bikepacking oman
ten blissful days solo bikepacking in oman and my heart is bursting. oman had been on my radar for years, but given the best time to ride (avoiding +40 celcius riding for most of the year) and my guiding schedule, it took some time to finally make it a go. but with a perfect window between the holidays and guiding in morocco, I made it happen.
and what an experience it was. I shared daily snippets of it on my instagram, like this, this, and this. but when it comes to reflecting on the trip to it’s entirety, there are just so many thoughts, insights, emotions and reflections for all this trip was to me. this place, the people, the culture. the open, friendly and genuine nature, the wild camping, landscapes, food… all of it. this is a trip I won’t soon forget.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM BIKEPACKING IN OMAN
oman is wild camping heaven. the camping culture runs deep amongst omani’s, and the ease of finding blissful spots to pitch for the night felt almost too easy. one of the biggest joys of riding here.
mornings are sacred. this is a never-ending theme in my own life, but damn - waking up with the sunrise, starting a fire, and getting the coffee going. does it get any better than this?
the climbs are steep. I was warned. damn, I’m thankful I got a new chainring for this trip. the lower gearing was a must.
oman is incredibly safe. I locked my bike up once while going into a shop and a man looked at me and began laughing while saying “you know you’re in oman right? no one is going to steal your bicycle”.. he wasn’t wrong. I didn’t lock my bike after that.
throw your ego out the door. it’s not about the numbers, but the experience, culture, joy of movement, exploration, connection to self and a place. you have nothing to prove.
going solo is a special experience. I love community and sharing adventurous moments with others, but doing this alone? a continual reminder how capable you are to just get out and do it.
omani’s are genuinely some of the kindest human. kindness and community care are deeply embedded into their culture. it’s not just a coincidence, it’s a worldview they all hold dearly and show in their day to day actions.
people will stop you for water, dates, invite you to their homes for tea, snacks and more. the generosity often felt overwhelming. how special it was to see how deep this care runs.
omani food is exceptional, and with a big population of international communities it’s also reflected in the incredible food culture. pakistani, yemini, indian, arabic and omani cuisine all wrapped together. so good.
the local warm pita breads. 100 royals (about 33¢ for five warm pita breads) add tuna and tomato, damn that’s tasty.
my body is an incredible vessel. for years of being at war with my body, trips like this remind me how strong this little body is and how capable I am to do these things (alongside good fuelling and recovery of course).
you will experience the highs and the lows throughout the entirety of this trip. one moment living your best life, 30 seconds later, wondering why the fuck you decide to do these things “for fun”. lean in.
solo female rides don’t have to be scary. in a world that tells us otherwise, start small, and you’ll surprise yourself with what you’re capable of 🤍
the mix of culture and outdoor expeditions is my sweet spot. nothing makes me happier than the fusion of cultural immersion, learning and understanding a place and its people through outdoor movement. it’s indescribable.
I could easy write a million more things of how special this trip was. I can’t recommend oman enough. these are only a few of the many takeaways, memories and moments that made this trip so special. thanks for following along.
*please note, I’ve had a lot of messages about my route. while I don’t have the route posted anywhere publicly, it was fun to explore regions and plan the route day by day. I found gpx tracks through bikepacking.com’s oman route, but also largely played around with komoot, ride with gps, gaia, google earth and had fun changing things on the fly. one of the most special parts of bikepacking for me in the individuality, exploration and curiousity. I hope you’re able to get out, experience oman, and be curious of the many route options and places your bike could take you!!
