Solo Fall Overnighter: One Last Ride to Seal the Deal (Video)

Words, photos, and video by Belén Castelló

New Year’s resolutions often turn into a pile of abandoned goals and projects that fade into the back of your mind. By the time February rolls around, you’ve likely forgotten what you initially set out to change. It’s happened to all of us. This year, though, one of my promises stuck: to go on a solo overnighter every season. Why? Well, I consider myself a seasoned bikepacker, but for the past seven years, I’ve only been riding with Tristan, my partner. This made me wonder: am I capable of traveling on my own? Do I even like it?

So, I set myself a personal challenge: to test whether I enjoy traveling solo and whether I could handle the unexpected challenges I usually rely on Tristan to navigate. Last week, I embarked on my final overnighter of the year, the fall edition. Unfortunately, I was too late to catch the bright autumn colors, but I still enjoyed a quiet and refreshing ride through the evergreen forests of Teruel, Spain. At first, I felt some resistance to setting out on this last journey. However, as soon as I got moving, I began to understand why I was feeling that way.

I invite you to join me on this final solo overnighter as I wrap up a year-long commitment to myself. It wasn’t just a journey through the mountainous region; it also became a personal reflection on the lessons I’ve learned and the insights I’ve gained from adventuring alone. You can watch the video above, and be sure to find the videos documenting my earlier solo overnighters below.

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