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@Regrann from @kristin.atzeni - ..on tour ☀😊#zürichsee #workout #training #atzeniraceteam #atzenirace #ontheroad #roadteam #instabicycle #instacycling #cyclinglife #cycling #cyclingphotos #womanonbikes #womancycling #stravagirl #stravacycling #salice_official #atzeniracecollectionbykristinatzeni #giordanacycling #ciclisimo - #regrann

Fearless

Gunnison | Colorado | May 15-17, 2015 |

I’m not a morning person. It’s not that I hate mornings, it’s actually quite the opposite. I love waking up cozy and warm in bed. I love lying awake, entangled in my blankets for hours. I love the cool crisp morning air and the vibrant sunlight energizing the new day. I love gradually rolling out of bed to wander around the house in my comfy clothes. I love sipping on a hot cup of coffee while slowly making breakfast.

And slow is the name of the game here. My mind and body both need time to wake up. A lot of time! If I had it my way, I wouldn’t talk to anyone for at least four hours, while I embrace every second of my leisurely morning ritual. I say that I am not a morning person because of this fact. But in all other facets, morning is in all honesty my favorite time of day!

I have been known to not truly begin my day until noon. And that’s totally fine by me. But this poses a problem when you live with a man who has a hard time sitting still and is ready to play as soon as his eyes open. Many of our mornings together are spent with Roland pushing me out of bed, asking me what I would like to do today, and me avoiding all questions and commentary.

That’s how today began. We woke up at Hartman Rocks, just outside of Gunnison, Colorado. The sun was shining bright and the sky vividly blue. This chunk of BLM land is known for its open desert vistas and exceptional single-track mountain biking trails. And that’s exactly what Roland wanted to do! He quickly made us breakfast, shoveled eggs into his mouth and started plotting the trails we would ride. I slowly enjoyed my meal while taking in the views, nodding along to his thoughts. Roland hurried to clean up the kitchen as I sat back, sipped my tea and watched a colorful hot air balloon float by.

I can tell he is eager to go. He can tell that I am procrastinating. Roland nudges me and finally asks if I want to ride bikes with him; something he forgot to confirm earlier. This is the moment when the struggle gets real. Other than the fact that I’m not a “morning person”, I’ve only gone mountain biking once in my life and I’m not sure today is the day to try it again.

Here’s the thing, there are several outdoor activities that I am very passionate about and spend a good amount of time doing. I love hiking and camping. I love rock climbing and snowboarding. I also love riding bikes. But I’ve never had a huge desire to mountain bike. Something about the sport scares me. Something about it seems really difficult. But here I am, sitting in a mountain biking mecca with a brand new mountain bike and a partner who wants to ride…

My body is screaming no! Advising me to chill, drink another cup of tea, practice yoga under the sun. My mind is trying its best to be logical. Telling me to suck it up and get on the bike, while also warning me that it’s going to be hard, that I’ll have to push myself, and that I will probably flip over my handle bars and die.

And then I think - How many times have I been here in this struggle? How many times have I missed out because I was too afraid to try? Fear is crippling. But fear is also a liar. Fear is created sitting down and the only way to overcome it is to get up and take action. So I breathe in courage and exhale my worry. I am fearless and without doubt. I am ready to go for a bike ride! I am going to do this!

With a smile on his face, Roland promises we will find an easy trail, one that I can learn to trust being fixed to my pedals on. So we gear up and start our ride. We soon find out the trail is still wet from rain the day before. The tread on my tires quickly fill up with mud and my traction decreases. Strike 1.

The trail begins to gain elevation quickly. I hear Roland’s gears clicking as the hill continues to climb upwards. My heart is already pounding, my legs are on fire, and I feel unbelievably weak! And the hill just keeps getting steeper and steeper. Strike 2.

I see Roland gracefully working his way up the rock wall while I awkwardly unclip my feet from my pedals to take a breath. I hate this! I look around for a stick to dig the mud out of my cleats and instead of sitting back down I pick up my bike and start pushing it up the incline. It feels like a lifetime has gone by when I get to the top. Roland is patiently waiting and I wonder how long he has been sitting there, but I don’t ask. He apologizes for the steepness of the trail and claims he didn’t know it would be so hard. I keep my head down, nod and let Roland take the lead again.

While I was walking my bike up the hill, my first desire was to get mad. To be angry with Roland for making this “easy” bike ride so hard. To get to the top and tell him I’m not going on any further. To make him feel guilty that I was feeling so frustrated. Isn’t that what we humans all do best, blame our problems on everyone else?! And then as if someone had whispered the saying in my ear, I heard my own words again, I am fearless. It was not Roland’s fault that this bike ride was hard. It was not Roland’s fault that my legs felt like fire. It was not Roland’s fault that I wanted to give up.

The ride was hard because we were riding uphill. My body was hurting because I need to work out more. I wanted to give up because the fear said it would be easier to quit. And I remembered, I have control of all of these things! I can train and become stronger so I can ride my bike up steep hills. I can say no to the fear. I can learn to love mountain biking. So I got back on my bike without a word to Roland to keep my motivation going. I was going to finish this ride and I was going to try my best while I did it. No more strikes.

We rode thru the rocky trails for another hour or so, the sun heating up our skin, making us shiny with sweat. I did my best to keep my thoughts on accomplishing the task at hand. Even though there were moments of hopelessness as I mostly took my bike for a walk on those trails, I constantly reminded myself to smile and be grateful for the beautiful place I was in and a partner who continued to encourage me each time I made it up a hill without falling over.

It’s hard to say right now whether or not I will learn to love mountain biking. As I coasted back down to the van on a smooth dirt road, I remembered why I love riding bikes in the first place. I love aimlessly cruising on two wheels, gaining speed and winding around obstacles. I love the cool breeze kissing my face and wind blowing in my hair. I love being able to take my hands off my handlebars, sitting back confidently in my seat. I love having the freedom to drift from place to place, controlling my wheels to go where I please. Maybe I’ll find these things in one form or another on my mountain bike. Maybe I won’t. And that’s ok.

Our bike ride reminded me of the power of positivity and mindful thinking. And as the van takes us to new mountain towns with trails to ride, I will continue to get on my bike and try hard because I am capable of anything I set my mind to. I will embrace those experiences and figure out if it’s a sport for me or not. Not because I have to, but because I will not allow the fear to make that decision for me.

I am in control. I am fearless.

∞ danielle

#roadtour #mountainbiking #roadteam #desert

Sir Royal | A Van Story: Part II

| Colorado | 2015 History |

If you haven’t read The Dream | A Van Story Part I Make sure to do that!

We named our new home, (a 2014 Mercedes Sprinter Van) Sir Royal Ellingwood. Dani thinks it’s weird and creepy to bestow inanimate objects like vehicles with names, but I enjoy it, it gives a hunk of metal a personality and allows me to connect with it on a deeper level. Since the purpose of this vehicle is to literally and metaphorically be a vehicle for adventure and exploration we chose a name that was fitting. Royal as in Robbins is one of, if not, the most prolific and influential climbers in American climbing history. He paved the way for big wall rock climbing, created a strong foundation of ethics surrounding climbing and respecting our environment, and pushed the limits of what was possible - and he did it with class. Albert Ellingwood was a pioneering mountaineer and climber in Colorado in the early 1900′s. He had first ascents on big technical mountains around the western U.S. With two of our heroes and climbing legends guiding the way, we’re set to seek out adventures with natives all over the country!

We’re going to take you through a photo bio of Royal and give you a peek into our home. It’s like MTV Cribs and Pimp My Ride, without all the weird fur coats and shoe closets or Xzibit yelling at you the whole time.

So...welcome to our home!

Royal’s humble beginnings as a gutted out cargo van. Showing his ribs as the initial framework is starting to get put up. We went with a 2500 BlueTec Diesel Sprinter, regular length with the 170 inch wheel base.

Taking measurements and envisioning our design ideas in the flesh.

Working out all the finer details at the Colorado Camper Van shop as we near the end of the building process. In this picture you can see the awning out which creates a front porch. A place to have friends join us for dinner and beers in the shade on summer evenings!

After the build out but before the move in. There are 4 kick ass speakers and 6 LED lights along the ceiling.

The view from the back door with the bed frame dividing the cabin above and gear storage below.

We designed the van to have ample storage for gear. Here’s why! There’s lots of possibilities for adventure. We wanted to make sure we have all the proper ingredients for any activity thrown our way! From whitewater sessions to alpine climbs, guitar and ukulele jams around campfires to mountain bike rides and hula hooping at festivals...we’re set!

View from the sliding passenger door. The large cabinet door on the bottom left houses our trash can, recycling bin, and a 1gallon propane tank for our camp stove. We have a small Norcold fridge that sits next to our Goal Zero Solar Generator. Our fridge is small and allows, if skillfully packed, for about 5 days of food. We wanted the van to be completely off the grid for power. We have two 30 watt Goal Zero Boulder solar panels mounted on the roof that charge the Goal Zero Yeti 1250 solar generator. This powers everything in the van - our lights, stereo, vent fan, heater, and fridge. It also allows us to charge our cameras, laptops, phones, and anything else.

We tried to be as space efficient as humanly possible when designing the interior. For the counter top we went with a small Neptune pump handle sink. We chose to bypass a sink with an electric pump to keep things simple. Electric pumps can freeze and burst in winter temps and having a hand pump allows us to conserve water. The sink is connected to a 6-gallon water jug behind the driver seat. It takes us about a week to go through 6 gallons of water! There is no permanent stove on the counter top. We chose to use a 2-burner camp stove which allows us to utilize counter space when we aren’t cooking and take it outside for cooking on those beautiful summer nights.

We keep a 1gallon propane tank in a cabinet under the sink and have the line running up to the counter so we can simply hook it up and cook at night. You can see the gold end of the propane hose next to the small plant on the left side of the counter. The 1gallon propane tank lasts for about 2 weeks of cooking meals and costs us $3-5 to fill up at a U-Haul or gas station.

Above the kitchen window is shelving/spice rack - we keep spices, tea, plates, and bowls up there. The drawers beneath the sink hold all of our pots and pans, silverware and other miscellaneous kitchen items. We don’t skimp on cookware because we love cooking good meals. We carry cast iron skillets and chef’s knives. There’s some things you can’t hold back, good cooking is one of ‘em.

Looking back from the kitchen/living room into the bedroom. Dani made the blanket covering our bed. The bed is a high density foam mattress from a company in Denver. We topped it off with a half inch memory foam topper and it sleeps like a dream.

All of the wood paneling in the van is Pine Beetle Kill from Colorado. Pine Beetles are an invasive species that have been decimating the Pine tree populations in Colorado for the past several years. Harvesting and using beetle kill wood for construction is a responsible way to use the massive amounts of trees that have been killed in Colorado. Beetle Kill wood has a really unique color to it and there are trails of the beetle present in the wood. We put a heater in the van because we will be living out of it full time, year round. We installed an Espar Heater that runs off diesel fuel from the tank. It is super energy efficient with both the amount of fuel it uses to heat and the amount of electricity it pulls from the solar generator.

We put in really spacious drawers so that we could have the luxury of having more than two pairs of pants to choose from everyday. I now have 5 pairs, oh the possibilities! The six drawers in this shot are all dedicated to clothes. We have to carry clothes for every season, element, and outdoor sport. I have two drawers for all of my clothes - Dani has four. Typical. It helps to use space efficiently when you are OCD like myself. I think the amount of clothes Dani is carrying in those four drawers wouldn’t be possible without my impressive and unprecedented folding skills and my freakish need to have things extremely organized. The handles on all of the drawers and cabinets push in and lock each drawer shut so they aren’t flying open while we’re cruising along down the road.

The original design for our food pantry was floor to ceiling but ended up shorter, adding extra counter space which has served invaluable. We keep loose foods like energy bars, pancake mix, Cholula etc. in the bins on the bottom shelf. The middle shelf is dedicated to water bottles, coffee cups, steel pints, and Colorado whiskey. We keep an MSR Reactor stove, as well as an MSR Pocket Rocket for heating water and other small meals that don’t require us bringing out the big stove. Top row is cereal, chips, etc.

We put a cabinet alongside the bed. We decided on sliding doors instead of traditional swinging cabinet doors so they didn’t take up space when you open them. We fashioned curtain rods out of flat pieces of metal so that we can hang up our jackets and have a legitimate closet. There is enough space underneath the jackets to have some hoodies and down pants folded and stacked. The lizard on the wall above the closet is named Lenny. We found him on the side of the road near Tuscon, AZ. A man named Yogi hand makes them and sells them out of his truck.

There was no way we were building this thing without a bookcase! Even in the VW Bus I found an old orange crate from the 40′s that we used to pile books in. Reading is such an important part of living a life that where you are constantly learning, feeding your brain and your spirit. We’ve got everything you need on that bookshelf - books on how to be a great storyteller, books on meditation and being present, stories of grand adventures, and of course climbing guide books. We very purposefully left room on the shelves for books that we will inevitably acquire along the way. The very top acts as a night stand and has a 2 inch lip so that our stuff doesn’t go flying all over the place when we’re driving. Yoga mats occupy the bottom shelf for easy access to decompressing and finding solace in the chaos of living on the go.

Here is the view looking toward the front of the van from the bed. You can soak up all of that glorious counter space, hmmm. Dani and I made the dividing curtains ourselves. It gives the van a more homey feel when you can’t see the front seats and the steering wheel. I sewed the curtains to fit just right (yes I, Roland, do all of the sewing for the two of us, I refer to myself as a sewsmith. Like a blacksmith but not quite as badass, but still tough). The curtain is usually open when we are hanging out in the van because our front seats swivel to face toward the back of the van. This lets us sit and hangout in the van without being forced to awkwardly stare out the windshield. The rug on the floor is a handmade rug that we bought in Navajo Nation in Arizona. You can see two of the four speakers that are mounted on the ceiling. We love music and often find ourselves participating in van dance parties!

To utilize what could have been unused space in the bed frame, Derek and his genius team of building wizards dreamt up this little contraption. a trap door operated on hydraulic lifts so it stays open when we’re getting into it. Brilliant! There are two of these, the other is accessed from the back of the van/bed. We keep our camp stove, GoPro and accessories, shower stuff, and a first aid kit in the front portion. If it weren’t for this drawer I have no idea where all that crap would go.

Even when you live in a vehicle it’s important to add those homey touches to make it cozy. In our Subaru we found all sorts of weird little things on the ground all over the U.S. and glued them to our dash. A tiny Jar Jar Binks in Joshua Tree, a tiny leather flip flop in Lousiana, a toy lizard in Vermont, a little horse on the Green River in Utah, and a mini Ninja in Portland. Technically it may have just been a bunch of trash glued to our dashboard but it made our little car a home.

We decided to decorate the van with a southwestern theme because the SW has played a really important role in our development and passion for the outdoors and guiding. Below are a few little touches we’ve added to make Royal a home. The green ornament hanging was a gift from a friend that lived in Japan and has been on the road with us for 5 years (thanks Elyse!).

The hand made rusted metal cutout of Kokopelli we found in Tucson from a guy named Yogi selling his work with his grandson out of his old beat down pickup truck on the side of the road. The clay pot with the succulent plant was handmade, carved, and painted by a Native woman in the Navajo Nation in Arizona.

And last but not least the Banana Hammock. When Dani first showed me this thing I was floored. I couldn’t believe that somewhere in the world there existed a tiny hammock for your bananas. We all know about banana hammocks - we’ve been traumatized at one point or another in our lives by some fat guy on a beach some where. But this is shocking in an entirely different way, this is a legit hammock for real bananas. Amazing!

Here’s where all the storage magic happens! From top to bottom: A Thule topper box holds our big Native canopy, some comfy camp chairs, and a roll-away table for cooking outside. The second storage compartment within the bed frame (open in this picture) houses biking gear, hats, sunglasses, and other miscellaneous stuff. Underneath the bed is the main gear storage. This is enough room for everything we need to engage in wild adventures and shenanigans everywhere we go!

In the storage area underneath the bed we have tons of gear for every sport. We have gear for climbing, mountain biking, backpacking, rollerblading, guitar jamming, whitewater, drinking, skateboarding, taking epic photos and video, and even some power tools! I took advantage of space by hanging some items on hooks like my skateboard and bike helmets. We keep things organized in bins or duffels.

We were at the Colorado Camper Van shop chatting with Derek about the van. I had been thinking of ways of incorporating climbing into the van, spitballing ideas about how and where to put up a hang-board. We started talking about how to access the Thule box on the roof. A ladder was really the only contender and so I asked Derek if it would be possible to put climbing holds on the side of the van in place of a ladder to access the Thule. He said, “I can’t see why not.”

We ended up putting a piece of 2 inch thick wood behind each hold as a backing to secure it to the body of the van so it could actually hold the weight of someone climbing on them. We also glued the holds to the van itself. I tested all the different routes out with some buddies who guide for NOLS while we were in Tucson, AZ. If you stick to the green route from a sit start it’s a pretty solid V5 :)

We wrestled a lot with how to carry our mountain bikes. If we put them up top then our van is pushing 14 feet tall and I can just see myself going under a low bridge and wiping out our bikes. Plus it seems like a royal pain in the ass to have to climb up onto the roof and hand down mountain bikes from 11 feet high. We also thought about mounting them vertically to the back doors with the front fork mount near the top of the door.

After some research we found that the torque from the front fork bouncing up and down while driving has seriously mangled some Sprinter doors. Then we thought about doing a swing arm hitch mount but those can’t carry full suspension mountain bikes that have a drop seat post on them! We finally went with a Thule T2 hitch mount. It’s a little tight getting into the back doors but the rack drops down, angling away from the van. If we want to open the back doors all the way we have to take one bike off the rack.

This is why we decided to put a heater in the van! We bought the van as a full cargo so it had no windows. We had to install the window on the driver side. It’s nice because it lets natural light into the back of the van, it gives a nice view when we’re cooking, and 2 bottom panels open for ventilation which is really important when we’re cooking inside the van. We also have a vent fan in the ceiling. Between the window vents and the fan pulling air up and out, we can cook with closed doors and have an adequate flow for ventilation so that we don’t die of carbon monoxide poisoning using a stove inside a closed space.

Check out our feature on Bus Life Adventure’s website

We are ecstatic to be able to call this rig our home. We are grateful for all the help we’ve had along the way to turning our grand vision into a unbelievable reality. It genuinely is a dream come true!