THE MOUNTAIN BIKE GREAT APENNINE EXCURSION
JUne 29, 2019
HistoryThe Great Appenninic Excursion is a path created in the 1980s by two expert mountaineers and hikers, Gianfranco Bracci and Alfonso Bietolini.
These guys tracked the path and walked it the first time with Reinhold Messner. Since that time, the GEA trail has been walked by thousands of hikers from all over the world. Many changes have been made to the track since that time, and it was finally remapped in 2006. During my mountain bike rides in Tuscany I rode different parts of the GEA trail many times, each time discovering amazing landscapes and unforgettable scenery. It was these discoveries that proved such an inspiration for me. My idea was to ride the whole trail by mountain bike, in self supported mode. |
For a long time this idea was just a dream in a drawer, then I took made the decision to make that dream a reality. I searched for information, read guide books and spent many hours browsing the internet, to try and find out whether it was in fact possible.
I rode it meter by meter, discovering new tracks where the original route was not ridable in bikepacking style.
Finally the Gea Bike Trail was born, an independent bike adventure in the Tuscan mountains.
It is not a race, but a ride without timing, that allows you to stay in touch with nature and with your soul, in an amazing environment.
I rode it meter by meter, discovering new tracks where the original route was not ridable in bikepacking style.
Finally the Gea Bike Trail was born, an independent bike adventure in the Tuscan mountains.
It is not a race, but a ride without timing, that allows you to stay in touch with nature and with your soul, in an amazing environment.