European Bike Packing Adventure Highlights – solo female cycling trip

Some highlights from my solo European cycling tour from 2022. Cycling across ten countries as a solo female carrying my kit.

Bike : Cannondale Topstone
Tent : Alpkit Soloist
Countries: The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium

Highlights include Croatia island hopping, gravel climbing Croatia and bike packing the Stelvio Pass, Italy. Finally the Vrsic Pass, Slovenia in the Julian Alps.

A humbling and amazing experience. If you’re interested in bike packing and cycling adventures in Europe, or travel as a solo female… this video is for you.

Full vlogs can be seen on my channel ♥️

Welcome to my video displaying some of the highlights from my Euro bite packing tour so first up is Croatia island hopping I’m off the ferry big climb but I got the climb all to myself this is a 5m climb just 1,000 ft to go See I really did love this ride the beautiful Coastal views and the gradients weren’t too vicious which made for nice Riding but that scene changed nothing like a back ended offro climb to challenge you after the end of the long day not even getting my words out a long but rewarding ride and made it to camp and next up is one of the days riding that I did in Austria this was

Actually on my birthday and it turned out to be a really tough day I think it was about 75 miles and about 9,000 ft of climbing um but the last Alpine pass that I did the road turned to graly track with really steep sections of

20% um yeah it was one of the days that really tested me um and I just felt really in awe of the scenery and what I was doing and yeah I was just it’s just one of those days that really sticks with me um and I don’t think the video

Is really quite do it justice um but here you go This one’s super Pretty raining quite heavily now but I’m sheltered right here I just hang fire for a bit Well part of the adventure we’ve now gone to gravel with 20% Incline this route is testing me now but wow the road turned to gravel but with really steep gradients big sections of 15 to 20% and taking me up to an elevation of 5,500 ft I had seen anyone for miles and was wondering if I had bitten off more than I could chew but

Equally it just felt so incredible to be somewhere so truly amazing it was raining I was tired but I had everything but I needed should I come to need to Camp up to rest I just felt in a of the nature and surroundings and although out of my comfort zone the adventure just

Made me feel alive having made it up the climb a long descent followed but miles are quite technical steep descending so a no on the filming but I made it back down followed by another 1,300 ft climb to my cycling host for the evening but what a day on the

Bike so this is another day climbing in Austria and another ride that I really enjoyed and that I’m really proud of um Austria one of my most favorite countries that I cycle through and yeah this was definitely a ride to remember okay so I thought all the climbing was

Done and now my garment says there’s another climb uh and it’s up 1,700 ft which is going to take me to just under 6,000 ft so stopped at the uh this lovely little Bakery and it was amazing I was so tempted just to stay there and

Eat more PTI Street bir and I we’re going up come on we’re doing this so let’s do this deserted ski town this was going to be a slug more live footage of ly crawling up mountain passes we’re going [Applause] high 5,600 ft 250 to Go He So I feel like the stalia pass needs a little introduction really um it’s one of it’s a really iconic climb and I’m just really proud to have bike packed it um to cycled that and to have ridden up it on my fully laden gravel bike um yeah so another ride that I’m really

Proud of and really glad that I filmed this one um yeah it was definitely a tough day but definitely a rewarding one too steier pass stands at 2758 M he 24 km long and the highest climb in the gyro Dalian and has 48 switchbacks so pretty impressive stats I

Was also riding on a fully laden gravel bike with off-road ties and all my camping kit on board you know for the extra challenge it’s been a climb on my list for some time and I was going to get up there if it took me all day with

A wild camp in between that said I did feel a bit nervous on the Leadup jacket’s coming off soon it’s coming what’s in store for Lucy we’re getting High snow capat mountains we’re going up so this isn’t even the stelvio it’s just the lead out to the start of the climb um riding through a really steep Vineyard um beautiful but yeah pretty tough gradients I think this is all the people that didn’t make it at the Ste pass

Anyway here we go we’re doing this cloody out I’m going to be Mega proud when I get to the to of this One when being the key question Comment The V is are Coming we’re still going nearly at 5,000 ft Now you look up and you see all the switch bags Wow Bri power once again I’m starting to feel that proud emotional feeling already so God knows what I’m going to be like when I get to the top just if you knew where I was in feed March no not much to say There Lester Lester ah yes where are you from I’m from El oh nice nice to meet you 5 miles to go 2,000 ft to go altitude’s kicking in now it’s tough I’m going to stop and have soic toet got can of Coke in my bag that I’ve been saving um yeah

But I’m doing this we’re getting up there but wow the views A Thank less than 1,000 ft to go The gradients Sting the altitude stings the effort stings come onom can do This 360 ft to Go not scared of heights Dad look down not much to say nothing to say Jesus that was a slug but I made It N So the last highlight included in this video is the verac pass in Slovenia which is in the Julian Alps and I absolutely love this climb um I came to it after 48 hours of rain upon arriving in Slovenia um so I was just hidden in my tent basically um and in some

Campsite facilities but yeah really was a wonderful climb um lots of switchbacks and little cobal sections on there as well really beautiful and Atmospheric in the clouds I was right to listen to the locals as the rain cleared up spent some time once again packing away wet camping kit and

Was on my way I was really excited about this ride as I’ll be climbing the veric pass it’s a mountain pass in the Julian Alps in Northwest Slovenia and has an elevation of 1,611 M it’s also the highest pass in Slovenia and has a total of 50

Switchbacks up and down down 9.2 km in length and 8.2% average gradient it was beautiful and Atmospheric in the Clouds 5 miles to go to the top a little bit of rest bite in the middle of the Climb 2.57 M to go 9% Cent 1,289 ft a cent remain 1.26 M to go 666 ft to go an average gradient 10% feels hard to breathe up here don’t know whether that’s the altitude didn’t think I’d be high enough for that but yeah it’s a log the pedal ped I’m getting a Bit but as tough as cycling up mountain passes is especially when carrying your worldly belongings it really is the most satisfying thing when you reach the summit don’t be deceived by my suffering pain face I love it really well love hate sometimes but it’s worth it in the

End and there was descending to follow it wasn’t my favorite descent with so many switchbacks and campound traffic but the views were just stunning Slovenia really is a beautiful place with breathtaking views at every turn and big on outdoor activities so popular with cyclists mountain bikers hikers climbers all enjoying the Outdoors Well thanks for watching everybody and I’ll be back with some more bike packing or cycling Adventures very soon