Eight months after leaving their jobs and flat in Bristol for a year-long bikepacking adventure, a couple has crossed Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, and shared their honest verdict on the journey.
Eline and Jonny began their mission in Bogotá, Colombia's capital, on January 16, aiming to cycle from Colombia to Patagonia, a region on the southernmost tip of Chile and Argentina. They set off with three changes of clothes, two bikes, a tent, and a dream.
An Early Morning in a Remote Colombian Village
In an early January morning in a remote Colombian village, local families poured traditional 'tinto' coffee and grated balls of sugar the size of tennis balls into their mugs. A woman named Soyla invited them into her home, offering a shower and fresh fruit. The couple noticed that people might not have much there, but whatever they have, they'll share.
Back home, they had watched videos online of people bikepacking — an outdoor adventure that combines off-road cycling, lightweight camping, and self-supported travel — and it looked exhilarating.
Crossing the Salar de Uyuni
Eight months on, they crossed the Bolivian Salar de Uyuni, which spans over 3,860 square miles. This natural wonder was formed from evaporated prehistoric lakes. It's currently dry season, so the flats are defined by a hard, white crust. When winter arrives, the rain transforms it into a sprawling natural mirror.
Planning and Packing
Before leaving the UK, they joined a WhatsApp group called 'Cycling South America,' where people recommend routes and share experiences. They also joined Warmshowers, a platform that connects bikepackers with locals willing to offer a bed, a garden for a tent, a hot shower, a meal, or advice.
They quickly learned to pack light, ditching camp chairs and pillows, swapping home comforts for rock faces and using clothes as cushions. Non-negotiables include water, a water filter, and a stove. The most important item is a Garmin inReach Mini, a pocket-sized satellite communicator that lets you send and receive two-way text messages, share your GPS location, and trigger 24/7 emergency rescue anywhere in the world.
The Route So Far
Since starting in Bogotá on January 16, they have travelled 14,000km through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. In Ecuador, they stopped at Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage city with a relaxed Andean lifestyle, Spanish colonial architecture, and a leafy central square. Nearby is Cajas National Park, a rugged, high-altitude nature reserve famous for its glacial lakes.
In Peru, they cycled through the surf town of Máncora on the northwest coast and travelled to Cusco, a historic city and region in southeastern Peru. It's the capital of the Inca Empire and the main gateway to Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and Rainbow Mountain. From Bolivia, they'll travel into Argentina, criss-crossing the border between there and Chile. Their endpoint is Ushuaia in Argentina, the southernmost city on Earth, where South America meets the Antarctic.
A Thrilling Culinary Experience
Time Out recently ranked Lima, Peru's capital, as the world's best city for food in 2026. Street food is big business here. They've indulged in everything from pork chicharron (crispy fried pork belly, seasoned with salt and spices) to trucha frita (fried whole freshwater trout marinated in lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin). Though not the healthiest of dishes, they're delicious, greasy, and full of calories. Outside the cities, meals cost around £2 per person.
Not All Fun and Games
They've had some hairy moments. On one of their first days in mountainous Colombia, they were lashed by torrential rain. At one point, they needed to cross a flooded rocky road on the edge of a cliff. A local man pulled over on his motorcycle and hoisted their bikes onto his shoulders, wading effortlessly across.
There was also a big discussion on Cycling South America about the Peru Great Divide — a 1600km route dubbed one of South America's premium dirt-road touring trails — and whether it was worth it. For them, it wasn't. While the high peaks of the Peruvian Andes were spectacular, they had to give up due to altitude sickness. The highest point is 16,372 feet above sea level.
An Affordable Trip
Once you've covered the cost of flights to Colombia (in January, one-way direct fares with Iberia average around £510), it's cheap to bikepack through South America. Many hotels cost as little as £5 a night, while wild camping is free.
Bikepacking v Backpacking
Bikepacking might be tiring at times, but they're seeing a lot of the 'in-between' that backpackers miss. They might see mountains and countryside from a bus window, but bikepackers are part of the environment and landscape, seeing how people really live. It sounds cliché, but bikepacking is more about the journey than the destination.
You're moving at your own pace, without feeling the pressure to tick off landmarks and bucketlist moments. It's slow tourism at its best.
The Rise of Bikepacking
Searches for adventure tourism have surged by 75%, while the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) estimates the global adventure travel market is valued at £871.6 billion. A small percentage of this figure comes from the bikepacking trend — this market was recently valued at £1.06 billion, as major hubs like Bikepacking.com record millions of monthly site visits.
