One Month Solo Through Southern Mexico (Video)

Words, photos, and video by Greg McCahon

After a summer break in London to reconnect with friends and family after a few years on the road, I returned to Mexico to pick up where I left off. This latest video captures my month-long ride from Mexico City to Oaxaca and the slow, inevitable process of shedding the comforts of home, devolving back into full dirtbag mode!

Heading south, my route took me past the towering volcanoes of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl before linking up with BIKEPACKING.com’s La Vuelta de Citlaltépetl route created by Cass Gilbert, which circles around Pico de Orizaba, Mexico’s tallest mountain at 5,636 metres (18,490 feet). After a tough but stunning few days making my way up and around the mountain, I dropped into the beautiful coffee plantations, where a local farmer gave me an impromptu primer on their growing process. After that, it was a real treat to try the locally grown coffee in Orizaba city!

From Orizaba, I climbed into the mountains south of the city, pushing toward Oaxaca. With wild camping options scarce, I had to rely on the kindness of locals each night, an experience that pushed me out of my comfort zone and led to some tricky situations. Reaching Oaxaca state was a relief, as I could finally return to easier wild camping along another one of Cass’s routes. I first joined the Ojos de Cuicatlan loop before linking up with the Vuelta de Santiago Apoala, which carried me all the way into the city.

I hope you enjoy the video! I tried to put more focus on my interactions with locals this time, as for me, the hospitality, generosity, and unexpected conversations along the way are what makes bikepacking through this part of the world so special.

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