Ride the Spine | Six days, two friends, one epic 370 km bikepacking journey down the spine of Wales

In September 2021, myself and my oldest friend Sam, bikepacked 230 miles (370km) across six days down the ‘spine’ of Wales.
Starting at Conwy Castle on the north coast and finishing at Rhossili Bay on the south, we followed an ancient Roman road called Sarn Helen.
To make the challenge unique we attempted to detour the route up and over the Welsh three peaks: Snowdon (1086m), Cadair Idris (893m), and Pen-y-Fan (886m).
The 230-mile journey, which involved over 20,000ft of ascent on mountain bikes weighing more than 30kg, was full of adversity.
Over six brutal days we battled the worst of the Welsh weather, only taking a bivvy bag as a shelter.
Conditions were beyond difficult, things didn’t go to plan, and on numerous occasions we questioned what we were actually doing.
Ride the Spine captures the experience of our six-day adventure.
Having been pushed to our limits both physically and mentally, it focuses on the hardship, struggle, and euphoria we encountered throughout the journey, all whilst showcasing the beauty of the wonderful Welsh landscape which we passed through.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:40 Day One
04:04 Day Two
08:14 Day Three
11:25 Day Four
13:45 Day Five
17:02 Day Six
19:04 Conclusion
20:08 End credits

[@mathewjohnjones]

Good effort gents, in classic Welsh weather And the drone capturing that bird flying above the dam...money shot!

[@billykemp5327]

Well done Chris & Sam, a fantastic journey enduring terrible weather conditions, great editing and narration, memories to last for a life time.

[@ha-media]

Congratulations on your Award 🙌🏽🙌🏽. Fantastic achievement 👏👏

[@leaturnbull8]

Wow. What a journey! And you had to keep stopping to film it all!

[@R33CO]

Respect Fellas. What an epic challenge. ATB Reeco

[@RobCharles1981]

That was an Epic Adventure there Guys - I bet you deserved a lye down after all of that!

[@juliejen3883]

Full of admiration for sticking it out for the 6 days and adjusting it as you went along to stay safe. Well done!

[@alexdoherty1984]

Brilliant effort and video.

[@edmaughan]

Loved that - that trip now firmly on my list for next year!

[@toonburg111]

Well done lads that looked tough. Going up pen y fan looked soul taking. Great stuff

[@honourandvalour]

you must be boody mad but hats of to you well done guys nice one

[@dukeonthewater]

A great watch, very well done!

[@petercollins7848]

Can’t beat a challenge. Well done guys! Scenery that will stay in the memory. Thanks!

[@AdrenalinePitStop]

Very enjoyable watch, great effort lads what a fantastic adventure. Well done both, looking forward to the next one 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@treklinda1309]

Excellent filming and editing skills. So enjoyable to watch. Loved the narration too. And what a journey!!

[@christophersmith7714]

Total respect lads. A fantastic achievement especially considering the weather you endured. Thanks for posting.

[@CallumLewis-mx9qd]

Brilliant 👌

[@martw.5938]

E.P.I.C.factor 100%

[@petershores]

What a great adventure - one to enjoy in retrospect rather than at the time! Thanks for sharing.

[@luketreharneTi7s]

Amazing achievement lads! Especially with the added load of filming everything!