A return to simplicity: bikepacking the Italian Alps

Endless wildflower fields, impressive peaks, cozy rifugios, homemade pasta, one lane mountain roads: these are all things we enjoyed in abundance on our 5 day bikepacking trip through the southern Italian alps when it became clear to me that I didn’t need much else. 

To be quite honest, I have never really had a strong desire to go bikepacking. I prefer to ride my bikes not loaded down with gear and to have the luxuries of my carefully packed suitcase while traveling. However, I have a difficult time saying no to opportunities, especially ones that involve adventure, some suffering and good views. So, when my brother proposed the route to me, I figured why not give it a shot. I already knew firsthand that seeing the world by bike is by far the superior mode of transport, so this couldn’t be THAT bad. 

We began our trip on the Cote D’Azur in Nice, France, humid and crowded with beach goers on summer vacation – a popular mid-July destination. As the maritime Alps rose dramatically out from the southern European coast, we quickly found ourselves across the border in Italy and high in the mountains. The crowds were no longer, and the fields of wildflowers were as far as the eye could see. After a never-ending climb up winding gravel switchbacks, we finally caught a glimpse of our rifugio tucked quaintly on a ridge in the distance. After being shown our room, we handwashed our kits in the sink, laid them to dry on the windowsill, showered off the day’s sweat and dirt and quickly made our way to the dinner room just as the sun was setting. We were served cold beer, fresh gnocchi in a decadent cream sauce and homemade tiramisu. I felt full and content, having spent the day pedaling from the ocean to the mountains, with only the necessities packed minimally into my bike bags. This must be the life, I mused.

We repeated this routine for four more days. Wake up at a modest time, spend a few hours pedaling our way up and down narrow mountain roads, stop at a refugio for lunch to enjoy pasta made fresh that day, pedal a few more hours, refill our bottles in one of the many potable fountains, refuel and rest for the night at the next refugio. Throughout the day we stopped to take in the views or to share a conversation with a thru-hiker. 

There was no shortage of suffering either. The climbs were grueling and the days were long. It was often unpleasantly hot and we spent far too many hours in our chamois day after day, but the routine was simple and refreshing. Long days on the bike followed by nutrient-rich food sourced nearby and a comfortable place to sleep in the mountains; I didn’t miss my suitcase or electronics but embraced the opportunity to become more connected with my body and the environment around me. This is a concept I’m intimately familiar with in other modalities, but bikepacking through the mountains was a new and welcome reminder of the value of slowing down and simplifying our routines. On the last day we descended for hours from the mountains back down to the coast of France: tired, dirty, well-fed and happy. I now understood the allure of bikepacking and it’s ability to remind us of the more ordinary, yet fine, things in life. 

Written by: Nicole Jorgenson