This is an introduction to a feature written for and published by the Global Cycling Network.
I met route planner and ultra-endurance cyclist Markus Stitz at his event in Scotland, the Dunoon Dash, and asked him for his tips on how to plan a bikepacking route.
Bikepacking is often seen as the epitome of free-spirited adventure, but successful trips require thorough preparation and careful forethought, and nowhere is this more important than in the route planning. To find out how to craft the perfect getaway, GCN has enlisted the help of Markus Stitz, a route designer and adventure cyclist based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
After becoming the first person to cycle around the world on a single-speed bike in 2016, he returned to Scotland and founded Bikepacking Scotland, which has had no small part in establishing Scotland as the gravel and adventure cycling destination it is known as today.
Read about my weekend riding Markus’ Scottish backpacking route here.
