2,829 metres of volcano. Cape Verde. A Crafty. What Gaspi does with volcanoes is pretty unreal. Riding or hike-a-biking all the way up to the crater and then screaming back down to sea level, carving lines no one before had ever imagined.
2,829 metres of volcano. Cape Verde. A Crafty. What Gaspi does with volcanoes is pretty unreal. Riding or hike-a-biking all the way up to the crater and then screaming back down to sea level, carving lines no one before had ever imagined.
Pioneers in logistics, in exploration, and in doing what no one else has dreamt of doing. It’s the story of how to conquer a volcano on an ebike (and have the descent of a lifetime as payback).
Sometimes, despite people calling us crazy, we do things hoping that the moment will endure. Only time will tell how Gaspi’s ascent of the active volcano Pico do Fogo will be remembered, but one thing is clear already: it almost never happened at all.
Deep breaths of hot air like molten asphalt fill his lungs. The equatorial sun scorches his skin while the wind plays tricks on his mind, making it feel cooler than it actually is. He hasn’t realised yet that the sun has melted away his sunscreen or that his lips are beginning to chap.
If he’d asked the locals why they shelter beneath wide-brimmed hats they would have warned him, but it’s too late for any of that now; all of his senses are focused on the summit. Breath by painful breath he edges closer. The summit of Pico do Fogo is within reach. There’s no going back now.
After everything it took just to get his ebike to Cape Verde, backing out was never going to be an option anyway. No airline or ferry would touch it because of its lithium battery. The only way around the red tape was to find a logistics company willing to make the impossible happen, to tackle the bureaucracy head on and find a way to get the bike, battery and all, to the islands.
It took time, effort, and no small amount of money to make it happen. “In the end, Rangel Logistic Solutions stepped up, and I can’t thank them enough.” Gaspi says. “What they went though was every bit as daunting as riding up and down the volcano itself.” The operation succeeded with the help of Mustafa Kerim Eren, a social media contact of Gaspi’s who he’d reached out to before setting off. “I believe there are good people everywhere. You just need to keep your eyes open if you hope to find them.” he adds.
a professional mountaineer from pakistan’s Karakoram range, met his wife Marisa 18 years ago and settled with her on Fogo. Alongside a career that has seen him climb alongside legends like Adam Ondra, he now runs the Casa Marisa guesthouse. He climbs or boulders daily, constantly opening up new routes on the cliff behind his home; a wall so demanding it rivals Yosemite’s El Capitan.
“Musti was kind enough to pick up our bike from the airport.” Gaspi recalls. It turned into a four-act bureaucratic epic, ending with customs officials levying an eye-watering 85% import duty on the bike, despite electric cars and motorbikes being exempt for environmental reasons.
“Our pioneering ebike import, apparently the first ever recorded on the islands, might actually trigger a change in the law,” Gaspi reckons “and, if this journey helps lift the tax for everyone in the future, that would be an incredible bonus.”
he could finally set foot on the beach: the starting point for nearly 3,000 metres of climbing; all the way from sea level to the highest point on the island.
"Mornings are cold and windy. The Atlantic is freezing. Then the sun rises, and for a few minutes it’s pleasant, before it begins to burn like fire. There’s one question that keeps going through my mind, over and over again: Will I have enough battery to get to the top? No one knows. No one’s ever tried."
The route winds through rocky hills and sparse grasslands, with jagged volcanic rock jutting out like broken teeth. Curious locals pause to watch. Children run behind, fascinated by the sight of an ebiker heading towards a mountain they view with fear and reverence. “They follow me for a while, then peel away,” Gaspi says, smiling.
can take anywhere from ninety minutes to four hours, depending on strength and resolve. The volcanic cone is steep, and like all great volcanoes, it only steepens as you climb.
“You start by riding through brush, then it’s just lava. Lava crunches under your wheels; sometimes the rear tyre sinks. Then it’s nothing but gravel and ash.” Gaspi explains.
but the higher he goes, the more he has to get off and push, walk-assist mode helping to lighten the load a little at least. Eventually there’s nothing left for it but to hoist the bike onto his shoulders and scramble ahead on foot as best as he can.
He’s mesmerized by his feet stepping on soil and stones painted red and yellow by iron-rich oxides, like an astronaut taking his first steps on an alien planet. He’s kept going by the water in his hydration pack, each sip a lifeline in a black, lifeless desert.
“Who could resist, right?” he grins. “After a short breather, I had to climb back out and over the rim, ready for the final descent.”
What started as boulders turned into powder, and suddenly he’s surfing, carving lines down fields of volcanic dust at up to 80 km/h. Head pounding, body braced, dancing with gravity as though falling through an endless black void. “The best descent of my life!” Gaspi says.
The brake rotors are toast, overheated beyond use. “Front and rear, completely cooked.”
“Plenty of people thought I was crazy. But after navigating the logistics, and now seeing how this trip is influencing local legislation, placing ebikes alongside EVs, electric scooters, solar panels and batteries, all of which are tax-free, maybe it did serve a useful purpose. Maybe it wasn’t just a fool’s errand, after all!” Gaspi smiles.
2,829 metres of volcano. Cape Verde.
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HOW TO CONQUER A VOLCANO AND MAKE IT BACK DOWN AGAIN
2,829 metres of volcano. Cape Verde. A Crafty. What Gaspi does with volcanoes is pretty unreal. Riding or hike-a-biking all the way up to the crater and then screaming back down to sea level, carving lines no one before had ever imagined.
This size table is only an estimation, the optimum frame size depends on your personal preference and riding style
