Explore the PackGround

A handpicked collection of bikepacking routes

The Family Shift

For years, this was the home of our travel website, documenting over seven years of life on the road. While our long-term solo rides spanned 2009–2019, we have been traveling as a family of four with our twins since 2020. Though we no longer maintain a full-scale website, you can still find all stories and short updates here:

CRAZY STUFF

For those planning their own adventures, the route descriptions found below remain as our legacy of a wild time out there. Enjoy! Brigitte & Ivo

ALTAY QUEST: BIKEPACKING IN THE BORDERLAND OF MONGOLIA AND RUSSIA

(Mongolia & Russia | 630 km | 9,600 m)

A demanding journey crossing two national parks and a UNESCO site. Linking the Mongolian and Russian Altay via ancient nomad paths and the mystical Ukok Plateau. Expect steep gradients and trailless hike-a-bike passes.

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BIKE BAIKAL: WINTER BIKEPACKING IN SIBERIA

(Russia | 650 km | 1,200 m)

An expedition across the world’s second-largest freshwater lake in brutal Siberian winter. Ride over meter-thick black ice, navigate pressure ridges, and endure temperatures down to -30°C.

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HIGH ATLAS DIVIDE: BIKEPACKING CHALLENGE IN MOROCCO

(Morocco | 850 km | 18,500 m)

Traveling back in time through the ancestral home of the Berbers. This connoisseur’s route crosses the range four times and conquers ten major passes via ancient mule tracks.

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ILLAMPU CIRCUIT: BIKEPACKING VERSION

(Bolivia | 150 km | 4,200 m)

One of the most spectacular glacier tracks in the Andes. A wild loop circumnavigations the mighty Illampu (6,368m), featuring high-altitude passes over 5,090 meters.

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DESERT SPOOR: BIKEPACKING IN JORDAN AND ISRAEL

(Jordan & Israel | 950 km | 12,500 m)

A journey through rusty red dunes and deep-cut wadis. Features 300 kilometers of world-class, purpose-built singletrack on the Israel Bike Trail through the profound silence of the Negev.

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NOMAD TRAILS: BIKEPACKING ROUTES MONGOLIA

(Mongolia | 1,200 km | 14,000 m)

A bikepacking paradise of vast steppe and rugged mountains. Experience a country where nomadic culture is life, navigating an infinite network of dirt tracks through magical light.

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PIONEER TRAIL: BIKEPACKING THE WILD WEST WONDERS OF THE USA

(USA | 680 km | 8,200 m)

Discover Utah’s slot canyons and rock formations off the beaten path. Traverses the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Capitol Reef, concluding in the world-famous slickrock of Moab.

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PUNA LOOP: BIKEPACKING IN NORTHWEST ARGENTINA

(Argentina | 720 km | 9,800 m)

A gargantuan lunar landscape of stone and salt lakes. Experience the raw beauty of the Andes Puna, where volcanic cones cast long shadows and the solitude is as deep as the silence.

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THE YAK TRACK: A BIKEPACKING ADVENTURE IN EASTERN TIBET

(Tibet/China | 1,100 km | 16,500 m)

Traversing the historic provinces of Kham and Amdo. Over twenty passes exceeding 4,000m, connecting remote monasteries and Khampa nomad camps via ancient hiking trails.

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