Ride, Explore, Sleep, Repeat
How 22-year-old Alexis Ballot turned a summer break into a self-supported ride across Europe
Interviewed on the 21.02.2026
When Alexis decided to grab his bike and ride as far as possible during his 3 month study break in 2025, he would have never imagined how this adventure was gonna go and how it was going to end.
Alexis is 22 years old and currently studies in Lausanne, Switzerland. Like many others, his idea of adventure didn’t come out of nowhere. It had been quietly building for years.
“A few years ago, I was watching a lot of documentaries about bikepackers traveling from Europe to Iran. Watching those made me want to leave as well. Initially, I wanted to do the same trip, but because of the political situation, I decided to end my journey at the summit of Mount Ararat.”
What began as inspiration eventually turned into action. Between climbing, urban exploration, and a growing desire to push himself, Alexis decided that this summer would be different. He set himself a clear objective: reach the highest peak in Turkey, Mount Ararat, standing at 5,137 meters. The plan was simple in theory, but demanding in practice. Starting from Lausanne, he would cycle across Europe, covering roughly 100 kilometers per day, entirely self-supported, using a regular bike he found in his garage. Over the course of three months, this would amount to several thousand kilometers, powered only by consistency and discipline.
For Alexis, the journey was never just about distance. It was about effort. About waking up every day and committing to movement, regardless of fatigue or conditions. But there was another layer to it as well.
“Beyond the physical challenge, this adventure was also the perfect opportunity to connect with people from different backgrounds along the way.”
The road, in that sense, became both a test and a bridge.
Along the way, Alexis made stops driven by curiosity as much as by geography. Climbing peaks, exploring abandoned structures, stepping off the expected path whenever something caught his attention. One of his most memorable achievements came in Slovenia, where he climbed the tallest chimney in Europe: the Trbovlje Chimney, a 360-meter concrete structure originally built in 1976 to disperse emissions from the Sava Valley. Reaching the top was far from straightforward.
“I struggled all night to find access, hide, and climb to complete this mission. I arrived just in time at the top for sunrise - it was truly an incredible moment.”
Alexis insisted we include a clear note here: this kind of activity is both illegal and extremely dangerous. It requires years of training and should not be reproduced.
If moments like these defined the highlights, the real weight of the journey came from accumulation. The repetition of effort. The lack of rest. The constant switching between cycling, hiking, and exploring. Some days pushed him to the edge of what felt sustainable.
“I think what was hardest was chaining together hikes, explorations, and cycling. For example, to explore the Buzludzha monument in Bulgaria, I arrived at 7 p.m. after cycling all day. I spent the evening with some French people I met nearby, went to bed at 2 a.m., and at 4 a.m. I set off to try climbing the monument. I succeeded — it was an incredible moment — and then I cycled another 100 km in extreme heat. That kind of night happened often, and it leaves a mark.”
Solitude was part of the journey, and not always an easy one to carry. It came in waves. Some days felt heavier than others, marked by distance from family and friends, by the quiet repetition of the road. But those moments never defined the whole experience. More often than not, Alexis found himself in a very different state — one where everything felt aligned, where the simplicity of moving forward each day brought a kind of clarity and satisfaction he hadn’t experienced before.
The contrast between these highs and lows became part of the rhythm, shaping the journey as much as the kilometers themselves. There’s a certain clarity in that contradiction. Exhaustion and happiness coexisting. Doubt and purpose running parallel.
In the end, Alexis’ journey didn’t stop at a summit, but in the middle of nowhere. In a vast salt lake in Turkey, far from any town, a moment of bad luck forced everything to change.
He had been cooking when he accidentally spilled boiling water from his stove onto his thigh, causing a second-degree burn. Alone and 15 kilometers away from the nearest house, the situation quickly became critical. Acting on instinct, he ran in search of water and, by chance, came across an isolated container with a shower inside. It was a brief moment of relief in an otherwise dire situation.
What followed felt almost improbable. While he was inside, trying to manage the pain, a car stopped nearby. The people inside agreed to help and drove him to the hospital. Despite initial treatment, the injury worsened over the following days, and the decision was eventually made to repatriate him to France. Just two weeks later, he was back in class.
It wasn’t the ending he had planned, and it took time to come to terms with it. But looking back, Alexis doesn’t frame it as a failure. What remains are the two months he spent on the road — intense, demanding, and, in his own way, complete.
There’s no dramatic ending here. No summit reached. Just a forced return. And yet, the meaning of the journey doesn’t seem diminished by it.
For Alexis, what remains goes beyond performance. It’s about perspective.
“I think adventure is very important for open-mindedness. During this kind of trip, you quickly realize that generosity and kindness are everywhere. In a broken world like ours, it feels good to see that. It also allows you to discover yourself, to understand your strengths and weaknesses. That’s something very important in everyday life.”
If someone feels stuck, Alexis doesn’t overcomplicate the answer. For him, it starts with movement. Not necessarily a radical change, but a deliberate step in the right direction. Action, he believes, is the only real way to shift a situation that feels stagnant. Staying still only reinforces the feeling of being trapped.
At the same time, he emphasizes the importance of stepping back. Creating distance from noise, expectations, and constant distraction. Taking time alone, disconnected, to better understand what isn’t working and where you actually want to go. Because without that clarity, movement risks becoming just another form of escape rather than a way forward.
And perhaps most importantly, he rejects the idea that adventure is reserved for a few:
“The message I’d like to share is that anyone can go on an adventure. It’s not reserved for an elite. You can leave with what you have, and most of the time, it’s cheaper than a vacation on the French Riviera. Adventure doesn’t have to mean traveling around the world - it can be a hike near your home.”
Today, Alexis is back to a quieter routine, finishing his studies. Life, on the surface, looks similar. But something has shifted underneath:
“My life now is much less exciting than during the trip. I’m finishing my studies, so not much has changed, except that I’m more determined to keep going in this direction and to take on more ambitious journeys. The main difference is that I train more than before.”
Because for him, this wasn’t an endpoint. Just a beginning.
“I’d now like to move towards solo expeditions, further away from civilization - in the jungle, the desert, the Arctic. I’m preparing for that, and I can’t wait.”
Connect with Alexis here: Instagram
© 2026 Grit & Dust (Ride, Explore, Sleep, Repeat) Photos © 2025 Alexis Ballot. All rights reserved. No part of this article or images may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission.