2022 Seven Serpents Gravel (Video)

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Seven Serpents Gravel is an unsupported 800-kilometer bikepacking challenge from Ljubljana to Trieste through the Croatian Islands. The organizers put together a video documenting the inaugural event and some reflections from some of the key players involved. Watch the video and learn more about the event here…

The inaugural Seven Serpents Gravel event in Slovenia followed an 800-kilometer route between Ljubljana and Trieste. Riders traversed gravel roads and paths through Slovenian forests, Croatian peaks and national parks, the islands of Krk and Cres, small villages, and lakes. There were 62 riders participating in this year’s event, the fastest of whom finished the entire route in under 70 hours, including first-place rider Nils Correvon, who crushed his ride in just 59 hours and 10 minutes.

The official film for the 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel is out now, and it provides a stunning look at the terrain and challenges the riders faced during their ride. Created by Enrico Masiero of Masie Production and Marco Samiolo, anyone interested in the event will surely have a hard time not signing up for the 2023 edition after watching it. Check it out below, and then continue reading for a reflection from event organizer Bruno Ferraro and filmmaker Enrico Masiero.

Words by Bruno Ferraro (@bruno.gpx)

“I don’t know who looks more tired at the finish… the participants or the media team?” That was a fun realization from Nils Correvon, the first finisher of the Seven Serpents Gravel, who only slept two and a half hours out of the 59 he was riding!

It’s a fact: following a bikepacking event as media is almost as hard as riding it. You’re sleeping very little and constantly following the dots, eating fast food or at petrol stations, and you spend most of the day jumping in and out of the media car. Plus, you miss all the fun parts, including riding your bike.

  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
2022 Seven Serpents Gravel

My name is Bruno Ferraro. I’m a long-term bikepacking addict and the creator of the Seven Serpents Gravel. After completing most of the popular bikepacking events in Europe, I finally decided that it was my time to contribute a fresh new route to fill the quickly growing international bikepacking calendar. I used Badlands (one of my favourite races of all time) as inspiration and tried to build something that followed it as a reference, including distance, elevation, terrain, and variation. My past bikepacking trips between Slovenia and Croatia gave me the knowledge to build a route in these beautiful regions. It took me a few months of hard work, but the route was finally coming together. As soon as we opened up registration, the start list grew bigger every day, and seeing all of the partipcants names had me dreaming about what this event could eventually become.

And that’s it! Last May, the inaugural edition of Seven Serpents Gravel took place, starting from the vibrant city of Ljubljana, the heart of beautiful Slovenia, and heading to the marvellous Croatian seaside.

  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
2022 Seven Serpents Gravel

Words by Enrico Masiero (@masie.mp4)

“Dude, I wouldn’t want to be you when you find yourself editing all these gigabytes of footage!” That’s what Marco, my assistant, told me right before trying to catch some sleep during the second night of work at Seven Serpents Gravel.

I’m Enrico Masiero, a young Italian filmmaker who loves to catch interesting situations and capture them with my film camera. I always look for new experiences, mostly related to the outdoor world and travels. When Bruno asked if I was down to join the media team as film director, I couldn’t refuse the offer. After he sent me some information on the route and the places where we’d be filming, I felt super excited and enthusiastic.

  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel

This was my first time as a filmmaker at this type of cycling event, and I had no idea what to expect from an “unsupported gravel bikepacking event.” What I saw is that most people participating had a strong will to ride despite all the difficulties they would encounter on the route. Determination and self-reliance are definitely an essential part of their character.

I was able to capture loads of great footage during the event. The beautiful environment helped, and the spontaneous attitude of the participants made everything so natural and real. The pace of the riders was so fast, we were always chasing them, trying to catch everyone and film them at specific points along the route. Waking up in the early morning and running all day wasn’t easy, but was totally worth it. We never lacked enthusiasm!

  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel
  • 2022 Seven Serpents Gravel

This event turned out to be one of the most important, beautiful, and challenging projects I’ve ever done. Doing everything, from recording to editing, was really challenging but I learned a lot because of it. I got to meet so many special people and visit places I’ve never had the chance to see before.

So, this is it, the film I captured on route and meticulously edited, and my attempt to share my vision of the experience some of you have missed. Don’t worry though, because I bet that this was only the first of many editions of Seven Serpents Gravel. I would love to thank everyone who was involved on this fantastic project. I’m definitely looking forward to the next one!

The 2023 Seven Serpents Gravel is scheduled for May of next year and will include a shorter route called “Quick Bite.” Follow the official Instagram @sevenserpents.cc so you don’t miss any updates.

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