rarefemmes.com

Rare Femmes

Biketravel Rally

Al-Ballut Edition

from 29th october to 2nd november

in Cordoba

 

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TICKETS AVAILABLE

21st may

for newsletter suscribers

24th may

for everyone

Relevant information

🚴 Places: 60
✏ Registration opens: 21st may.
🏁 Start / End: Añora (Cordoba).
🔂 four-day circular route
🗾 Two distance options:
Long route: ~320km / 3200m
Short route: ~200km / 2400m
⛰ Terrain: +80% off road, gravel.
Variations and shortcuts by road.
🚲Bicycle: Gravel / MTB.
⛺ Self supported, need to camp

Fotógrafa: Michela Pedranti

There comes a time in life when you need to get off the beaten path. To leave behind the voices that make you doubt. Stop waiting for the perfect moment. To choose “I want to, I can”.

Rare Femmes Biketravel Rally is not just another trip. It is four days of challenge, adventure, outdoors and freedom.

And one certainty: after this, you won’t be the same.

The tour

Following the Rare Femmes spirit, the route for this rally has been selected and adapted by Jorge A. Moreno, the driving force behind the original Al-Ballut concept. The adventure begins and ends in Añora, where we’ll meet on the evening of October 29th for a welcome dinner and a restful night’s stay before we set off on our bikes together.

This route will take us on a journey to discover the essence of the Los Pedroches region and its surroundings, traversing landscapes full of contrasts, rural roads, endless pastures, and small villages steeped in history and authenticity. A journey designed to enjoy both the adventure and the connection with the environment and the group.

In Jorge’s words, Al-Ballut was born out of a passion for exploring this land from a close and shared perspective, creating an experience that combines challenge, nature, and community on two wheels.

It is a varied, intense, and deeply special route, designed to leave a lasting impression on everyone who travels it on two wheels.

El rally

The Rare Femmes Biketravel Rally is more than a bike adventure, it is a challenge, a physical and emotional journey, an individual and at the same time shared experience, in which you will make decisions according to how you want to live it.

The rally is a non-mixed space, made by and for us. For women, non-binary and trans people, mix cycling spaces can be challenging and extra pressure for many reasons. This space is safe, friendly, respectful and judgment-free.

 

Fotógrafa: Michela Pedranti

There are no times or competition, this is not a race. From Rare Femmes we will provide you with two route options, long or short, with their official tracks, but also possible shortcuts and alternatives by road. There are no rules. You decide your own route.

The format of the rally is a self-sufficient trip. This means that everyone is independent and carries with them everything they need to pedal, sleep, feed themselves and solve any problems.

Although the organizers will be traveling with the participants and we will always be able to help each other, each person is responsible for herself. Along the route we will find shelters and up to three options of hostels. Even so, it is necessary to bring camping equipment.

Fotógrafa: Michela Pedranti

Over four days, we’ll tackle a challenging route through the unique landscapes of Los Pedroches and the Al-Ballut area. On the first day, we’ll all set out together from Añora, after sharing a welcome dinner the night before and resting at our lodging.

Once we’re on the road, groups will likely form naturally, based on each rider’s pace and riding style. There will be no support vehicle or guides: the experience is designed around self-reliance, adventure, and camaraderie.

The first two nights, Friday and Saturday, will be completely open-ended. Each participant will decide where to stop, rest, and enjoy the ride.

On the last night, we’ll all come together again to share a dinner and a communal space to relax, marking the end of the rally and celebrating this shared cycling experience.

The route

 Two route options, long and short

You will have the possibility to choose between two route options and you will be able to do it on the fly, no need to decide already.

 

Short route

Long route

200 km y +2400m

320 km y +3200m

A big challenge to be prepared for

It will be four consecutive days cycling in mostly off-road terrain, with a lot of accumulated
slope, sleeping outdoors and with the possibility of changing weather conditions.

In addition to being physically fit and prepared for the challenge, you must keep in mind that setbacks may arise that, along with physical fatigue, will require more mental strength.

You will need preparation, determination, a desire to excel and to live a real adventure.

And you will not be alone:

  • Before the rally, we will have an online meeting to give you all the details, tips and solve doubts.

  • You will have access to a WhatsApp group with the other participants to share ideas, doubts and
    get organized.

  • From Rare Femmes, we will provide you with the complete track of the route and all the information about where to buy food, camping areas, shelters and possible alternative accommodations.

 

Self-management and freedom

We will give you the track and we will all start and finish at the same point, but you decide what pace to take, whether to pedal alone or in a group, where to sleep each night, where to get food, how to replenish water and when to rest.

It is a real adventure experience, designed by and for women who want to get off the beaten path and try something different in a unique environment.

 


Body, mind and heart

This rally is not only done with your legs. You will have to put body, mind and heart into it.

It is not competitive, you do not face anyone, only your desire to improve yourself. It is your own challenge and you will always have the support of the other participants.

We promise you: when you reach your destination, something in you will have changed forever.

A-Ballut

Al-Ballut winds through the region of Los Pedroches, an area located in the north of the province of Córdoba comprising 17 municipalities historically connected by paths, trails, and roads that have shaped the region’s way of life and identity.

The landscape changes constantly along the route: from castles like Belalcázar to the walled paths that traverse the largest continuous holm oak pasture in all of Europe, home to the acorn-fed Iberian pig and one of the most representative ecosystems of the Mediterranean forest.

The name Al-Ballut comes from the ancient “Fahs al-Ballut,” the historical name for this territory during the Muslim era, meaning “the plain of acorns.” A name deeply linked to the landscape and the culture of the pastureland that defines the region.

More than just a route, Al-Ballut is an invitation to discover Los Pedroches by bike: a friendly, quiet, and authentic region where nature, heritage, and rural life remain closely connected.

Al-Ballut began as a collective initiative driven by people with deep ties to Los Pedroches and cycling, with the goal of promoting and protecting the region’s natural and cultural heritage through cycle tourism.

Inspired by the Montañas Vacías project—the region where we held the first edition of the Rare Femmes Biketravel Rally—Al-Ballut shares this same approach to cycling as a tool for discovering the region in a leisurely, mindful, and respectful way.

The project was originally launched by Jorge A. Moreno and developed alongside a team of people passionate about cycling and the region, who share the same philosophy: to promote local, sustainable tourism connected to rural life.

Exploring Al-Ballut is much more than following a GPX track. It is about connecting with a friendly and authentic region, where every village has its own identity, where the roads invite you to stop, and where hospitality is part of the journey. For us, it is the perfect setting to experience an edition of the Rare Femmes Biketravel Rally centered on adventure, self-reliance, and connection with the environment.

Who is it for?

FLINTA riders: women, non-binary and trans people who enjoy demanding cycling challenges.

What type of riding?

FLINTA riders: women, non-binary and trans people who enjoy demanding cycling challenges.

More than 80% of the route is on gravel and off-road tracks, with the possibility of short and long routes and even taking a shortcut on the road. We will send the track to all participants.

Pedaleando por la Sierra de Baza por pista gravel
Pedaleando por la Sierra de Baza por pista gravel

Where would it be?

The second edition of the Biketravel Rally will start and end in Añora (Córdoba). We will take an alternative route through Al-Ballut.

What should I bring?

The second edition of the Biketravel Rally will start and end in Añora (Córdoba). We will take an alternative route through Al-Ballut.

A gravel or mountain bike in good condition, tool kit and spare inner tube. Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and cooking tools if you plan self-sufficiency cooking.

What's included?

  • Accommodation + dinner on the night of October 29th in Añora (Córdoba).

  • Camping area for all + goodbye dinner on november 1st.

  • Tracks of the route and alternatives.

  • Whatsapp group of the event.


     


    Not included

  • Meals and accommodation during the route.

  • Drinks.

 

How can you join

This rally is a demanding challenge and we want to make sure you are up to it. Fill in the form we have prepared to know a little better what is your experience traveling by bicycle and self-sufficiency.

After filling in the form two things can happen:

 

Review

Confirmation

so you can make the best decision and ensure you fully understand what this trip entails. We’ll schedule a video call to go over all the details. If you’re ultimately not selected, we’ll refund your money in full.

You’ll receive an email confirming that you’ve been selected, and… you’ll be one of the 60 women taking part in the rally!

 

Price

150 €

Useful information

About the routes:

Q&A

Is it a race?

No. It is a non-competitive rally. Here it doesn’t matter who gets there first, but how you experience it.

Experienced women  who wants to live this experience, including trans women and non-binary people who feel comfortable in a feminine space.
If you identify with the energy of Rare Femmes and are passionate about rolling: this is the place for you.

The price of the Rare Femmes Biketravel rally is 150 euros. Travel expenses and everything not included in the “what’s included” section are to be paid by the participants.

A lot. We all start and finish at the same point, but the rest is up to you.
You set the pace, the number of kilometers per day, the breaks and stops.
We will have a WhatsApp group to share location, accommodation tips and encouragement.

Often yes. Groups are usually formed by affinity, rhythm or desire to share route. But if you prefer to pedal alone, it is also totally valid.

The choice is yours. You can camp, sleep in hostels, shelters, hotels…
From Rare Femmes we will give you some recommendations, but you decide at each stage where to stop.

Ideally, you should be in good general physical condition and used to doing day rides.
You don’t need to have done long bike rides before, but you do need to be comfortable with hills, manage your effort and adapt as you go.
And remember: you can always shorten, improvise or detour if you need to.

The routes will be mostly off road on gravel tracks. We recommend a gravel or mountain bike. It is very important that the bike is in good condition. It is not suitable for road bikes, as the route includes stretches of dirt, unpaved roads and technical tracks.

We are sorry but road bikes are not suitable for this rally due to the type of route we will ride. If you need to come with an electric bike, please contact us first at hola@rarefemmes.com

Yes, there are a few bike rental shops in Córdoba where you can find what you’re looking for.

During the route, there will always be fellow riders willing to help, lend you tools, or share a snack while you repair your bike, but we won’t be passing through towns where you can find bike repair shops or spare parts—this is only possible in Pozoblanco. If you have any problems with your bike during the ride, you’ll need to arrange your own transportation there.

  1. By private car. Añora has very good road connections. You can get there in your own vehicle.
  2. Sharing a car. We will create a Whatsapp group with all the participants and we will promote car sharing.
  3. By bus: You can take public transportation to Pozoblanco; make sure to check before buying your ticket that you can bring your bike with you. From there, it’s about six kilometers to Añora, the town where we’ll stay on the first day and where we’ll finish the route on the last day.

You can cancel up to 30 days before the rally starts and we will refund 70% of the amount paid. Please note that there are only forty places and some people will be left out. We ask you to be responsible.

Behind Rare Femmes are Celia, Cris y Laura, three weirdos hooked on gravel, bikepacking and bike trips.

Email us at info@rarefemmes.com or message us on Instagram @rarefemmes.
We’re here to help!

Our partners

2025 edition, Montañas Vacías