Bikepacking the Trans Dinarica Cycling Route : Anne Kress

Thinking of riding the Trans Dinarica Cycling Route? This episode is for you! When her van broke down in Crete, Anne Kress decided not to book a  flight to get back home to Germany. Instead, she grabbed her 20-year-old mountain bike and camping gear, then cycled 3,300km home through 11 countries.Listen if: You love spontaneous adventures, dream about bikepacking the Balkans, or want proof that bike adventures can start with small, imperfect gear.The story in a nutshell: Anne was midway through a climbing trip in Crete when her camper van broke down in the middle of nowhere. With Easter shutdown looming, not wanting to take a flight home, and stranded in the what felt like the 'middle of nowhere', she decided to ride it her old mountain bike all the way back to Germany. Not via the “boring” coastal route, but off-road through the newly created Trans Dinarica route through the Balkans. All up she cycled over 3,300 km, with a hefty 63,000 meters of climbing as well. Key takeaways:Listen to your inner voice: The wild idea in your head might be the one that changes everything.Start with what you’ve got: You don’t need a shiny gravel bike to take on an adventure. Anne rode her third-hand, 20 year old mountain bikeOpen yourself to people: Human connections are the true highlights for Anne from this adventure. Golden quote: “I listened to my intuition… and suddenly I had the idea: I could ride home.”Read more about the Trans Dinarica Cycle RouteFollow Anne on Instagram - @anneadventure.de Check out the Elkhorn Rack from Old Man Mountain Support the showBuy me a coffee!I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:👉  CycPlus– ePumps (enter code STR for 5% off!)👉 Zorali 👉 Helinox 👉 Ombraz Follow us on Social Media!Instagram - @SeekTravelRideFacebook - Seek Travel RideYouTube - @SeekTravelRideSeek Travel Ride NewsletterLeave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music