project

Crossing Central America and the Andes Mountains by bike

The first time I heard about bike touring or cycle tourism was when I was in Ladakh in Northern India. I had met a Spanish guy who, tired of being behind a computer screen all day long, quit everything and decided to leave his home to travel the world by bike. Since then, the idea of traveling by bike was growing in my head, but without real conviction, always waiting for the right moment. So in 2019, negotiating a one month leave before starting a new job, I decided to cross a part of Europe by bike alone.

Attracted by the diversity of landscapes, Central America will allow me to cross countries with a thousand contrasts, between mountains, volcanoes, jungles and heavenly beaches with a rich and varied culture. Passionate about mountain sports, it is quite natural that I chose to travel through the Andes, the longest mountain chain in the world.

Traveling by bike allows you to be free, to stop where you want, when you want, to get off the beaten tourist track. You are more open to meeting the local people, more open to spontaneous invitations, you attract more easily the curiosity and the sympathy of the people. It's also good for the mind, good for the body and it's environmentally friendly too.

Traveling by bike is about feeling alive. Going back to a healthy and simple life for several months: I feed myself, I cycle and I look for a place to sleep. I want to disconnect from modern life, immersed in the abundance of goods and distractions where values are increasingly replaced by the virtual at the expense of the real. In other words, to live in the moment. Appreciate things at their true value.

It is a sports project but above all a human experience, based on simplicity and authenticity and driven by humanist and ecological values.

challenge

Crossing the Andes by bike will be a daily challenge: every day, I will have to surpass myself, to face my limits to discover my physical and psychological capacities, which are very little used in my daily life. I have always been attracted by activities (running, hiking...) that require mental strength to overcome and push my limits. I wish to live a new adventure every day, to wake up without knowing what the day will be made of and to move towards the unknown.

Simplicity

Simplicity could be summed up in a new routine: "réchaud, vélo, dodo" (stove, bike, sleep). It is about rediscovering the pleasure of simple things: eating a chocolate bar, drinking a sip of water, exchanging a smile, sleeping under a starry sky, falling asleep to the sounds of nature. It is also the opportunity to detach oneself from material constraints, to eliminate the superfluous, but also to detach myself from temporal constraints and to live the present moment. It is the opportunity to be free, to follow my desires and aspirations.

authenticity

Not being attracted by the tourist places, cycling allows to discover what there is between two cities (fields, mountains, villages, desert, hills...), to go out of the beaten tracks and to be in the heart of the authenticity of a country. I am much more moved by a creek that I have discovered myself than by the most beautiful beach in the world for example. Along the way, I want to understand how people live, to learn, to admire, to be amazed, to live as close as possible to the local people. I wish to be in direct contact with nature, to feel it with my 5 senses, even if it means suffering the whims of the weather.

itinerary*

Mexico - Guatemala - El Salvador - Honduras - Nicaragua - Costa Rica - Panama - Colombia - Ecuador - Peru - Bolivia - Chile - Argentina

I will start from Mexico, more precisely from the capital Mexico City, then I will head towards the south-east to arrive in the Yucatan peninsula, then I will cross all the countries of Central America (except Belize which will have its border closed because of the covid): Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama.
Then, I will cross the Panama Canal by boat (stop or cruise) to reach Cartagena in Colombia because the road is blocked by the Darien jungle. Then I will cross the whole Colombia passing by coffee plantations, a desert, small narrow and sinuous roads to arrive in the mountainous region, the famous Andes Cordillera. I will follow it all along, in Ecuador, in Peru, in Bolivia, in Chile, until Ushuaia, in Argentina, final destination. On the program: a succession of passes to climb from 2000m to 5000m, sand deserts (South Lipez, Atacama), salt deserts (Coipaisa, Uyuni) and breathtaking landscapes with glaciers and lagoons.

The trip itinerary initially prepared will not necessarily be followed on the map. I leave myself a part of improvisation in the progression of my trip.

Unlike my first trip by bike where I had a time limit, I want to find a balance between the ambition of the route and the slowness that allows me to enjoy the little things in life.

I am not undertaking a tourist circuit, but I still plan to discover and pass through tourist places (valleys, deserts, volcanoes, pre-Columbian ruins, glaciers, high altitude lakes, salars, jungles) that are generally the most beautiful sites of the continent, if not the world.

*Subject to new restrictions related to the health situation

Photos

PArtnership

A very big thank you to the brands that trust me and support my project by providing me with equipment, making donations and giving me moral support!

About

My name is Ferréol, I'm 32 years old and I'm originally from Lyon. I have been working for more than 6 years in digital marketing consulting in Paris, then in Budapest. I like learning, discovering new things, meeting new people, going to new horizons. Passionate about mountain sports (hiking, skiing, telemark, trail...), I recently discovered bicycle touring.

For some time, the idea of traveling by bike has been in my mind, and particularly through Europe because there are cycling itineraries covering the whole continent. In 2019, I chose the Eurovelo 8 because the itinerary passes through France and heads towards the sun and warmth. This first cycling trip was extremely enriching: I met people who touched me by their caring, goodwill and belief, I crossed varied places (mountains, beach, forest), I cycled under all weather conditions (except snow, that will be maybe for this trip). On a personal level, I kept going learning about myself and strengthening my mind. It was also a sport challenge because my goal was to reach Greece, more than 2500 km in a limited time (less than a month).

Previously, I had the chance to discover other travel experiences, such as hiking (GR20 in Corsica in 7 days in total autonomy, trek in Himalaya, in Sahara), motorcycle (tour of Sri Lanka), and kayaking (crossing Hungary from Budapest to the Croatian border via the Danube in 5 days).
Life is like a bicycle, you have to move forward to keep your balance.