Today’s Weekend Snapshot is all about marking milestones. Join three readers from our global bikepacking community as they take on personally significant rides in Spain, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. Plus, use the short form to share a photo from one of your recent rides here…
This edition of Weekend Snapshot swings by three idyllic locations around Europe to present scenes from meaningful rides submitted by our readers. One gets back on the bike after many years away, another returns to their childhood home to pedal old trails, and yet another reunites with friends for a yearly ride together. Take a moment to browse all three vignettes below, then use the quick form at the bottom of this post to share a scene from one of your rides for consideration in an upcoming edition of this Monday morning series.
Andalucia, Spain

By Kara Folkerts
After my first big bikepacking adventure in 2017 (seven months and 10,600 kilometers later) I took an unintentional hiatus from bike travel while guiding trail running trips and travelling full time. I was, no doubt, deep in a life of adventure travel, but missed my bike deeply. This year, I promised myself I’d get back on the saddle. For my first trip back, I headed out on a solo trip around Andalucia, Spain. Through deserts, forests, the Mediterranean coast, and high mountain passes, I quickly realized the purest form of joy that bikepacking gives me. Being back on the bike now, I know I’m only just getting started again.
Suffolk, United Kingdom

By Matt Bark
This weekend I took my oldest bike to my oldest places. A nostalgic weekend of memory lanes, far too much sand and re-finding the places that I used to explore as a child. Places that seemed far away back then were actually deceivingly close, wild places had grown beyond recognition and new housing estates had been built. But a ghost of familiarity followed me all weekend, memories of people and places long forgotten.
Switzerland

By Aoife Ruane
Every summer, a group of ladies living and working in Switzerland head off to explore a different Swiss bike route for a week. This year, it was Route 6, the Graubunden Route, with spectacular views, big climbs, and fun gravel tracks as we made our way to the border with Austria.
Send Us Your Weekend Snapshot
We’ll be selecting three photos per week to feature in Weekend Snapshot. Send yours along for consideration, and if it’s selected, we’ll be in touch! Note: We prefer 3:2 ratio landscape-oriented photos.
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