Cycling the Pyrenees | A 3-Day Bike Adventure Meeting Two Long-Distance Cyclists

Cycling the Pyrenees over three days, this mini adventure follows familiar mountain roads and the rare chance to share them with two long-distance cyclists passing through at the same time.

Claire Wyatt and Marta Ballús are both past Seek Travel Ride podcast guests, and this ride offered me the chance to share the road with them in person. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up and I think you’ll agree it made for three days of fantastic riding.

This mini adventure unfolded across some of the roads I ride most often, but with very different company. On the first day I climbed the Col d’Aspin with Marta Ballús, a rider I had previously spoken with on the podcast, before descending into the valley to meet Claire Wyatt, who was riding through France on her way back to the UK after years of solo travel.

We stayed overnight in a small village near Saint-Lary Soulan, through the Welcome to My Garden network https://welcometomygarden.org/ . Then we climbed back over the Aspin the following day and rode back to my place in the Hautes-Pyrénées. On the third day, I took Claire out to the Cirque de Gavarnie, one of the most dramatic landscapes in the Pyrenees. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve personally gone there, it never ceases to take my breathe away! Sharing it with Claire was extra special!

So you’ll see that this mini adventure wasn’t about ticking off as many of the famous Pyrenees climbs as we could. Instread, being able to share some time with both Claire and Marta was super special. Riding together after forming friendships through the podcast first, brought a different kind of understanding to the stories we had already shared. It was great to chat while cycling through some of the most stunning landscapes out there.

👇 Listens and links below:

🎧 Claire Wyatt – Part 1: Mongolia to UK Ride
👉 https://www.seektravelride.com/podcast-ep-155/

🎧 Claire Wyatt – Part 2: Mongolia to UK Ride Finale
👉 https://www.seektravelride.com/podcast-ep-156/

🎧 Marta Ballús – Solo Bikepacking Through South America
👉 https://www.seektravelride.com/podcast-ep-105/

📸 Claire Wyatt – Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/exploringbybicycle/

📸 Marta Ballús – Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/martasway/

📘 Bike Travel Writing & Journals
Susan Carpenter’s CycleBlaze profile with her journals
👉 https://www.cycleblaze.com/profile/scarp/
— Susan Carpenter’s CycleBlaze profile with her journals