Stories

The Plan

It's Friday and I crave adventure. 

It's time to get all my gear out of storage and take a little exploratory trip to the Basque Country. The availability of time and the physical fitness of each person may be different, but the harshness of the Basque topography is constant.

I have one goal: To unite the three "Hiru Hiriburuak" capitals (Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Donostia-San Sebastián) of the provinces (Bizkaia, Alaba and Guipuzkoa) of Euskadi by gravel bike, creating a route that facilitates tourism in the area and is accessible to all.

It would be a route that people could complete in one go, divide into several stages, or even spread over a number of weekends, taking advantage of the different means of public transport that connect the main cities.

Equipment

The route is 90% off road. My preferred mode of travel is gravel bike. I'm 100% self-sufficient, and my kit is quite ultralight. Bikepacking means I don't have to depend on any facilities and can travel long distances.

My chosen configuration:

• Orbea Terra M20i bicycle - light and capable.
• Shimano GRX DI2 2x1 groupset - delivers precision and efficiency on all terrains.
• Fulcrum Rapis Red 900 DB wheels - robust and reliable.
• 40mm tires - perfect for the tracks (in good condition) without penalizing the asphalt sections.

Necessary kit and material distribution:

• Apidura 17L saddlebag
• Spare clothes
• Sleeping bag
• Stove, gas cylinder, cup

• Apidura 9L handlebar bag
• Large tent
• Hinged Carpet

• Pocket for apidura handlebar accessories 
• Expedition Foods freeze-dried meals
• Power bars

• Apidura 4.5L frame bag 
• Wash kit
• Electronic elements
• Mini padlock

The Result

I travelled 380km in 48 hours and the route was almost finished, my body was tired but my mind was restored.

I leave you with this advice: Organise your time, sometimes just a weekend is enough, for an exploration trip by bike and an escape from routine. Know your environment and its history. 

Pack up and dare!

Ibai Fradejas

We've come up with our top ten ways that Expedition Foods meals can improve your camping experience and make a great time even better.

You’re out of breath, you feel like you could drink a gallon of water, your legs are burning, and your feet are screaming at you. You’ve just started training for that 250km ultramarathon, and right now completing it probably seems impossible, maybe even ridiculous.

Life is all about setting yourself goals and working towards them. RacingThePlanet are there for you every step of the way to help you prepare yourself mentally and physically and achieve that incredible goal.

There's nothing we'd rather listen to than two awesome explorers discussing food.

Alex Mason, 38 year old British adventurer, has been well and truly on our radar since her incredible row across the Atlantic Ocean with Monkey Fist Adventures in 2020. She recently started her Hungry for Adventure podcast, talking to her fellow adventurers about food (and all things adventure), and having listened to an episode - we're already huge fans! 

For the third episode, Alex talked to Wendy Searle. If you haven't heard of Wendy, then you should have! In January 2020, Wendy completed her epic solo crossing of Antarctica, becoming the 7th woman in history to complete Hercules Inlet to South Pole, solo and unsupported.

This podcast is brilliant - funny, interesting, surprising and full of useful information for current/aspiring explorers. Thanks, Wendy for the shout out (approx. half way through) - we love working with you!

You can listen to the podcast by searching 'Hungry for Adventure' on your podcast player, or clicking this link.

If you're looking for gift ideas and inspiration for your outdoorsy loved ones, check out ExplorersWeb's Gift Guide for Polar Explorers.

They've included gifts across the range of prices and uses including wrist warmers, polar ski bindings, and, of course, Expedition Foods!

To take a look at the gift guide on ExplorersWeb click here. Or for a range of great gift options checkout our freeze-dried meal and our snack ranges on the Expedition Foods website.

Speaker, author and explorer, Mark Wood is no stranger to cold extremes. His experience includes guiding film crews to the Magnetic North Pole, leading two expeditions to the Geomagnetic North Pole and completing solo expeditions to both the Geographic North and South Poles. He has been a part of major BBC and Channel 5 documentaries and over the years has trained and led people in the extremes of the planet.

We asked Mark about his life and his incredible upcoming SOLO 100 expedition.

Campsites have re-opened following lockdown and unprecedented demand due to the "staycation" movement has meant new pop-up sites are opening everywhere. Whether you are on a site or if it's (leave-no-trace) wild-camping that interests you, Expedition Foods meals are perfect for camping.