the route at: https://www.sierranevada.cc/gravel-bikepacking-tour-cuatro-sierras

⭐️ Find my gear for this adventure and more at Alltricks.com in the link below ⤵️

https://fnty.co/c/r-uPbTvAhT

Check out my bikepacking bags  @Apidurabikepacking 

https://www.apidura.com/kitgrids/sherry-buzzalong-cardona-camino-de-cuatro-sierreas/

Support the channel and get the coolest Buzzalong cycling or ☕️ coffee T-shirt link below:

https://www.buzzalongcoffee.com

Check and subscribe to my newsletter to receive the full report of my bikepacking trips and races⤵️

https://buzzalong.cc/

Komoot route:
https://www.komoot.com/collection/2480176/-camino-de-cuatro-sierras-bikepacking-route-spain
—————————————————————————
Some discounts/referrals from my partners:

🚲 Fara bicycles: BUZZALONG23
Free bottle cages and bottles with the purchase of non-discounted bikes

https://faracycling.com

⚡️ Bulk NL: https://tidd.ly/47U76wx

Supernova Lights: SHERRY-15
Thrive Beer: SHERRY20
Kogel Bearings: KOGELVIP23
Ass Savers: https://asssavers.avln.me/c/mdZxBxHrlNsT
SHERRYC_10

You can help support this channel using the following links (or above) when ordering anything from Amazon. It will not cost you anything extra but a small commission will go to this channel.

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/47IPK5W
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3Rpjz5R
Amazon NL: https://amzn.to/482S738
Amazon DE: https://amzn.to/3Rr9JAg

Thanks for watching!

00:00 Introduction
00:11 Bikepacking route
00:39 Preparation and bikepacking gear
00:50 Day One: Climbing Through Sierra Luhar
09:32 Day Two: Rainy Challenges and Charming Streets
16:31 Day Three: Conquering Sierra Nevada’s High Altitudes
22:47 Day Four: Tricky Climbs and Ethical Tourism
29:21 Final Day: Descending to the Finish Line
34:09 The story behind the route

#bikepacking #documentary #bikepackinggear

Camino De quas by packing [Applause] route so I’m here in Granada Spain in bde benala getting ready for tomorrow’s by packing trip it’s a good escape from the weather in the Netherlands to be honest this 5day 300 km by packing Adventure connects the best grael roads and pictur traditional villages in Andalusia we will cover 50 to 70 km per day but don’t be full by the distance this will be days full of climbing up descending down some of the most impressive and remote mountain passes in the SRA Nevada range but first time to pack my lightweight bik packing gear and get my bike assembl with some help good morning day one of the by packing trips so we are here at the Cycles Nevada uh they’re going to be our guides and we’re going to go to different villages expl explore the area it’s going to be a tough day like around uh 80 km with more than uh 2,000 M of elevation so let’s see how it goes but it’s really beautiful here really excited but first coffee you can also rent a bike here so you can bring your own bike or you can rent one helmets whatever you [Music] want day one starts in climbing out of the valley towards lagos a small village after which we will tackle our first Sierra mountain range Sierra luhar hi I’m luuka um I come from Slovenia but uh I’ve been coming here for a couple of years now and just exploring these dry and beautiful regions of uh Andalucia and uh I’ll show you around a little bit [Music] huh [Music] day one here we go on the move it’s really nice here starting with a climb to warm up the [Music] legs oh so beautiful you can see the seaside up in the [Music] mountains [Music] first Gravel Road really nice this area in between the mountains and so [Music] quiet so this is the first Sierra so we are here so it’s called Camino quatrro sieras and this is the first one so we’re not even at the top so still three more to go single truck now single [Music] TR so we have there The [Music] Descent [Music] time to climb again so far so good is really nice in the shades very [Music] fresh during this trip we will visit some of the traditional towns that have been left behind by urban life bringing a new life and sharing stories with the [Music] locals so we are like 30k in we are here in lar and this is the Sierra de lar super nice uh really nice views so we’re going to have a nice cafe no see and then we continue onwards really nice it’s quite nice gr because it’s like you’re more in the shade yeah but now it’s getting warm time for a local coffee in the local bar everywhere we stop people are super friendly and the food is amazing freshly grown vegetables wherever you go the colors of the mountain goes from red to like kind of green a lot of altitude here but really nice gravel road all the way to the top that’s my opinion this is why you choose the GX normally feeling the vi a little break after the climb a th000 m of climbing with it a bit more a bit more climbs up again and just around the corner and then it drops it’s kind of a flat and then uh there’s another saddle there and we then we do one two three switchbacks and we get to uh one two four switchbacks yeah and then we get to the to the top which is 1280 M and that’s a Del from Sierra luhar we continue climbing up towards OAS through a nice gravel road before reaching the highest point at 1,300 M of altitude as selino from there we will continue towards our accom a but there’s a surprise along the [Music] way so we are here in Asad delos uh another quick stop for water it’s really nice but it’s a lot of climbing I feel it in the legs but uh such a nice area I don’t know so quiet is definitely a Hidden Gem a lot of the restaurants and cafes here are only open during the weekend or certain hour so it’s a bit tricky to find uh something open but uh yeah it’s really nice you have some nice places with views quiet what do they do they give you a tapa a tapa for free you order a drink and you get a tapa all in [Music] Granada [Music] that tire it has to be sometime huh so you running tubes yes I’m running you wish you had Tess let me know in the comments tubeless or tube so the tube pie St that’s te work huh we continue riding in stunning gravel roads in this remote area but surprised there’s another coffee stop in the middle of the mountains a bodega run by a nice couple place is called c el medo it means the doctor’s Farm yeah but there was never a doctor living here it was a pharmacist and here we have now we are wine we’re growing grapes we’re making wine and here we make the wine in the Boda mhm and we live on the other side and that’s where I’m going to invite you know for some coffee and banana cake ah thank you so much go let’s go let’s go Ina moment competition H Ina moment [Music] here so finally made it to the accommodation was a a long day I don’t know I was like 80 kilomet but those 80 kilomet was like a lot of altitude you have amazing views here and it’s super quiet like uh this area is so nice and you have it all for yourself it’s like a wow so today we climb up the mountains from the other side then we went down a gravel descent and now we are [Music] here [Music] good morning day two of the trip so today is raining but the views are amazing it’s going to be a shorter day yesterday we did like uh 80 km with more than 2,000 M of elevation today is a bit shorter but a lot of elevation so let’s see how it goes now time for breakfast leaving a bit later today uh because it was raining so let’s see how it goes really nice area the hotel was super nice crazy views from there on day two we leave alaria and bypass cadira picture is Market Town known for his Charming Street we will continue riding the gravel road towards H ratar and descend along the valley to the River [Music] [Applause] Basin so we had to improvise a bit because of the rain the road we wanted to take was a bit tricky so let’s see where this one lead us doggy doggy look at the the hi bike of the [Music] day really enjoyed this amazing gravel descents and my confidence grew every [Music] day so here we are in the town of moras going to the local bar now to escape from the [Music] rain this is like Vegas Spanish [Music] Vegas so Cort is more coffee than milk your MCH yeah MCH is more milk ah so time for cortado next time maybe the man yes all for me that’s a proper B I think so the local from moras we continue riding on gravel roads towards herea Nevada [Music] wow always nice views [Music] huh [Music] wo eventually we’ll drop all the way down to the to the bottom to the riverbed and from there we we go around the reservoir then climb up to L yeah nice today we had the chance to rise some of the segments used in Badlands and Ultra cycling race this is a concrete ascent luckily I didn’t have to go up but [Music] down Ram Turon Ram ton it’s a river bed no it’s a river bed of uh R River or stream toon and uh we continue for a couple of kilometers till we get to the pra which is the yeah and then we continue climbing up to [Music] lares today is very adventurous huh hiking River beds nice gravel [Music] distels cycling in River best remind me me to Bohemian border [Music] wash so roach [Laughter] juice that seems tricky yeah they used to be gray but now you know they change color cleaning the shoes [Music] we are now in the deputation of Al Maria I think the river bed we just went through or was part of the Badlands route was a t test for the handling skills so here in this area you have this nice cute Villages but there’s not many people living here anymore so it’s nice that uh people stop here and also you know keep the bars alive let’s see so what’s the name of this Village uh no this a cherin cherin ah it runes with my name [Laughter] [Music] Sher so made it to the town of lares I really like it these small villages here in Spain but there’s not many people any longer living here so just a few restaurants or hotels are open today we’re staying here it was a short day because we had to improvise a bit and now waiting for dinner and uh this is like the rout of Camino Quadro sieras so we did one yesterday another today and then we have two more to [Music] go [Music] good morning day three we are here in lar so today is sunny it’s going to be sunny all day and uh we’re going to go to the third Sierra Sierra Nevada so the highest one uh we already did two yesterday we have one today and another one uh the last day so let’s see how it [Music] goes so we’ve been climbing for 8 Kil and now the real gravel starts so this is already SI Nevada no yes yes yes yes today we going to the top now uh no we’re not going to the top but we’re going up to the up to around 2,000 M yeah and then we’re going to keep rolling up and down between 1500 and 2,000 M until we drop down to the main road again after 40 km or so [Music] so we are now getting into altitude we’ve been climbing the landscape change a lot so you have this really nice gravel road going up and there’s Forest so before it was more like a I don’t know Rocky and now it’s like a really nice Pine Forest it’s fresh up here but today is awesome weather here in Spain [Music] today is up and down on gravel but this is truly cycling [Music] Paradise yeah I think that’s good we made it to the highest point so the views are amazing so now it’s just descending I think so it’s going to be a bit chilly on The Descent yeah but uh really enjoyed this uh gravel climb I think it’s great I mean it’s like champagne gravel today is high altitude in Sierra Nevada we continue riding on gravel roads before descending and then going up again towards our accommodation in tres [Music] woo so now it’s a bit of climbing on decending but it gets very chilly up here even if it’s sunny we are like a 2,000 M of [Music] altitude so we are here following a gravel road for more than I don’t know like 40K I think or uh 30k super nice Gravel Road we went up nearly to Sierra Nevada and after we will descend again so let’s see now it’s sunny but still fresh [Music] enough for dinner oh so much mushrooms I think it will be nice uh I mean Tres is not very far away but um what’s another tostada in our Tamia so I think uh we could get another to in about 3 kilm and um and then we continue to travel [Music] this we are in H time for a tostada there’s not many bars open during the week so it’s nice to find one to have some Spanish [Music] NS we are getting close to the hamon area looking forward to try it out so time for toada typical from the region so I as this one with Sano ham of course and some cheese well that’s quite a lot of [Music] cheese I’m here in traveles world famous Serano h got my sanoh hum worth the climb I was like okay I have to make it on time to get that sanoh ham now time to F love for tomorrow enjoying an amazing Spanish dinner with great [Music] views good morning day 1 2 3 three I think four yeah good morning day four so we are in Sierra Nevada we slep in traveles and now we heading toward ours capill I think after our night in Traves we head straight back up into the high mountains towards nelas this route is very similar to the previous day staying about 15,000 M of altitude in mostly gravel roads it’s a tough day on the saddle but we will stop first in the town of cap ER the finish line for the Riders doing the batland [Music] race this one is a tricky one I better woke it ah be careful there oo [Music] we [Music] lost a bit of hiking [Music] [Applause] today so we are now climbing above the clouds on another really nice Gravel Road there was a part of the road that was not longer there so we had to hike up but the rest is super [Music] beautiful wo I got the there no yes you did and we got over to over to H Delino and then we continued through so over the ridge of Sierra Conta which is that Ridge over [Music] there this is insane we have Sierra Nevada and a rainbow over [Music] there so we are now in Capilla a quick stop for coffee after descending from the mountain super fun Des and the rainbow was [Music] [Music] insane coffee with a [Music] view local speciality nice so Cofe of the [Music] day [Music] [Music] Reuben where are we we are what was this climb this is the best climb we have this is better than the or anything this is called the F yeah that was a tough one huh but pretty nice well I think it was I don’t know 50% sometimes or I don’t know for 7 kilm that was tough you have to push it or you don’t make [Music] it this is probably the best gravel design I ever done I really enjoyed it a nice SM smooth road with really nice corners and very steep but with the stunning views a perfect way to finish the [Music] day [Music] so finally we made it to the hotel after a nice descent but it was a bit scary to be honest with the wind and uh we’re staying tonight in a really nice nice traditional Spanish house and with a nice patio and everything I’m in the town of naras is really windy so h a supermarket that is open let’s see time for some shopping snacking before dinner guilty I eat nonstop so there’s this trick I heard that um what is that vinegar from um from veggies from like uh these things PI from pickles yeah it’s actually good uh it’s actually good for your muscles Apparently after the ride recovery from this class Pro tip Pro tip huh one of my favorite things when I come to Spain she’s AO I don’t know if you can get it somewhere else but I love [Music] them good morning day five we are here in Nel so we slept in a hotel here was super nice had some breakfast and now last day time to hit the road again a lot of climbing so let’s see how it goes for our final day we leave SRA Nevada side and pass over through the lam Valley we will pass by one yard’s Olive and almor Farms until we reach aluas stop for a coffee before heading back into the [Music] mountains 22 km of gravel in the remote region over there in Sierra um the Sierra the last Sierra exactly Sierra so g u e g j a r it’s just the name of the place really yeah yeah yeah but it comes from uh it comes from the Muslim um Muslim era so here you have the local market so they have like fresh vegetables and fruits and uh the food in the area is really good so this is Cino the theas the final to of the trip final to of the trip there’s there’s always room for one more there’s always room for one one more what’s your favorite so far favorite toal or favorite sier or favorite queso or favorite hamon favorite to yeah favorite to would be yesterday in capila for sure yeah and um favorite Sierra most likely at most likely Sierra luhar which is the first one mhm even though Sierra Nevada has its own place but it’s uh just to make it a little bit more alternative Maybe [Music] so now a bit of grow after the Super steep climb those climbs here are leg [Music] Breakers [Music] we’re here yeah so we’re going to we’re going to do some of these undulations go down and then we drop down and guaro is somewhere here where where this line is we are between the two oranges yeah yes we’re between two oranges [Music] so slippery Jesus Christ but the landscape is [Applause] [Music] beautiful [Music] this clim and out of [Music] him after alas we climb up on this tough grael road reaching the top of Sero de laf ferosa where we can see a stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea and now back down to Sierra NADA mountains where we just spend our week from here we start descending all the way to bis but before we sto at wajar Alto for a coffee our last Sia we are now in wajar Alto our second coffee stop we just did a this end really coold one and now yeah it’s getting really warm because we just came down from altitude so we were up there in the mountains and now we are here in wajar Alto it’s a small village as you can see you have the church [Music] fountains end of the trip back to the start it’s always sad when a trip ends so we are here with Cormac from cyle SIA Nevada What’s the concept behind these by packing routs uh the concept behind the route is uh been rais and cycling tours here in the SI Nevada for some years um unfortunately the area suffers from uh Rural depopulation and a lot of the places we we stopped in the past now are are beginning to close so some of the old bars and and uh restaurants and hotels and stuff so we’ve come up with this idea simply as a way to promote cycle tourism ethical tourism in in these uh hard to reach more rural areas that we normally stopped in the past and and try to bring some business there and why is called Camino Quadro sieras Camino De Quadro sieras uh some say it’s named after our favorite pizza quat quos but it’s uh basically it’s very simple there’s there’s four uh mountains that we that we pass four sieras so there’s two on the coast at the start Sierra luar Sierra de la contesa and then we go on to the Sierra Nevada and then we come back again into the Sierra sieras in um Los quarz guar Alto and that’s that’s that’s the basic idea behind it so for sias photo CRS