A few weeks ago I went on my first extended trip in quite a remote and mountainous part of France. And it was difficult and challenging, water was hard to find, the climbs were brutal and even restocking food wasn’t always easy… and I loved it! Recently I wanted to finish this designated route and travel north, from Clermont-Ferrand to Nevers (267 km, 1410 meters climbing, 2 and a half days). And it was much easier, the route itself being much more focused on showing off the many pretty villages and towns along the Allier River. But I felt a bit… disappointed? After the sheer ruggedness of the wilderness before I felt a little uninterested in the scenery here. And I think it’s clicked that this northern section would be for more of a “tour”. Taking the time to stop at the village, visiting the monuments etc. I guess I preferred the challenge of Bikepacking where the cycling was more the focus. Also didn’t help that it was in the middle of a brutal heatwave, and then capped off by a very stormy day.
by Archaicarc
2 Comments
Bikepacking is a fancier name for bike touring, nothing more.
Semantics?
I think having established definitons could be useful for discussion, but there really isn’t one, and if one is set out, its usually ignored.
For instance this sub defines bikepacking as: “Off-Pavement Bicycling and camping where you would if you were to go backpacking. Bikepacking is generally in the backcountry, but you can backpack on local trails.”
Which could be used to narrow the focus of this forum, but its universally ignored.