The Hardest Race On Earth - A Tour Divide Film

thank you [Music] g'day my name's Jack I'm 28 years old from Australia and I'm about to take on the tour divide finally at Sydney airport head into my gate oddly enough I'm boarding at the exact same gate as I did when I hiked the PCT so that's anything to go off then I think we're on for a bit of an adventure I don't really have like a a deep and meaningful reason for wanting to ride the Divide I just like Adventure and doing hard things and I think the Divide seems to be a huge adventure and one of the hardest things you can do yeah it's often described as the hardest race in the world so here I am currently in San Francisco I got in here last night went to pick up my bike no bike and they said there's no record of anything being checked in under my name so essentially my box lost somewhere race starts in three days no idea where it is uh yeah I'm just I'm just hoping this works out what scares me about the Divide I'm not I don't know I think I should be scared of bears I'm scared of my butt if if you ride a lot you know exactly what I'm talking about if anything was to like really hurt me in this it would be my butt whoa [Music] still no bike but at least have the start line yeah let's hope this bike arrives I should check out my view right now that's what I'm talking about yeah I feel like instead of asking what scares me the most I should say what excites me the most and I guess what excites me the most is kind of like the unknown of it with any like Adventure I do I I do very little research into the route I just feel like it makes for the best adventure huge update I'm gonna have my bike before the start [Music] anything could be wrong with this bike except this and I'll be fine [Music] it works Horizon [Music] the ones that get the joke don't understand what you're saying [Applause] you gotta find new people to put the needle in the groove [Music] when you're together you got nothing [Music] to lose all you see is Danger trying to find what you lost everybody needs help people then you'll find a bear [Applause] officially on the Divide let's get it I cannot explain how nice it feels to be finally moving and on the trail like the week leading up to this was so stressful and just like the typical anxiety before doing a big event like this oh as soon as you start moving it's just all gone legit just washes away and the scenery out here too is just incredible have a look at my view right now it's so freaking nice everybody needs help [Music] you feeling pretty rough today been sick for about three weeks hardly ridden the bike well haven't ridden the bike really so today's just being a bit of a test you gotta find your people the ones that make you feel all right to tell you the truth and wish you well you gotta find your people then you'll find yourself you gotta find your people then you'll find yourself been cruising in the rain for the past couple of hours got about 45 kilometers to go mad day one getting rained on [Applause] [Music] day two ultimate the last five hours of yesterday in the pouring rain spent all night in the rain and I'm about to head up cocoa claims so it's going to be fun in the mud [Music] holy crap what [Music] that was a close one [Applause] [Music] we're clean feeling so much better today I feel like my legs work my head's not cooked I haven't vomited against stomach food stayed in Fernie last night I was vomiting all yesterday afternoon just stomach while like my body's just getting used to it now now I can just set in for a long ass race yeah we back baby [Music] howdy [Music] about to take on the infamous wall which is basically a vertical spray out that it doesn't it doesn't look that steady I just watched a guy drag his bike sideways off it like literally just grab it by the handlebars and drag it up the hill I'll see if I can get a view of this second guy up there all the way up there and they've been on that for like 15 minutes 20 minutes trying to get up there what [Music] just approaching the US border U.S Canada border this was kind of the goal today so that feels good feels good to bounce back from such a [ __ ] day yesterday I'm gonna crack on a little bit more to the town of Eureka and then pull up there for the night I hope that there's something open for food so now I'm just cranking to Eureka try and avoid this guy this is my setup for the night and uh I even found thank you [Music] hey look at that oh [Music] oh yeah I got into town tonight everything's closed except 124 hour gas station and it was [ __ ] but it had SpaghettiOs cheers [Applause] I made it I'm at Red Meadow pass this place is freaking beautiful holy hell crystal clear water looks very swimmable but unfortunately I do not have the time right now [Music] [Music] just leaving the town of Columbia Falls stayed in some random dudes front yard last night named Grant absolute Legend um yeah cruising out body feels sore right ready for a big sand having some Achilles problems today it's just killing me when I paddle sometimes like you just have these niggles in the morning it goes away after a little bit after you warm up but let's hope it doesn't affect me too much so my achilles has only gotten worse over the day [Music] it's like now at the point where it's like just so painful to use I think just just the fact that it's like it's outie out of your hands like I'm just gonna get to Camp I've got about 50 more caves to go somehow and then sleep on it and just hope that I wake up tomorrow and there's some dramatic Improvement in in it um this morning I decided I'm not gonna hop back on the bike for today hopefully pretty sure I've got achilles tendonitis which isn't isn't fast healing by any means so still not giving up hope yet hopefully I can continue yeah I've jumped over a lot of hurdles back on the bike in Helena um not back on route but I'm just going for a spin I've taped up my ankle um yeah I'm just trying to gauge where it's at it's sad to tell if it's um at a spot where I can ride or not it doesn't feel like it but I'm sure a lot of cyclists have been through similar stuff I like all they want to do is just keep going same position as I'm in right now all I want to do is keep going I'm not telling to quit anything so that's why this kind of sucks the most because it's completely out of my hands but I'm doing everything I can to try to get it ready and get it in a place where I can I can ride on it so fingers crossed yeah I'm definitely not ready to stop so yeah tomorrow I'm going to be back out there I'm going to be getting miles in and yeah hopefully hopefully it hangs on um I'm doing everything I can so [Music] I'm back on I'm so stoked let's just hope it if this holds together this will be an absolute miracle if I can get to that border oh I'll be the happiest man alive still a long way to go 3 300 kilometers or so but we're moving in the right direction at least I can't explain the level of relief so far this morning knowing that I can continue at least another day hopefully another week hopefully two weeks and then hopefully to the Border but for now I'm just taking it as it comes every every kilometer is a win at the moment and yeah onwards and upwards [Music] here is a pretty interesting town I'm not gonna lie the characters about yeah it's like a nice feeling sometimes just knowing it out on your own [Applause] your most favorite dish [Music] I mean hop off my bike and carry it down the giant rock slide one and all ah [Music] [Applause] [Music] grab your shining stars here's one for all those dreams stored so deep in your heart go on lift up your Rowdy hands come on put on your dancing shoes somebody start the chair it's time we're Cutting Loose I've just realized I lost my sunnies exactly where they are too good morning from day 10. yesterday was probably my roughest day so far my ankle was screaming at me lost my sunnies I was riding in the rain legs weren't working it's just a hard day all around really but we're back on the bike today still moving forward my ankle's pretty sore this morning also starting in the rain this morning which is an ideal I've been reunited with my sunnies to Absolute Legends found them somehow because it was off the trail let's turn my day around a little bit that was like the icing on the cake for me yesterday I mean seen in that video at the moment I realized it wasn't that I lost them that I was annoyed about so hard to ride without them like rain insects the Sun so many things suck without them so let's hope today is a better day huh today is so wet and muddy [Music] this is torture that was the most brutal few hours on the bike almost ever had that was inside there was eight of us out there in this crazy storm climbing this like 50 kilometer climb so by the time we got to the top we're already Frozen keeping in mind it's crazy windy too and then we've had a 50 kilometer descent so just absolutely Frozen that was just insane after riding 110 K's in the rain this morning finally cleared up it's such a nice afternoon I just left Lima tomorrow's last day in Montana gonna hit Idaho and then on to Wyoming oh I needed this so bad thank you sir [Music] foreign beautiful this is I don't know if you can tell from my previous videos but it's been like a really rough few days so this right now has just helped me immensely uh actually I'm actually enjoying riding I'm not in too much pain I'm dry and like I'm gonna hit the border the Idaho border in the morning which is just progress I know every day you make progress but sometimes little things like a border can really make a big difference it's your mindset and yeah just give you a little boost [Music] a new coming up ahead somewhere there was going to be some peanut butter mud definitely found it I can't even push my bike it's so Caked Up foreign yeah yeah not good it's just starting to get dark beautiful sunset so nice I I feel like I'm the only one out here I probably am on this stretch that mod that I just showed you that went on for like 20 to 30 kilometers and I'm still in it it's not as bad but yeah it's not amazing but damn can you look at this [Music] insane I can't believe it it's been such a hard day but it's been a rewarding one it's been super rewarding to challenges good morning from day 11. um this is what my view looks like today [Music] [Music] I'll just leave that there thank you [Music] let's go Idaho [Music] [Applause] [Music] this is the road I don't even know how deep that is turns out that water was about knee-deep and I tried to ride through it at first I've just made it to one of the iconic landmarks on the Divide they all blocked Railway that thing's huge true divide fashion it's raining again I think it's rained every day for the past week at least my tents wet inside and outside I was hoping I'd get a chance today to dry it out but as you can see it's raining again so I can't [Music] good morning back on the bike after a night at Squirrel Creek Lodge no doubt it's gonna rain I'm not getting too uh married to the idea of a dry day because all it's been is wet out here so it's all right I'll take it for now [Music] I'm in Wyoming [Music] all this could be my last chance [Music] [Applause] [Music] ah finally a descent I could actually enjoy thank you and I've just got word that it's meant to snow on the pass pretty soon overnight so could be in for a fun one could be in for a miserable one it's gonna be long regardless but yeah I'm kind of excited to be honest as long as it's not brain [Music] The Divide absolutely turning it on this evening it's uh it's 8 P.M I'm just climbing up to Lava Mountain Lodge where I'm camping trying so hard to make the kitchen closes at nine and I've got about 20 kilometers to go so I'm just sending it but this is this is my view right now it's so hard to rush because I just want to stay here oh finally blue skies all we've had is rain rain rain for the past like four or five days but of course when we get the most beautiful view that'll recharge for tomorrow of of sorts I feel like that's one thing you need out here you always need some way to like recharge just having a sleep isn't enough you need like I don't know something otherwise you just have a bad day and they happen they happen all the time like I've had probably more bad days than good ones so far but know the bad days make the good ones really good so you need to have them I just seen a grizzly bear that was the coolest thing ever oh it was just cruise and minding his own business [Music] [Music] all right foreign just ruined me absolutely around me just leaving Pinedale I've got a nice feed of mashed potato and gravy a signature favorite um yeah now we're just cruising off it's about 9pm I'm just gonna get a few extra miles in tonight and to make tomorrow a bit easier and then get ready for the Basin the next day which is apparently meant to be [ __ ] stayed in a lodge last night which is pretty damn nice woke up this morning and my chain is completely Frozen so I'm I'm defrosting my chain so I can ride [Music] let's go you're probably not going to believe me but for the hundredth time this ride it's raining and we're heading out into the basin I've got a pretty big crew heading out tonight a few of the lads already left weather looks good so just making the most of it while we can even rumors of a Tailwind out there we're heading into the Basin 160 kilometers of absolutely nothing looks like we've got a bit of a window tonight so we're just going to punch out some caves and see where we end up oh it's notorious for pretty wild weather so we're hoping it holds out for us I know riders in front of us have been getting smashed this year it's just a mud pit headwind everything has been thrown hurt people coming through here this year so fingers crossed insane [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign feels damn good making some progress his body's feeling good today yeah halfway from the start I was pretty set on getting to the end I'm pretty selfish but I had a lot of setbacks early on to be here right now it's pretty freaking awesome [Music] uh in a quick turn of events I'm now in my tent um we're in a pretty big storm right now just devastating because we had the world's best tailwind and we were flying through the Basin absolutely flying and yeah it's been cut short my legs feel so good too I feel like I could I could have gone through the night I was I was considering riding through the night and doing the whole base and in one go but here we are so obviously last night we were on an absolute burner but then we had to pull up for the rain and it turns out it rained all night and the roads are completely ruined it's unrideable and we've got 100 kilometers left to the Basin so today could be a hundred kilometers of pushing my bike I've pushed it for four kilometers an hour and I've had to stop and take the mud out 10 times this is what it looks like currently completely unrideable yeah don't expect much enthusiasm or um excitement for me today I'm not actually in a bad mood yet but I just know it's going to be a rough day all right let's get pushing [Music] [Music] 75 kilometers to go [Music] it's Rod's hard hey [Music] foreign [Music] fighting against all day is horrendous it's been like seven hours and I've only covered about 70 kilometers oh it's so rough it's so windy you just can't pedal the Basin is finally done there she is it's a beautiful town of wamsada oh and it has a Subway oh I've never been excited to see a Subway in my life except for right now I wouldn't mind getting to Steamboat tomorrow uh while shops are still open so that's my goal for the moment [Music] back on the truck juicy Tailwind in tow feels like a reward for such a slog of a day through the basin [Music] oh this is the best good morning I pulled up here last night I was planning to go a bit further but I was falling asleep on the bike so I just pulled up a bit early still a pretty big day I had no idea what it looked like around me I actually thought it was like a bit of a forest I couldn't see anything it was dark but turns out I'm just in some Barren land still I am sleep deprived extremely sleep deprived it's going to be a good day I can feel it you can see some mountains in the distance and they look to me like some Colorado Mountains yeah it's been hard Wyoming it's been really hard but Colorado is going to be hard too it's the steepest state by far [Music] thank you [Music] [Music] oh yeah welcome to Colorado second last day it's grain it's mountainous it's beautiful hell yeah we're in Colorado thank you [Music] Patty and I was like I thought I was saying things right doing it tough oh my God currently at the brush Mountain Ranch and this place is Kirsten has got it going on I'm telling you yeah this place is the spot [Music] rolling into Steamboat Springs Colorado [Music] first town stop over the Colorado section as usual I'm just gonna get some food resupply and then kick on for a while see you later Steamboat nice view out of town happy to leave Steamboat the land of nothing open to eat it's kind of just cooked me today the Sun my lips are really burnt I've got not much energy I just feel drained pretty sure I just seen some fresh bear [ __ ] right on this Trail I'm Gonna Keep cruising sure I'll be fine go on a bike race they said not only do you have to worry about your bike Fitness but you have to be able to fend off a full-grown grizzly bear part of the race requirements of the tour divide I'm getting pretty tired so I'm gonna pull up for the night and I think this is this is home for the night oh you beauty spiky sleep there spiders everywhere what could go wrong there's the Sleep setup good morning early start this morning started riding about four o'clock yeah I'm trying to get to Breckenridge today it's going to be a huge day so trying to get an early start on it I didn't even know if I'll get there but that's the goal so fingers crossed just had to pull up because I've lost a cleat Bolt and I'm not sure if I have a spare so it might be a long day riding on top of my pedal Verrado is so friggin nice check this out look at this Valley crazy oh Colorado is so damn steep pushing up a hill my cleat won't stay straight so I can't clip in or flip out you can tell uh pretty beaten up it's been a big day not gonna finish till probably 10 or 11 tonight it's all right [Music] you'll probably remember most [Music] if you get along here we go it's rolling into Silverthorne that means we've got 32 kilometers left for the day I'm almost there what a huge funny day the place is also so beautiful damn oh we did it [Music] just about to leave Breckenridge I've had a slow morning went to the bike shop got a new chain sorted my brakes yeah I'm feeling ready to hit this last leg for sure foreign I've got another 40 kilometers to go till town so I'm probably not going to be until after 11. it is beautiful out here tonight it's so nice but man like headwinds are just so much hard work it's so hard to explain how much harder it is than anything like way harder than climbing anyway this is my view [Music] I don't mean to sound negative I do love it out here it's just bloody hard work sometimes anyway I'm gonna put my head down and get my ass to town [Music] I made it to Salida it's almost 11 o'clock and I'm ready for some sleep don't know where I'm sleeping yet but another really strong headwind today ah it's gonna be a rough day okay with me we're starting today with a 50 kilometer climb just straight up for 50k's pretty much I think there's about 1500 meters of elevation uh up Marshall pass that guy I'm not gonna lie I'm in strong town with no energy my legs are dead his headwinds just kicking my ass it's so hard [Music] my whole body's described my head feels fried good morning from day 20. um yeah yesterday was a rough day as I'm sure you could see I barely made it through um trying to Campground I was so exhausted when I got in yeah feeling pretty beaten up so I'm just gonna keep kicking on [Music] I've been in Pretty Low Spirits the past couple of days as you can probably gather mainly because the riding is so nice and rideable but the weather conditions have just melted so tough it's like playing a hard game on hard mode you know anyway nobody cares how hard it is I came out here to to race The Divide and that's what I'm gonna do haven't spoken about it but I'm also carrying something of my calls I'm gonna get it to the end and today I've just been thinking you know what we might do he'd be pushing on so that's what I'm gonna do I keep pushing I've probably got seven days left and then I'm done [Music] just rolling into Del Norte gonna make a bit of a plan for how to go about tackling Indiana pass which is the highest highest point on the route well well currently at Family Dollar doing a resupply for a couple of days this is the nutritional section [Music] [Music] [Music] as you can see in here now there's no wind which is beautiful so I'm gonna try right into the night yeah we'll see how I go about halfway at the pass pretty damn hungry so I think it's time for a little little snack feeling pretty awake which is good yeah hopefully I can crack on goal is in about 27 there's a cabin pull up there for a couple of hours get a few hours sleep and then crack on so we'll see oh so much salad I'm not solid and wakes so he's the hot I'm staying in but guess what I have just found I feel like I've been pushing here all night just knowing I'm gonna have a roof over my head oh it sucks oh the worst part isn't even that it's closed it's that's 3am and all I want to do is sleep [Music] check out the toilet to see what it's like well it'll have to do oh well good morning from day 21 woke up feeling absolutely awful this morning as expected after like two hours sleep um I just kept waking up covered in dribble because my lips are like so burnt and swollen that like my mouth just won't stay closed when I sleep um this place is actually so beautiful though [Music] there's the heart that was locked not really useful when they've got a lock on them finally hopping over Indiana pass I'm extremely sleep deprived today trying to work out a bit of a plan in my head of what to do but my brain feels like scrambled eggs I can't string thoughts together so hopefully I come up with something at least forever the past highest point done [Music] I believe I'm about to cross into New Mexico let's have a look [Music] sleep something I've been neglecting a lot um because I've just been focusing on miles but I think it's probably wise that I at least try to get one decent sleep in for this trip so yeah I pulled up early I'm in New Mexico which is kind of cool last push New Mexico can't believe we're here [Music] good morning day 22 feeling good today well rested finally yeah we're almost there six days left it's gonna be a push but I'm pretty ready for it my body's feeling good for it this is the best I've felt in like a week at least physically mentally everything whoa [Music] about to head up a huge pass 6 p.m there's no water for a hundred and forty kilometers so I'm stuck bikes heavy uh 42 kilometers of straight climbing wish me luck [Music] [Music] [Music] I don't know what time I'm gonna get in maybe I'm estimating around 2 A.M [Music] I made it 12 34. it's been a huge day 180 K's in so far plenty more to go it's only about 7 30 so yeah we're aiming for a big one today which would be nice to make up some miles [Music] stand we're building castles in the sand maybe we don't have to have a plan so me and Sean have ended up having a huge day I think I'm going to come in at around 275 kilometers and book the room for the night we've got a better to shower so all in all great day yeah can't play promise at the end that's insane leaving grants pushing to Pie Town it's going to be a brutal day in the heat but we'll get there at some point [Music] town [Music] the hate today is so brutal I think it's about 34 degrees so I'm cooking I've gone through seven liters of water over 110 kilometers little pit stop at the toaster house in Pie Town how cool cinnamon and we're off for another night's end [Music] got about 55 cases last night which was all right slept at a campground and we've been pushing on since about five pretty tired today the heat today is absolutely brutal we're so close I just have to keep pushing and I'll get there [Music] almost there I'm so tired I've been falling asleep on the bike finally pulled up to Camp 197 today and this is as elaborate as my Camp will get tonight yeah no mattress just a sleep bag liner and a pillow I can't be bothered to unpack the bike so today could well have been the the second last day of the Divide good morning for potentially the last time on the tour divide I can't believe it I mean I thought there's plenty of times I didn't think I'd get it but of course we're here 's the rig this morning looking good as always yeah yeah you've done well friend you've done well [Music] last day [Music] hell yeah we're dancing through the day [Music] we're building castles baby we don't have to have a plan of course for the Finish is so so there's nothing out here it's kind of epic it's kind of really epic not long now I can't believe I made it don't mind me just Red film look at this let's go get her done now we're almost there met with another beautiful sunset so nice out such a nice way to finish yeah I'm gonna be pushing into the night but I don't care what a bloody trip hope I've inspired some people to maybe take on the divide or just just do something daring or do something hard that you've wanted to do for a long time and yeah I'm just going to put my head down now crack onto the Border and finish off the Divide for 2023 there's plenty more routes out there plenty more Adventures to be had and this is just one of them but it's a damn big one and yeah to get through it it's a pretty insane feeling thanks for sticking with me I know I was negative a lot of the time but that's just part of the experience as well you got to have your ups and downs I may have had some big downs but it's a big adventure so it's just gonna happen almost there five kilometers to go and then I have officially completed the tour divide last kilometer I can say it oh there's the fence no way oh we did it woo wow foreign [Music] [Music] that was massive there she is it's so funny though it's almost like they've left at three years [Music] I'm gonna get one of me just like lying down

Channel: Jack Keogh

Views: 318,472

Keywords: Tour Divide, GDMBR, Bikepacking, Bike Packing, Adventure, Ultra race, Ultra Endurance, Cycling, Bike Race, Adventure Film, Tour Divide Movie, Tour Divide Film, Best Bikepacking Setup, What to bring bikepacking, how to bike pack, Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, How to train for bikepacking

Id: fsGXuPNS46k

Length: 58min 49sec (3529 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 25 2023