BAJA DIVIDE TRAIL: DESERTS, SEA, MOUNTAINS AND CONTRASTS IN BAJA CALIFORNIA

CHAPTER 10. WHEELPRINT STORIES

After deciding to leave everything behind and start a new life on wheels, San Diego would be the starting point of this first adventure, and the Baja Divide would be our first bikepacking route lasting more than a week. In total there were 42 days of adventure on dirt roads to pedal the 2819km that separate the state of California in the United States from one of the most touristic areas in the world, Los Cabos, in Baja California Sur. FROM SAN DIEGO (UNITED STATES) TO LA PAZ (MEXICO)
	The Baja Divide is a route that runs along the entire Baja California peninsula from San Diego to La Paz. It connects the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, passing historic Spanish Missions set in oases with abundant water, remote ranches, fishing communities and endless deserts and mountain ranges.

The Baja Divide is a route that runs along the entire Baja California peninsula from San Diego to La Paz. It connects the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, passing historic Spanish Missions set in oases with abundant water, remote ranches, fishing communities and endless deserts and mountain ranges.

We were on a totally off road route, with long distances between water and food points and constantly changing terrain, with sandbanks, rocks and dangerous cacti that kept us on our toes.

THE MEGAMO FACTORY, OUR TRAVEL COMPANION

We never had any doubts about which bike to use to start this trip and we prepared the Megamo Factory thoroughly so that it would allow us to overcome all the difficulties of the road.

We needed to have maximum autonomy and that is why we decided to install a dynamo and a converter that would allow us to charge our electronic devices during the long days of pedalling. We completed our bikes with a set of bags that would allow us to carry everything we needed for this experience.

We divided the material so that one of us carried the tent in the front bag and the other the sleeping bags and the kitchen kit. A couple of bags on the front bars of the suspension in which we placed the cooker, mattresses, and food.

We covered the entire inside surface of the frame to be able to store the first aid kit and food. And finally a saddle bag for everyone's clothes.

WE ENTERED BAJA CALIFORNIA; A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE AWAITED US FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

Our eyes had not yet become accustomed to the American way of life, that in two days we were crossing the Mexican border at Tecate, and were shocked by the great contrast between countries. We were leaving behind great civilisations to camouflage ourselves among the world's largest cacti and candles.

We experienced the authentic life of Baja California crossing deserts and canyons, accompanied by the breeze of the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, and embraced by the humble people who make up the various communities we cycled through.

From cooking abalone with Azael and his family in the small fishing community of San Jose del Faro, to preparing a delicious birria at our friend Oscar's Rancho Escondido.

The tacos, burritos, quesadillas and ceviche gave us the energy to continue travelling the sandy tracks and the famous "perm" of their roads.

OUR DEEPEST ADMIRATION FOR MEXICAN CULINARY TRADITION

From cooking abalone with Azael and his family in the small fishing community of San Jose del Faro, to preparing a delicious birria at our friend Oscar's Rancho Escondido.

The tacos, burritos, quesadillas and ceviche gave us the energy to continue travelling the sandy tracks and the famous "perm" of their roads.

OUR DEEPEST ADMIRATION FOR MEXICAN CULINARY TRADITION

Water. It is arguably the most precious natural element in all of Baja California. The peninsula has an average annual rainfall of 200mm. With these facts in mind, we understood why most of the streams we crossed were dry. For this reason, we each carried between 7 and 10 litres of water.

In addition, we also carried filtration systems to take advantage of any available water point, bearing in mind that there are no drinking water networks as we have at home. A real barbarity when you are used to going out with one or two jerry cans with your mountain bike.

HEAT AND COLD, A PLACE FULL OF CONTRASTS

The days on wheels adapted to the hours of daylight and the hours of more or less heat. Baja California is an area of contrasts. The nights are cold, and the further south you go, the hotter the days become.

There were nights when all the clothes we were wearing were not enough to keep us warm enough to sleep. And there were days when we were dying to find an oasis where we could cool off after spending hours pushing the bike at 40ºC under a sun that dried you out inside and out.

As the days went by, we became more and more adept at finding a place to camp. We had no problems during the 38 nights we slept accompanied by an infinity of stars and the occasional coyote. Although it is true that we had a scare or two until they explained to us that the noises we heard at night were the coyotes communicating with each other from a distance. IN AN ADVENTURE OF THIS KIND, THERE WERE BOUND TO BE SETBACKS.
We had to stop the adventure a couple of times because of an infection, but our desire to explore and cross the entire peninsula to La Paz did not fade. And after much effort, we arrived at the colourful letters that characterise this cosmopolitan and lively city by the sea. "That's it" were Eloi's words as he reached for my hand to shake it. "Now it's time for an ice cream, isn't it?
We had to stop the adventure a couple of times because of an infection, but our desire to explore and cross the entire peninsula to La Paz did not fade. And after much effort, we arrived at the colourful letters that characterise this cosmopolitan and lively city by the sea. "That's it" were Eloi's words as he reached for my hand to shake it. "Now it's time for an ice cream, isn't it?

Our footprints will fade away from the paths we have taken, but what will never fade away is the mark left on us by all the people who have crossed our path.

Text: Sonia Colomo
Photo: Sonia Colomo y Eloi Miquel
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