Bikepacking Qhapaq Nan: Gear Breakdown

The Qhapaq Ñan—the “Royal Road,” as translated from Quechua—is an intricate road system of more than 30,000 kilometers that once united all Andean communities from Colombia to Chile. Constructed by the Incas over several centuries and partly based on pre-Inca infrastructure, this extraordinary network through one of the world’s most extreme geographical regions linked the snow-capped peaks of the Andes—at an altitude of more than 6,000 meters—to the coast, running through hot and humid rainforests, fertile valleys, and harsh deserts. It reached its maximum expansion in the 15th century, when it spread across the length and breadth of the Andes, and in 2014, it became an UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Leo Brasil (@leobrasil.photo) and Adam Pawlikiewicz (@adamonthego) will be traversing the Qhapaq Ñan by bike from La Paz, Bolivia, to Cusco, Peru, using several of the routes on our website (see Further Reading grid at bottom of page to check them out in more detail). Along the way, they’ll be documenting the rich history and diverse culture of this Andean region through photography and video. To kick things off, the two put together a detailed video introducing themselves, the project, and the gear they’ll be using. Watch below, then scroll down for more photos by Adam and a detailed kit list from Leo.

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The Bikes

Leo and Adam are rolling on Salsa Mukluks set up with 29+ wheels tires. Here’s Leo’s bike build, which features a new set of wheels built by their good friend Ryan from Totem Cyclery in Denver on very short notice.

• Bike: Salsa Mukluk 2022 Aluminum Medium
• Rims: WTB KOM Toughs 40
• Hubs: Fatback Alaska Edition (built by Ryan from Totem Cyclery)
• Tires: WTB Ranger 3.0 SG2 casing
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano 11spd Deore derailleur
• Cassette: 11-51 Cassette
• Shifter: Shimano XT
• Chain: Shimano XT
• Brakes: Shimano 4-piston XT
• Crankset: Sram GX Fat 5, 170mm, 30t
• Handlebars: Race Face 780mm bars
• Grips: Ergon GS1
• Saddle: Ergon SMC Core Team saddle
• Pedals: Shimano XT
• Fork Cages: 2x King Cage Manything cages
• Water Bottles: 2x 48oz Nalgenes
• Downtube: King Cage Iris Ti with 96% Alcohol for cooking
• Lights: Fenix Headlight + old rear light
• GPS: Wahoo Elemnt Roam V1

Qhapaq Nan Gear List

Find Leo’s full gear list below as outlined in the video:

Handlebar Harness System

Cockpit Accessory Bags

The accessory bag system consists of three classics: the Revelate Feedbag, Revelate Jerrycan, and the Revelate MagTank 2000. Here’s what’s in them:

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Frame Bag

• 70-200 f/4 wrapped in bubble wrap + Amazon delivery pouch
• Air blower for the camera
• Revelate Designs Wallet with an array of spare bolts, cleat, chain pliers, long t25 tool, Pedro’s tire lever, tire boots, super glue, valve core remover, tubeless valve
• Lezyne mini pump
• Spare Alternator Dropout
• 4 spokes for the rear + 4 for the front
• Water filter
• Wind Jacket
• Zip Ties
• Pocket knife 
• Headphones + Ipod Shuffle 
• Tenacious Tape
• Assembly paste in contact lens case

Old Man Mountain Divide Rear Rack

Adam and Leo are both using Revelate Designs rear panniers on the Old Man Mountain Divide rack. Here are the details of how Leo has his packed:

On the body

• Smith Network helmet
• Roka photochromic sunglasses
• Rab hat
• Rab Cindercrino shirt
• Baselayer
• Rab Cinder liner bib shorts
• Rab Cinder shorts
• Specialized Rime clipless shoes
• Wool socks 
• Riding mitts
• Evoc Capture 7l hip pack with Sony A7R4 w/ 24-70 f2.8, sd card wallet, extra batteries

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You can follow the adventure via their stories and posts over the next month while they give their bikes and bodies a run for the money! Find them at @leobrasil.photo and @adamonthego.

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...