Route Insight

From the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, a thousand-kilometer mixed-terrain route carves its way across the Pyrenees. Autumn is settling in, and small towns are shutting down after the summer season. With 25,000 meters to climb before the one-week cutoff, this one is for the grimpeurs!

### What to ride
The route will throw a bit of everything at you. About half follows quiet secondary lanes on smooth tarmac, while the unpaved sections are mostly fast-rolling gravel. Still, a few rocky descents await, and the one-hour hike-a-bike won’t be affected by your choice of bike. There’s no perfect bike here. What to ride—and what might be the fastest setup—is always an open question, one that means trading speed on tarmac for comfort on gravel, or efficiency on climbs for control on descents.
After planning and scouting, we rode the entire route twice. First on hardtail mountain bikes, then on capable gravel bikes. The MTBs felt safe and reliable, well suited to heavier setups and a more relaxed approach, though often like overkill. Drop bars, shone on the long climbs and fast sections, making them the likely choice for a lighter setup and a fast approach. Gravel bikes on MTB tires are the latest trend—and probably the best choice for this route. Low gearing is key to surviving the long climbs and back-to-back days in the saddle.

### Expected Weather
Fall it's a charming season to be in the mountains, but it can come with miserable weather. Apparently, this time we will be spared continuous and steady rain. Still, days will generally be cloudy, with occasional drizzle, and temperatures dropping below zero at high altitude.  

### Off-Season resupply
The Pyrenees are sparsely populated, and many small towns are only inhabited during the summer months. At this time of year, resupply will require some extra planning.


To complete the route before the cut-off time, riders will need to average 3,600 meters of climbing per day for seven consecutive days. That’s the main challenge — and the true achievement — of the event. The lantern rouge carries the most beautiful tales from the trails. Most of the fun happens in the mid-pack: we expect them at the finish line by Thursday, completing the route in five days. A few dots will be even faster, the first riders are expected to arrive by Tuesday night — with an incredible three-day ride.

### Women’s field.
We have a few seasoned bikepackers who will keep a steady pace, challenging each other to the end of the route. [Katrien De Smet](https://www.instagram.com/katrien_kds/) usually manages to balance long days in the saddle with a good night’s rest, making fast progress while enjoying most of the route in daylight. [Maxi Unger](https://www.instagram.com/curcumaxi/) has placed herself among the top finishers in several recent bikepacking races. [Isabelle Scheyltjens](https://www.instagram.com/isa.belle.s/) debuted in ultracycling at the GranGuanche, and since then she has finished some of the toughest events on the calendar, building solid experience and getting faster at every race. We definitely expect a strong ride from Isabelle. Julia Schopka is also a top contender, with strong results in many ultracycling events.

### Man's fields
other major bikepacking events. [Fabian Wurm](https://www.instagram.com/fl.ip/) has just come off the Alps Divide, while Markus Valentin arrives fresh from a solid ride at Badlands. [Adrien Guilmin](https://www.instagram.com/adrienglmn/) has also made a habit of securing top-10 finishes in some of the most demanding races on the calendar. Together, they’re set for some serious night crawling in the mountains — promising plenty of exciting dotwatching.

Dots to Watch

Matteo Minelli

Pirenaica 2025 Tracking and Commentary: a mixed-terrain bikepacking route across the Pyrenees. From the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, across high mountains, untamed forests and charming villages. 

Pirenaica 2025 Tracking and Commentary

A mixed-terrain route across the Pyrenees, mostly rolls on hard-packed gravel and quiet lanes, with the occasional rocky descent and short hike to stitch it all together.

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Pirenaica 2025

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