Fin Del Mundo
The South America leg of Cycle 5 To Survive did not go as planned. What began as a six-month journey to cycle more than 10,000 KM became a three-month ride totaling just over 5,000 KM with approx.100,000 M of elevation.
From the start on June 15 in Bogotá, Colombia, progress was repeatedly disrupted by mechanical issues, route limitations, and challenging weather — challenges that continued through Ecuador. In Peru, the journey came to a sudden halt when Kristen was hospitalized for several days with a serious illness, compounded by additional mechanical failures. With heavy hearts and tears, we made the difficult decision to stop riding and return home. At that moment, the disappointment was profound, and it was unclear whether we even wanted to continue the journey at all.
After time to recover, regroup, and fully address the mechanical issues, we made the decision to return on November 12 to complete the ride. The final leg carried us through all of Patagonia, crossing repeatedly between Chile and Argentina, where sustained, near-arctic headwinds replaced altitude as the dominant challenge. Thanks to remarkably good weather, those headwinds were manageable, and we rode extremely well — strong, focused, and genuinely excited to be back on the bikes. We completed the South America ride in Ushuaia — just 1,000 km from Antarctica — without further mechanical failures or serious illness. This final section went so well that we returned home motivated, energized, and fully committed to the next continent.
As we continue our journey to fulfill our commitment to raise money and awareness for our 5 Charities, we are preparing to embarking on our ride across South America the week of June 15, 2025. This bikepacking trip will take us from Bogotá, Colombia, to Ushuaia, Argentina—over 10,000 km, with an expected completion time of approximately six months. Fact: cycling through Peru, our ride will take us up to an altitude of 4750m – for perspective, base camp of Everest is 5150m. Ushuaia, often called “the end of the earth,” is the southernmost city in the world, just a stone’s throw from Antarctica. This is why we’ve named this ride Fin Del Mundo, Spanish for “End of the Earth.”
