Folks from our global community pack their bags and pedal around British Columbia, Iceland, and Spain in our 247th edition of Weekend Snapshot. Find reader-submitted scenes from a trio of off-road rides and use the form to share something from a recent getaway here…

Our latest installment of Weekend Snapshot spotlights recent adventures in three coveted bikepacking destinations. Friends and family join our readers on rugged rides around Spain, Iceland, and British Columbia. Explore vignettes from their journeys below, then continue scrolling to find some related posts and a quick form to share a shot from one of your rides.

British Columbia, Canada

By Emily Heron

A few weekends ago, I joined two new friends on the 10 Lakes Overnighter out of Powell River. This was maybe my sixth time on the route (a bonus that I can leave right from my front door), but my first time with new friends. We had a later rollout, a lovely lunch break, a swim at Dodd Lake, and an exciting camp at Goat Lake, before riding back and ending with tacos and margs. A few lessons were learned (bring tents with floors in mice territory), and many laughs were had.

Iceland

By Jason Swift

Our five days in Iceland began at the end of a dirt road, extracting two fully loaded bikes from a tiny rental car. It was an awkward process that probably should have raised more questions than it did.

My kid and I headed into the Fjallabak Highlands, where Iceland quickly began auditing my trip-planning decisions. There were hours spent pushing bikes uphill while I reconsidered my training program, which apparently had consisted mostly of thinking about training. There was endless wind, braided glacial rivers to wade across, and plenty of terrain where riding a bicycle seemed purely optional.

But somewhere along the way, life became wonderfully small. Keep moving. Find the next hut. Get warm. Eat something. A candy bar at the end of the day became an extraordinary luxury. When the wind got too ridiculous, we hid in a hut and played cards while Iceland disappeared into the weather outside. Five days of solving small problems, laughing at bad decisions, and having nowhere else we needed to be. On the last day, before we’d even made it back to the hostel, we started planning our next trip. Apparently, we hadn’t learned anything.

Catalunya, Spain

By Luis Martinez

Currently on day nine of a loop around the Catalan Pyrenees from and back to Girona. We took part of the route from Cass Gilbert’s notes and adjusted it to our liking.

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.