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2025 Bikepacking Awards: Film, Photography, Writing, and Art
In the final installment of our 2025 Bikepacking Awards, we celebrate inspiring creators with 35 awards across 10 categories, including Best Feature Film, Best Trip Photography, Best Event Documentation, Best Writing, and more. Dive into our 11th annual roundup to see this year’s standout stories and visuals, and explore the full list of winners here…
PUBLISHED Dec 12, 2025
In the third and final installment of our three-part retrospective celebrating the bikepacking community in 2025, we honor the individuals, teams, brands, and creative works that left the biggest mark this year. While part one highlighted standout gear and part two celebrated the people, routes, and events that defined 2025, part three turns to the films, photography, writing, and art that inspired us and kept the spirit of adventure alive, showcasing breathtaking places and encouraging more riders to tell their own stories.
Below are our awards for the year’s most inspiring creative works across film, photography, writing, and art. Most categories feature gold, silver, and bronze honorees, selected by votes from a half-dozen editors and contributors from nearly 100 nominations, plus a Collective Choice award for Best Film, voted on by our members. Choosing winners wasn’t easy. Every nominee is worth your time, so take a moment to celebrate their remarkable work.
Best Film
This year offered a wealth of outstanding films, and as usual, it was challenging to pick the winners for this category. After a round of voting and several debates among our editors, here are our top three picks.
Finding Nessie
By Ryan Le Garrec
Finding Nessie is a heartwarming 20-minute video that follows parents Manu Cattrysse and Katrien De Smet on a 500-kilometer cargo bikepacking adventure around Scotland with their two young sons. Along the way, they discover challenging terrain and unforgettable experiences, but do they locate Nessie? Find the original coverage here.
Lael Rides Around The World
By Rugile Kaladyte
In 2024, ultra-endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox set a new women’s record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bike, pedaling east from Chicago, Illinois, and returning from the west after 108 days, 12 hours, and 12 minutes on the road. Lael Rides Around the World is a 90-minute film that captures her amazing journey around the planet. The film was shot by Lael’s partner, Rugile Kaladyte, who documented the full 18,130-mile journey, an impressive accomplishment in its own right. Find the original coverage here.
The Wild Bunch
By Greg Cairn
Set in the rugged American West, The Wild Bunch is Greg Cairns’ film following Brett Davis, his wife Diana, and partners Steve “Doom” Fassbinder and Jon Bailey as they cross Utah and Wyoming by bike, packraft, and foot along the Outlaw Trail, a 1,300-mile traverse chasing legends and deeper context in the region’s history. See the original coverage here and find a bigger story in photos in The Bikepacking Journal 14, which was published this spring.
Best Cinematography/Editing
The Best Cinematography/Editing category recognizes films for their videography, editing, and style. In their own way, they’ve all helped define a new standard in the quality of filmmaking in the world of bikepacking.
OCVA
By Ryan Francesconi
Oregon Cascades Volcanic Arc (OCVA) is a beautiful video that blends footage from the route of the same name with an ethereal statement and musical score woven together by Ryan Francesconi. Filmed by Ryan and David Wilcox in late autumn 2022, their northbound push required them to adapt to climate shifts, wildfires, and ongoing resource extraction. Ultimately, they captured the fragility and impermanence of Oregon’s landscapes by confronting what remains and honoring what’s been lost. Find the original coverage here.
Loop of Loops Video Series
By Leigh Foster
After years of starting rides from his front door in Chicago, Leigh Foster headed west this year start something new: his Loop of Loops project, a journey to document short rides across the American West and rediscover what drew him to bikepacking in the first place. So far, he’s released videos for the Aspen Loop Overnighter in Mancos, Colorado, and Basin and Batholith, and we look forward to seeing more in the months to come!
A Fistful of Water
By Amandine Geraud and Nicolas Bellavance
A Fistful of Water follows Amandine Geraud and Nicolas Bellavance on a ride through Spain’s Montañas Vacías, or “Empty Mountains.” Over a 680-kilometer loop through one of Europe’s most isolated regions, they chase solitude, vast horizons, and quiet dirt roads. The result is a unique, playful visual journal from the heart of Spain’s high, empty country. Find the original coverage here.
Best Event Documentary
The Best Event Documentary awards films and videos that were created during a bikepacking event to tell an individual’s story or chronicle the event.
Life in the Mid Pack
By Josh Reid
Self-filmed by Josh Reid, Life in the Mid Pack chronicles his ride through the field at the 2025 Tour Divide. Featuring appearances from key riders such as Lael Wilcox, it’s far deeper than a talk-to-camera-style video. Think sweeping landscapes, candid convenience-store interludes, and important race moments. At just over an hour, it’s among Reid’s most polished and compelling works to date. Find the original coverage here.
Afuera
By Ginger Boyd
Afuera is a beautifully shot 20-minute documentary following Alvin Escajeda through the self-supported Trans Pyrenees Race, a 2,000-kilometer coast-to-coast-and-back ultra. Filmed and edited by Ginger Boyd, it blends race tactics and grit with a candid exploration of identity, revealing the raw emotion, struggle, and resolve behind finishing an effort this big. Find the original coverage here.
Cracked: Stories from the AZTR
By Aaron Johnson
During the Arizona Trail Race, racers can call in and leave messages with stories from the trail. Aaron Johnson’s new video, Cracked, is a compilation of those stories that examines how the 2024 event unfolded through the racers’ words. It’s an original approach, and if you’ve raced the AZTR (or spent any time on it), it’s an interesting look into the experience. Find the original coverage here.
One Speed on the CTR
By Josh Hicks
Josh Hicks took on one of the most challenging races in the country, the Colorado Trail Race. At over 500 miles and 75,000 feet of elevation gain, completing the race is hard enough. Alas, Josh not only did so at a single speed but also made a beautiful recollection of his journey over those six days. With incredible views, grueling climbs, and ripping descents, this self-shot video is an inside look at what it’s like to complete the rugged course. Find the original coverage here.
Best Route Video Documentation
For the third year in a row, Best Route Documentary awards videos and films that showcase particular bikepacking routes and help inform and inspire folks interested in experiencing them…
Introducing the Alberni Bam Bam
By Tom Powell
Videographer Tom Powell’s short video introduces the Alberni Bam Bam, a 450-kilometer loop from Nanaimo that strings together quiet forest roads, doubletrack, swim spots, and a visit to the Walbran Valley, one of Vancouver Island’s last old-growth forests. Equal parts route preview and call to attention, it highlights the ride’s beauty alongside BC’s ongoing old-growth logging. Find the original coverage here.
Anneth
By Tom Powell
For a second winning spot, Tom Powell returned to his home in Cornwall, England, for a homecoming journey with an old friend along the West Kernow Way bikepacking route. Anneth is his heartfelt 10-minute video tribute to home that captures their dreary but joyful winter ride. Find the original coverage here.
Solo Bikepacking the TranSardina
By Tristan Bogaard
Tracing the spine of Sardinia’s eastern ranges, the TranSardinia showcases a quieter side of the island: pastoral valleys, rocky massifs, and villages that still embrace a simple way of life. Last fall, Tristan Bogaard rode its full length, capturing the terrain, tempo, and character of the route. His video shares that journey, blending immersive scenery with insight into the route. Find the original coverage here.
Collective Choice: Best Film of 2025
We asked our Bikepacking Collective members for their input again this year, sending them a massive list of 24 film finalists and putting it to a vote. The people spoke, and here are the top three winners of the Collective Choice award for Best Film of 2025. A warm thank you goes out to all of our members for their participation and continued support!
Lael Rides Around The World
By Rugile Kaladyte
In 2024, ultra-endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox set a new women’s record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bike, pedaling east from Chicago, Illinois, and returning from the west after 108 days, 12 hours, and 12 minutes on the road. Lael Rides Around the World is a 90-minute film that captures her amazing journey around the planet. The film was shot by Lael’s partner, Rugile Kaladyte, who documented the full 18,130-mile journey, an impressive accomplishment in its own right. Find the original coverage here.
Finding Nessie
By Ryan Le Garrec
Finding Nessie is a heartwarming 20-minute video that follows parents Manu Cattrysse and Katrien De Smet on a 500-kilometer cargo bikepacking adventure around Scotland with their two young sons. Along the way, they discover challenging terrain and unforgettable experiences, but do they locate Nessie? Find the original coverage here.
Life in the Mid Pack
By Josh Reid
Self-filmed by Josh Reid, Life in the Mid Pack chronicles his ride through the field at the 2025 Tour Divide. Featuring appearances from key riders such as Lael Wilcox, it’s far deeper than a talk-to-camera-style video. Think sweeping landscapes, candid convenience-store interludes, and important race moments. At just over an hour, it’s among Reid’s most polished and compelling works to date. Find the original coverage here.
Best Trip Photography
Bikepacking Central Afghanistan
By Max Roving
As part of his multi-year ride around the globe, Max Roving spent time crossing the rugged folds of Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush. Although it was just published yesterday, we’ve been reeling over this photoset for some time. Aside from capturing some striking bike shots, it gave us a glimpse of a place that hasn’t been seen much beyond war reportage in decades. Kudos to Max for taking a bold leap into the unknown and coming back with amazing memories. See it here.
Touristas
By Evan Christenson
Earlier this year, Evan Christenson sampled stretches of the famed Carretera Austral in Chile, looking to answer a variety of questions like, “How tough is it?” and “What gear do you need?” Along the way, a cast of unconventional characters helped spark Evan’s spirited reply to those perennial asks, and the result was a most colorful gallery of photos that captures a side of this route as we’ve never seen. Find the original coverage here.
A Brotherly Journey
By Liam Adamaitys
After years of dot-watching the Hunt 1000, Liam Adamaitys finally lined up with his brother for the 2024 edition. He recounted their ride, how he managed anxiety when plans unraveled, and why embracing both the highs and lows made the experience meaningful. All of these came through in a simple and lovely gallery of photos that accompanied the story. Find it here.
Southern Utah Scramble
By Serkan Yildiz
During a 10,000-kilometer journey across North and Central America, Turkish rider Serkan Yildiz stitched together an off-road line through Utah by linking several of our routes. He shared some valuable insight and a few lessons he learned along the way. Plus, he put together a brilliant photo gallery that brought back some classic solo bikepacking vibes. See it here.
Best Event Documentation
2025 Tour Divide Coverage
By Eddie Clark and Eszter Horanyi
The Tour Divide is arguably one of the most anticipated bikepacking events of the year, attracting riders from all over the world to tackle the 2,700-mile route from Banff to New Mexico. Providing media coverage for such a lengthy route is a massive undertaking, and Eszter Horanyi and Eddie Clark demonstrated their experience and dedication this year by publishing some of the best event coverage we’ve seen. Find all of the amazing updates, photos, and more here.
Arkansas High Country Race
By Aaron Arnzen, Kai Caddy, and Monica Foltz
This year, we partnered with Aaron Arnzen for our coverage of the 2025 Arkansas High Country Race, and the results were outstanding. Aaron’s intimate knowledge of the race proved extremely valuable, and his various updates and winner’s posts paired perfectly with photography from Kai Caddy and Monica Foltz. With three route options, fast riders, and lots of excitement to cover, the team did an excellent job of bringing us all the action. You can find all the coverage here.
El Piri
By Lloyd Wright and Zoe Hyatt
As the recipient of the 2025 El Piri startline bursary, Zoë Hyatt found her way to the start of her first bikepacking race, an 800-kilometer gravel adventure through the Catalan Pyrenees. Her reflection of the experience speaks to the support she accepted, the barrier to ultra-racing, and why bursaries like the one she received are so important. Photography from Lloyd Wright makes for one of the most captivating event reports of the year. Read her report here.
Le Pilgrimage
By Matt Bark
Matt Bark’s event coverage always stands out, not only because of his impressive photography but also because he’s often riding and racing right along with everyone else. His story from Le Pilgrimage successfully captured the event’s unique format, where riders would push hard during the day but enjoy each other’s company and camaraderie each night. Find stories from the event paired with Matt’s photography here.
Best in Art/Multimedia
On Film
By Pablo Selman
Pablo Salman impressed in a variety of ways this year with both his Rider’s Lens and Red Feather Ramble pieces. With the latter being a double-language feature on one of his first bikepacking adventures in Colorado, Pablo’s ability to traverse language, terrain, and culture has been a true delight to witness. Given his keen eye for photos, unique perspective as a Chilean immigrant, and artistic take, Pablo’s work yields pieces that communicate a sense of authenticity and are well worth re-reading for fresh insights.
Bike Portraits and More
By Rosa ter Kuil (RTiiiKA)
With a direct, slightly comedic artistic style, Rosa ter Kuile is a UK-based artist who bends and breaks norms in a space historically dominated by men. From exhibits on animal sexuality to heartbreak repair kits that double as flat-repair tools, Rosa’s take on cycling and how it fuses with everyday life offers a refreshing and distinct perspective on the industry. Find the original coverage here.
Cycling and Sewing Across Japan
By Fischer Olpin
For years, many of us have watched Fischer Olpin live the dream. From bikepacking trips to interesting and colorful bags that become the showpiece of the rigs that don them, Fischer’s latest journey, cycling and sewing through Japan, appeared to be the precipice of a lifetime of fun. Joined by his partner and photographer Gracee Dalton, the story of how Fish-Ski Bikes came to be is almost as interesting as the duo themselves. Find the original coverage here.
Champagne Rodman
By Casey Robertson
Few graphic designers-turned-cyclists are as uniquely vibrant as Casey Robertson. With a bold, colorful style that pays homage to his wayward roots, Casey’s Rider’s Lens earlier this year displayed just how wide-ranging and prolific his artistic style has been over the past years. Able to capture the boundless energy of so many in the same space, Casey’s work and perspective are a real addition to the cycling world. Find the original coverage here.
Best Writing (Web)
Again this year, we’re recognizing the best community-contributed stories we’ve published on the site. These nominees reflect the most honest, gripping, and reflective examples of storytelling from the saddle.
When We Get Komooted
By Josh Meissner
In one of the year’s most hard-hitting pieces, Josh Meissner examines the troubling mechanics of the community-powered service Komoot following its sale to private equity. When We Get Komooted explores the broken relationship between corporate capital and our communities. Amid the tension, Josh discovers a way forward that’s available to all of us. Find the original coverage here.
Pinyons, Lions, Pines, and Doubt
By Stephen Fitzgerald
In his highly engaging long-form piece, Pinyons, Lions, Pines, and Doubt, Stephen Fitzgerald mesmerizingly recounts the blurry mix of endurance, luck, humility, and determination that led to his placing far higher than he initially thought possible at the 350-mile Pinyons and Pines bikepacking event in Arizona. Find the original coverage here.
Dad and the Dempster
By Tara Weir
Telling the unexpected tale of Tara Weir’s pedal-powered return to the remote village in Arctic Canada where her father helped put on a legendary Metallica concert three decades ago, Dad and the Dempster weaves the past and the present to share the story of a cherished father-daughter adventure. Find the original coverage here.
Home to Arizona
By Evan Christenson
As a kid, Evan Christenson was regularly packed into the car for trips from San Diego to Phoenix to see family, blasting through the desert along Interstate 8. In Time Traveling: Home to Arizona, he loads up his humble bicycle and retraces the route under his own power, fully experiencing its contours, abundant life, and complex dynamics for the first time. Find the original coverage here.
Best Writing (Print)
Although we think every story that makes it into our biannually printed publication, The Bikepacking Journal, represents the very best in pedal-powered writing and photography, we want to highlight a few of our favorites as we look back on this year’s issues.
Perfect Strangers
By Alia Salim
Witty, engaging, and beautifully illustrated by artist Ariel Wickham, Perfect Strangers tells the tale of Alia Salim’s solo bikepacking misadventure into Death Valley, where she meets an offbeat cast of characters. The story, which was published for Bikepacking Collective members to read in The Bikepacking Journal 14, highlights unlikely kindness and offers meditations on boldness, wonder, and connection.
Echoes of Thin Air
By Sam Rice and Tom Norman
Set among the formidable peaks of the Peruvian Andes, Sam Rice and Tom Norman’s Echoes of Thin Air harmoniously blends two perspectives and half a dozen themes when going deep into any adventure. It takes readers on a visceral journey along the Huascarán Circuit, showcasing stunning photography and embodying the freewheeling spirit of bikepacking. Members can read it in The Bikepacking Journal 13.
Family Tree
By Sam and Scott Haraldson
Documenting the escapades of two brothers bikepacking together to help maintain their long-distance connection amid ever-busier lives, Family Tree is a touching reflection on family bonds and the power of shared experiences. Sam and Scott Haraldson remind readers of the simple joy of pedaling, all set against a spectacular backdrop of Montana fire lookouts. Members can find it in The Bikepacking Journal 14.
That’s a wrap for this year’s Bikepacking Awards. Find our previous two roundups for 2025 Bikepacking Gear of the Year here and the top People and Routes here. Plus, for more great photography, writing, and videos, find past editions the Further Reading grid below. You can also dig into #bikepacking-awards to find all of our annual awards roundups since 2015.
Do you enjoy our in-depth reviews, route guides, and stories? We’re a small, independent publication dedicated to keeping our content free for everyone, but we need your support. To keep articles like this one coming (and not behind a firewall), please consider becoming a member of our Bikepacking Collective. By joining, you’ll receive The Bikepacking Journal in the mail twice a year, industry discounts, and many other great benefits. Learn more here.
Further Reading
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