Solo Cycle Touring from Northern Norway to Azerbaijan – Arctic to Asia 9 (Day 134-147):
As autumn began slipping back into winter, I pedalled as fast as I could towards the Ukrainian border, hoping to outrun the inevitable arrival of the snow.
I left Kraków and made my way into the foothills of the Carpathian mountains before the temperature plummeted; the days were getting shorter and shorter, and I found myself cycling through icy darkness day after day.
The freezing weather and scarce daylight brought new challenges, but I was distracted by the amazing the hospitality and generosity that I once again received from strangers; after long days shivering on the bike as I traversed Poland’s quaint country lanes, I ended up warming myself on farms and in cabins, getting to know local people and seeing what life was like in Eastern Poland.
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BACKGROUND:
For the last 1.5 years, I’ve been on a cycle tour from Tromsø in Northern Norway to Baku, Azerbaijan, while interviewing locals along the way for my blog. Solo cycle touring for beginners like me can be intimidating; I’d ridden a bike 4 times in the previous 10 years before this journey, but I decided to jump in at the deep end and learn about bikepacking and touring while I was on the road. After watching a few videos on “how to cycle tour”, I set off, and covered 11 countries by bike (and took detours to another 2).
Long distance cycle touring alone was always going to be a challenge, but I got used to it after a month, and eventually started to truly appreciate it. I didn’t have much cycling gear or expertise, and I resorted to using an old Trek mountain bike that I got for free, which was frustrating at times, but I found motivation in the locals I met along the way, and the far-flung places I reached off the beaten track.
The adventure by bike introduced me to a new side of travel. I’d never interacted so much with local people and my surroundings, when I’d been abroad or been so exposed to the kindness of strangers. Travelling so slowly as I pedalled made me feel immersed in the countries and cultures I cycled through, and it forced me to stop in some of the more obscure places the world has to offer. All in all, cycling the world shows you a side of some countries that most travellers never get to appreciate.
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4 Comments
Poland is full of contrasts, ugly and pretty at the same time. Although much has changed in the country for the better after joining the European Union, it will still be a long time before this country catches up with Western standards of living.
Amazing film Tieran 😊
I have to take my hat off to you, getting that far on that cheap bike with such a dodgy pannier rack has my complete admiration! Great adventure and great videos! Looking fwd to the next instalment!
Hello. What is the road. Do you have a gpx trak Krakow Przemysl?