BIKE JAMBOREE - around the world in stages
Hi, I’m Joanna and usually I work for Bikester. But in spring 2019 I had the opportunity to be a part of the Bike Jamboree project – the first round-the-world bike relay. Together with two mates, I cycled through the amazing landscapes of Arizona and Utah.
Bike Jamboree is the first round-the-world bike relay, starting in Gdańsk in May 2017 and leading to the 24th World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, USA before heading back to Poland for December 2019. The entire distance of the relay is divided into monthly stages and of course, just like in any proper relay, a baton is handed over from stage to stage. Hundreds of people from all over the world are involved in this Polish project and it’s something that has never happened before.
I led the 25th Stage from Arizona to Utah. Our takeover of the baton happened at a truly spectacular location – on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Our colleagues from the previous stage were about to bid farewell to the U.S. and we were to continue the relay towards Utah.
Here you can get a glimpse of the entire trip:
Who, as a child, didn’t want to live in the Wild West – as a cowboy or a chieftain of a tribe among red rocks and where shootings, horse chases and digging for gold were commonplace?
These memories of children’s games came flooding back while I was in Arizona and Utah. Even though the Wild West belongs firmly to the past and to fairy tales, the red rocks are still there, and in your imagination you can still picture Winnetou on the top of a distant mountain.
So, although on bikes instead of horses and chasing adventures instead of rustlers, we spent a month cycling through these two states, enjoying the ambience of a more modern Wild West.
The Grand Canyon was just the start – our trip was a month-long festival of canyons: Little Colorado River, Canyonlands, Marble, Red, Gold, Coral and plenty more we couldn’t even name! I’m not sure a day passed without us seeing at least one of these natural wonders, and they give the area a unique, rough landscape.
The Antelope Canyons are particularly remarkable – formed by erosion of the sandstone, you’ll see a wealth of beautiful shapes and colours when you’re inside. They are accessible by guided tour only, which makes sense once you learn that they flood in heavy rain.
One of my favorite places was Bryce Canyon National Park: a collection of spectacularly-colourful giant natural amphitheaters and characteristic structures called hoodoos.
It was particularly pleasant cycling along Monument Valley, a location that has been featured in numerous movies, most famously in Forrest Gump at ‘Forrest Gump Point’ – the spot where Forrest decides to stop running. In comparison to the hilly surroundings, the relatively-flat Monument Valley gave us some brief respite from the constant climbing and descending. I can say for sure that the most beautiful sunsets were right there among the vast sandstone buttes.
After this, halfway through our trip, as a reward, we decided to stay in Moab - the capital of outdoor adventure, located close to Arches National Park and Canyonlands. Rock climbing, rafting, canyoning, hiking, jeep safari – whatever you like doing, you’ll find it here.
Moab is also a heaven for mountain bikers and the name Slickrock Bike Trail is well known to anyone with an interest in the sport. There’s also plenty for road cyclists in the area, with hundreds of miles of paved roads leading you though world-class scenery that’s known by every adventure seeker globally.
To have a break from cycling, we decided to escape the road and get a different perspective: on a rafting trip along the Colorado River bordering Arches National Park, our guide Daryl entertained us with his stories, geological facts and dad jokes – the perfect way to recover before continuing our journey.
There are many benefits to traveling off-season, but the weather can be challenging. Before sunrise and after sunset, a warm down jacket was a necessity. Sometimes we had to dig ourselves out of the snow and on another occasion the sun was fierce enough to force us out of our tents early in the morning. But in general, we were lucky – the snow is pretty good at insulating (igloos now make total sense!) and thankfully it only rained when we slept indoors.
It wasn’t only stunning nature and dramatic views that made this trip special, but also the people we met along the way. They were curious about bike touring, open to swapping stories and willing to help.
For example, at a junction in the middle of nowhere, we met Jonathan, a Navajo man who kindly invited us to his home. We met his family and had a typical dinner together. Jonathan was as curious about us as we were about him and we spent the whole night learning about each other’s cultures. We have different histories, languages and lifestyles, but share a common love of cycling: as a teenager, Jonathan cycled around Navajo Country and still has a fondness for the bicycle.
We were always happy to talk about our project and bike touring. The cutest moment was a discussion with two boys (of 4 & 6), who we met in Blanding with their parents and who were completely fascinated with our bikes and gear. We spent hours talking about Bike Jamboree, touring and showing them our equipment. The boys even shared their first MTB experiences with us! I’m sure that in a few years, they’ll become kings of Slickrock Trail, and I hope we inspired them to explore the world by bike.
I have to admit that we didn’t do the entire trip by bike. There was a 1.1-mile tunnel in Zion National Park that we weren’t allowed to cycle through. This could have been a huge problem because there’s no another way to get to Springdale. Luckily, instead of sending us back, a friendly park ranger flagged down a couple driving a pickup and asked them if they could transport us (and our bikes) through the tunnel. They agreed without any hesitation, made space for us on the back and slowly drove us through the tunnel.
We experienced simple human kindness many times during the trip and it’s for this reason that I see the bike as a kind of amulet which brings good luck.
Our trip ended in St. George, Utah. We passed the baton to the team from the 26th stage with mixed feelings. But we can be proud of ourselves: we rode almost 1700 km with 15000 m of elevation and our highest point was 2,900 m above sea level (during heavy snowfall!). We also visited six national parks, rode many scenic roads and saw numerous historical and recreational sites.
It was my greatest bike touring experience so far. Preparations for the stage took many long months, but the effort paid off. It was also a great feeling to be a part of something bigger.
