Shimano Gravel Alliance rider Ibai Fradejas took part in the 2021 edition of the epic Badlands bikepacking event and sent us in this stunning photo essay.

Badlands is described as being “the definitive bikepacking off-road adventure in Europe”. The route is more than 700kms long and includes 15,000m of climbing. The route takes in everything from the windswept Cabo de Gata national park to Europe’s only official desert – the Tabernas Desert, to the 3212m high Veleta Pass – described by the organisers as “one of the longest, hardest and most challenging climbs in the world”. 

The 2021 event, which took place in September was characterised by high temperatures which made the challenging course even more demanding. Ibai rode with teammate Fernando Marquez and worked with photographer Gemma Bielsa who captured these stunning images of their ride.

In case you need even more reason to put the Badlands event on your bucket list for 2022, the organisers put together this incredible highlights film, which captures all the highs and lows of the event.