In December 2019, Cori Callahan, Abi Taylor, Rachel Mackey, and Jennifer Dresselhaus took on 500 miles of the Baja Divide Route. Check out some images from this epic trip below – and when you’re done, top it off with Abi’s essay on the adventure!
Classic visions of colorful murals and bicycle rigs. This is what we dreamed of when we set out on the Baja Divide.
Cattle are ubiquitous around the globe, although skinnier and more curious than their counterparts in the United States. We often would hear the jingle of the bells hung around their necks before we would actually spot them.
Expecting a dry desert landscape, we were surprised by how lush it was; how “jurassic” Baja felt. This 400 year old olive tree was just one of many examples of the incredible flora.
We were met with kindness in every corner of our Baja experience. If you meet this family in La Paz, ask for a custom spray paint for your helmet.
Although we had dreamed of tacos and fresh food, this was the reality of fueling our bodies throughout the trip. Hot Cheetos and Takis were regular players in our lunch/snack scene.
Navigation on the Baja Divide is easy, as long as you have a minimum of 2 GPS maps with the route, a paper map, and take the time to stop at every junction. Often, these Rancheros were the only source of resupply for days.
The scenery is mind blowing. Nearly every day we wished to have a pocket geologist with us.
Some days our feet moved the bicycles with rotations on the pedals. And some days our feet met the ground as we pushed heavy bikes up steep grades.
The Hot Cheetos, peanut butter, and stale bars just didn’t sit well in the humid heat on the coast, and we sought solace in the only available shade around. Bikepacking is far from glamorous. When you have a solid group of women to support you, even seeking shade in a Saguaro is a humorous experience.
The key to any successful endeavor is the people who show up to support. Our Baja Divide experience was incredible, for both the landscape, and the amazing group of badass women that shared in this adventure.
“Negative thoughts still invade my brain when I think back on Baja. How it could have been different. How I didn’t express my gratitude to my friends enough. How I didn’t tell them how much I look up to them, how I am amazed at the strong, compassionate women I’ve been blessed to encounter in my life. How all I want is to be one of them.”See Abigail's ambassador page.
Exciting News: A New Chapter in Our Mission for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure
We are thrilled to announce that the Summit Scholarship Foundation and The Cairn Project have joined forces under a new name: Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
