A QUIET PLACE

Markus Stitz journeys 1,500km through the unforgettable Gaspé peninsula in Canada's east

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Endless gravel roads, extensive native forests and a beautiful coastline – welcome to La Gaspésie. Tucked away north of Montreal and Québec City, the Gaspé Peninsula offers some of the best gravel riding I've experienced on my travels around the globe – well worth the long journey from the UK. Testing a steel bike with a Pinion gearbox and carbon belt drive, I set off on a 1,450km bikepacking expedition last June, mixing the remote gravel highways that criss-cross the national parks with beautiful coastal roads lined with small towns and villages.

Travelling before the main season, I had most of the shoreline and gravel roads to myself as I watched the sun set across the mighty St Lawrence River, camped on beautiful beaches and sampled the excellent local cuisine.

Rhythm of the Night

The start of a long self-supported adventure on a bike can be challenging, even after many successful trips in the saddle in different corners of the world. Leaving from Matane, the first day takes me along the mighty St Lawrence River eastbound towards Rimouski. A strong breeze slows me down at first, but as soon as the sun has set, the wind eases. After filling up at a petrol station, it's the last 30km in the dark that I ride towards Parc National Du Bic to find a beautiful campsite that gets me in the mood for adventure.

02/Reality bites