One Guelph couple has been exploring the world, on bikes.
Most people have heard of backpacking, but bikepacking offers a mix of lightweight backcountry camping with the joy of off-road biking.
It's something Paulo LaBerge and Heather Plewes-LaBerge say not only puts your mental and physical abilities to the test, but offers a unique cultural experience.
For Paulo, bikepacking combines his interests of biking, being outdoors, camping, photography, culture and travel.
“I think for people who have similar interests, maybe its something that they would appreciate doing. It’s getting out there, testing yourself, visiting places less seen, and experiencing cultures differently, but on a bike,” Paulo said.
Paulo says interacting with other cultures is far easier from the seat of a bike rather than behind the wheel of a car.
“You are welcomed almost as a visitor, rather than as a tourist,” Paulo said.
Heather says Paulo prefers to be off the beaten track for a more authentic cultural experience.
“Before we started bikepacking, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Heather said.
“Now that I have done it, I know. You show up on a bicycle, and people are curious about you. They’ve even invited us into their homes.”
In 2017, the couple bikepacked in Costa Rica, Jordan in 2018 and Tanzania in 2019.
Biking and exploring the world around him has been a part of Paulo’s life since childhood.
“I’ve been an avid cyclist and mountain biker since my teen days. Even during my youth, I loved to explore. I used to live on the edge of Mississauga and Oakville. Me and my best friend would hop on our bikes and explore local trails and creeks,” Paulo said.
“I have a passion for mountain biking and being outdoors. Bikepacking just seemed like a natural fit.”
From a young age, Paulo recalls looking at shelves full of his father’s National Geographic magazines.
“He collected them. My dad loved wild animals. I looked through all of the magazines, seeing the world before it was westernized. I really wish I had those issues today,” Paulo said.
“I remember thinking that I wanted to be one of those explorers. I loved photography and even wanted to be a National Geographic photographer.”
Paulo studied environmental science, and in 2015, he met his wife-to-be, Heather.
“We got to be friends and one thing led to another. We went mountain biking and that was it. I just loved it. The stubbornness in me loved it because mountain biking is hard. And that’s how I got into it,” Heather said.
At the time, Paulo was planning his first international big bikepacking trip to Costa Rica and Heather decided to join him.
“We bought the plane tickets before I bought a bike. A few months later, we were off on our first bikepacking experience,” Heather said.
Since Paulo’s family is from Costa Rica, Heather says, for a first international trip, it was helpful to have their support.
“We were able to get dropped off in one place and picked up in another. And that was a smart move for a first trip,” Heather said.
“For anyone wanting to try bikepacking for the first time, they should go to a place where they already have a contact, someone who can give them advice.”
Heather says once you’ve done one trip, there really is a rush of accomplishment.
“You also have the memories and the interactions you had with people along the way,” Heather said.
“You really do get something out if it at the end. And afterwards, you feel all that joy.”
The couple admit they have different personalities, but this can prove to be helpful when testing their limits bikepacking.
“We do have different temperaments. Paulo’s the cool cucumber. He’s very level-headed, and I’m the one who might get frustrated,” Heather said.
When bikepacking in unknown lands, that’s where a true test of character can happen.
“Nothing really worries me normally. But doing these big trips, they test me. I’m out in the middle of nowhere. It stimulates me,” Paulo said.
“And for me, it’s also about the new friends you make in these places. They are not in magazines anymore. You are there. The sand is in your shoes, and you feel the heat.”
In Jordan, the couple stayed with Bedouins and slept in a cave.
“We’ve also stayed in mud huts and in all sorts of unusual places,” Heather said.
For those planning a bikepacking trip, Paulo says to expect the unexpected.
“Your bike could break, but you just have to muscle through,” Paulo said.
“Sometimes I think, here I am in the middle of nowhere, but you just have to embrace the challenge.”
When not travelling internationally, Paulo enjoys bikepacking trips across Ontario.
“There are a few routes that I really enjoy, one in Collingwood and another in Muskoka. There is one in particular that I co-developed and that was published in bikepacking.com.”
When going bikepacking, you don’t only need a bike. You also need all of the bags,clamps and straps that attach to it.
“You need to pack cooking equipment, a tent, sleeping bags, clothing, bike luggage, racks, seat packs, tools, extra bike parts, water carriers and food,” Heather said.
“We like to bring everything so we can be self sufficient."
And a lot of water is a requirement.
“The bikes end up weighing about 60-65 lbs once everything is on. You also need comfortable shoes, and slip-ons to let your feet breathe,” Heather said.
The couple says part of the fun is also in the planning.
“If you are passionate about it, it’s like a puzzle and planning it is just part of the adventure,” Paulo said.
Heather and Paulo are planning their next bikepacking trip in either Cuba or Mexico.
“Paulo plans the route and I will book the flights – all of the logistical stuff. A lot of planning goes into it. But it makes it easier when its two people,” Heather said.
When bikepacking, Heather says you often discover something that isn’t quite what you expected.
“We had a lot of trouble finding food in Tanzania. We mapped out stores in towns, but there was little there, in terms of what we could cook,” she said.
Paulo says no matter what a bikepacking adventure might bring, just enjoy whatever happens.
“Something to remember is to pack more than you need. Take things out. Always go lighter," he said.
“If someone really wants to go bikepacking, there are many resources out there today. When we started, there wasn’t. Do your homework, figure out what you need and make sure your bike is in top shape.”
Heather says bikepacking has grown in popularity bringing a larger community on social media for bikepackers.
“Contact those who have done at trip that you are planning to do. Reach out to them. We’ve also helped people out. Take advantage, and there are many bikepacking sites out there too,” Heather said.
For Heather, bikepacking offers her the opportunity to discover a strength that she didn’t know she had.
“When you think you are maxed out, there is still a lot in there. You think you can’t go further, but you do. That’s when you have a cool cultural experience. That’s when you have a revelation where you do things you didn’t think you could do,” Heather said.
“Things will go wrong, but that’s when the magic happens.”
