Problem Solving and Patience at Sneak Peaks 2025

Words by Markus Kauf, photos by Jakub Kopecký, Saskia Martin, and Markus Kauf

When I signed up for my first huge bikepacking event in 2024, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The Sneak Peaks Adventure route was advertised with 1,100 kilometers and around 37,000 meters of elevation. What looks like a typo is, in fact, one of the steepest and most challenging off-road events on the bikepacking calendar.

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I had done brevets and other long-distance events before, yet I wasn’t sure I could manage this. But I signed up because I liked the idea of riding a scouted route through remote landscapes in the middle of Europe, from Italy to Slovenia and back, being able to stop by at 12 rifugios and have accommodation sorted out automatically. And of course, I thought there were worse places to scratch than Italy. What made the decision even easier: there wasn’t any time limit to finish, which isn’t common for modern bikepacking events. So my plan was set: ride it from rifugio to rifugio, take my time, and make the best of it.

The inaugural edition of Sneak Peaks in 2024 was already one to remember: an intense rainstorm hit most riders in the first couple of days, followed by a sudden snowstorm just a few days later, which led to up to 50 centimeters of snow in parts of the route. I was in the middle of it, trying to make progress step by step and making reasonable decisions to stay safe. In the end, long sections in the second half of the route had to be rerouted because many parts were unrideable due to flooding and snow. Even though this might sound like a horrible experience, I was living the life back then and didn’t want to stop.

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Halfway, I got stuck at checkpoint #6 in the snowstorm in Slovenia and had to wait 24 hours to continue. From then on, every day turned out to be an adventure; I didn’t know if it was possible to reach the official finish. For days, I saw no one except the rifugio hosts. It took grit and no small amount of luck, but I made it. One of just six out of 43 starters to finish the Adventure distance in almost 12 days.

When Sneak Peaks director Rapha announced the new edition for 2025, he made one significant adjustment to the route. In 2024, the three different distances were loops leading east from Bolzano, stacked on top of each other. That meant most riders would meet in the beginning, but those on the longer distances were likely to be lonely in the second half. In 2025, all riders shared one core track, and the longer distances included additional stretches. Even slower riders on the longer route would meet the faster ones of the shorter distances here and there. The Adventure distance also included new treats: a pass above 3,100 meters, a 22-kilometer hike-a-bike section, and several new areas and rifugios.

My goal for the new edition was to finish faster, using my experience from last year, and to show up in better physical condition to enjoy the event even more. The forecast looked close to perfect. But despite my eager plans and preparations, I crashed already on one of the first descents and damaged my hand. With a swollen wrist, I had to slow down and reassess every day whether it was possible to continue without putting myself at too much risk.

Still, the beginning of the event gave me a glimpse of why I came back: the astonishing views multiple times per day, the heavenly gravel roads up and down, and, of course, the excellent Italian food. When I reached the 22-kilometer hike-a-bike stretch, I met Rapha and the media crew. I told them that even though I was still suffering from my crash, I was enjoying the experience and looking forward to taking my bike on a hike because it gave me time to enjoy the views. And I really wasn’t disappointed.

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The time flew by fast, but after a couple of days, I got serious issues breathing as a late result of my crash. I had to go to the hospital to double-check if everything was still okay. The result after an X-ray: bruised ribs and a still-damaged hand. I was told it was nothing to worry about and that I could continue as long as it didn’t get too painful. I said to myself that if the pain outweighed the enjoyment, I would scratch—but I still wanted to see as much as possible.

I continued and went up to the next checkpoint. That day, we were told to expect a strong rainy day, so I tried to get over the next mountain as fast as possible. When I got near the top of the climb, I got swallowed by the clouds. At first, it was possible to see down into the valley, but the further I went, the more I stepped into white fog.

And then it happened. After bikepacking through the mountains for four days, I felt utterly lost—in the most positive way. Being in the middle of the clouds at around 2,800 meters, I found myself in a white bubble of just 20 meters wide, where anything beyond didn’t seem to exist anymore. Everything shifted into a surreal experience. As I approached the top, I heard boulders rumbling in a deep, growling sound, unsure of where it was coming from. My mind was spinning; I couldn’t make sense of it. It sounded like the mountain was slowly trying to move toward me and crumbling with every step.

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The sound grew, and the closer I came, the louder it got. Then suddenly, an excavator appeared in the mist up at 3,000 meters out of nowhere, casually digging a new hiking path. Just moments later, while descending, the clouds suddenly opened up, revealing parts of the landscape, then swallowed it again seconds later. It felt like the mountains were peeking at me through a hole in the clouds now and then, and when I stopped to take a look, they vanished.

I had to pause a lot to witness what was happening around me. And I realized that I had finally found what I wasn’t even looking for but had missed since the start: the feeling of completely getting lost in time and space. I didn’t know where I was, what time of day it was, or even which day. I noticed that feeling being familiar from last year. Being in there, time felt endless.

After being in that state for some time, I descended into a valley and suddenly popped back out of the clouds. But this time, it didn’t feel like the descents of the past days. I felt more like landing on earth—coming back from a place far away after a long time, even though it had just been four hours crossing that pass. This game of vanishing and playing hide-and-seek with reality continued, and after some days, the weather stabilized again.

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The remaining days flew by. In the end, the crash from day one still took a significant toll on me, but I felt happy as I got closer to the finish, finally getting enough rest. The last days felt like slowly coming home and traversing back to reality, visiting known places and some of the first and best rifugios from the 2024 edition.

During this event, I experienced some of the greatest moments on the bike—but also some of the worst, where I doubted if it was an enjoyable experience at all or if I was putting myself at too much risk. What got me through this was knowing from the past year that even on a day with a sudden two-hour hike-a-bike descent that completely crushed my plans, I would find a moment along the route that reframed the difficulties as part of the process leading to something rewarding.

Finding these moments became the key objective of my journey. It was not only a physical challenge but also one in problem-solving and patience. The elevation profile closely resembled the emotional ups and downs.

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In both editions, I would have loved to be in the middle of the field, but it wasn’t possible. I had to contemplate why this felt like a failure and what my position in the field really meant to me. In that process, I discovered a lot of little wins along the way: heartwarming encounters with strangers, great moments out in nature, or just a great snack in a wonderful place—and ultimately arriving back home safely while still having a good time.

The route that Rapha stitched together demands a lot but offers a lot in return. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the trade. I returned to experience the route without detours, better prepared and eager to go faster. But in the end, I got lost in the most beautiful way. Even though the clock was ticking and there was a leaderboard online, it wasn’t advertised as a race—it’s called an “immersive bikepacking expedition,” and I couldn’t think of a better description.

Learn more about the Sneak Peaks events, including the 2026 edition, at Orbit360.cc.

Further Reading

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