1000 KM IN ONE WEEK (Taunus Bikepacking)

Taunus Bikepacking is a 1000km, 18,500m elevation bikepacking event hosted in the Taunus Mountain region of Germany. The Taunus Mountains are located just west of Frankfurt and have history dating back well over 1000 years. This "Self Supported Bikepacking Adventure" is created and organized by Jesko Von Werthern. There are no prizes for finishing first, only bragging rights and the ability to have a high ranking cap in future years. This is the 5th year of Taunus Bikepacking. There's something special about this event. Jesko has ridden every bit of the route, multiple times it seems. And he has specially crafted it for the best views, hardest climbs, and most ideal terrain. Some choose to cycle through the night only sleeping a few hours in the entire event. And some choose to take the full two week allotment to complete the trek. Not once did I feel competition or animosity to any other riders. Just camaraderie and new friendships. When I got hit by the car, Jesko and Nils (the amazing photographer) were there by my side within an hour. He went out of his way to make the route as positive as possible for every rider, no matter how they wanted to ride. Terrain: The route was about 60% gravel, 10% single track, and 30% road riding. It was a great mix. Before this, I had really never ridden on gravel before. The little bits I had in the French Alps significantly hurt my back. The gravel was mostly compacted though and wasn't too hard to ride on. Lucily we had great weather, rain would have made it a whole other beast. Usually I camped in a shelter or out in the open. I brought a NeoAir Xlite, and UGQ 0 degree bag, and a tarp to put them on. Oh, and a Nemo Elite pillow. Bringing the pillow camping has significantly improved my camping sleep! Now, I don't think this is something I will do again, but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I will definitely be looking for other bikepacking events in the future. Possibly the Ragbrai or another social bikepacking adventure #bikepacking #gravelbike #Taunus Links Taunus Website: https://taunus-bikepacking.com/ Dotwatcher and Blog: https://dotwatcher.cc/race/taunus-bik... Bike: KONA ROVE AL SE GRAVEL BIKE SHIMANO CLARIS 8S 700 MM BLUE 2022 https://www.alltricks.com/F-41505-vel...