My first bikepacking expedition - Riding to Keila waterfalls near Tallinn, Estonia
In my quest to train for the Silk Road Mountain Race (referred to as the SRMR from here on in), I decided to squeeze in an 80-kilometre, 2-day mini bikepacking expedition during the week to test out my bike’s setup, find gaps in my preparation, build conditioning and more fitness, experience Estonia’s summer temperatures, and see what kit I might need for bigger bikepacking trips (like tackling the 500-kilometre Eurovelo 11 route that I want to do later this year).
I decide to ride to the wonderful Keila waterfalls so I could redevelop some of those intangible skills that are needed for thriving in the outdoors, especially for a race like the SRMR, that will take me to my limits in my quest to reach the finish line!
The Keila Waterfalls is a scenic 7-metre-high waterfall located in the Keila River near Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia (where I’m spending a year as a digital nomad) – it’s a really cool place that isn’t spoken about very often, so I want to explore it away from the bustle. It’s set in a beautiful, forested area (with hiking trails and a park), making it a great place to spend a few days away from my computer screen and surrounded by nature to think about all the future adventure projects that distract me from working most days.
I set off from Tallinn and follow coastal roads and decided it would be cool to find a secluded beach to pitch my tent.
Finding a spot that was surrounded by what appeared to be bamboo (struck me as bizarre to find it in a Baltic country!), it was the perfect experience for epic sunsets that lingered for ages and allowed me to shoot it from different angles, get in some more sea swims to cool down and ride over 80 kilometres on a fully-loaded gravel bike for improving my fitness for the challenge that will be the SRMR!
The next expedition will see me exploring a sunken prison building in the middle of a lake..
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If you’re seriously considering a year as a digital nomad, whether that’s to explore the world, setup a virtual business, or both, I strongly urge you to put Estonia at the top of your list for all the reasons I mention below – however don’t be surprised if you don’t want to return back to your country of origin at the end of it!
Secondly, I make no apologies for being so enthusiastic about the place, I’ve travelled in over 60 countries across the world and feel like I’ve found somewhere that is truly remarkable for many good reasons that people aren’t yet aware of.