Islands, Mountains and Everything In Between

Words and Photography by Alexandra Pace

MALLE CANYON DUNE CLIMB, PORTUGAL. SHOT ON LEICA M6 AND ILFORD HP5

“You see things vacationing on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.

On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming. That concrete whizzing by five inches below your foot is the real thing, the same stuff you walk on, it’s right there, so blurred you can’t focus on it, yet you can put your foot down and touch it anytime, and the whole thing, the whole experience, is never removed from immediate consciousness.”

Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Traveling by motorcycle is like nothing else. There is something inexplicably tangible and visceral about being so immersed in your surroundings. You feel the landscape moving around you, beneath you; the smells and temperature are inescapable. It’s as exhilarating as it is exhausting. Add a dose of fear that something can go wrong at any second with no cage to protect you and you have a formula for an adventure like no other.

Just one day can take you from riding along the precipice of a mountain pass to propelling your body in excess of 130km/h across a motorway for hours to get to your destination before the weather horribly turns.

I remember my first mountain pass ride vividly. Although I had done it before in a car, nothing could have prepared me for climbing those steep switchbacks on a 250kg motorcycle. It was Stelvio, the mother of all passes, and I was riding in a 2500km, six-day rally across six countries that crossed the entirety of the Alps before reaching the finish line in Monaco. Cutting your teeth on Stelvio is not for the faint-hearted, especially when your experience amounts to a handful of years riding on two islands – namely Malta and Sicily. But once it’s done, there’s no going back. Or rather, there’s lots of going back for more adrenaline.

“There is something inexplicably tangible and visceral about being so immersed in your surroundings. It’s as exhilarating as it is exhausting.”

Discovering each new mountain pass is like making a new friend, each with its own flow, challenges and personality. Some leave an indelible mark that keeps you coming back, others become just a fleeting encounter. And then there are islands which come with their own momentum and road ethic, like the humbling landscapes of Scotland or the distinctive nature of each Canary Island. I’ve only just scratched the surface, and the possibilities are endless.

There’s also an unmatched camaraderie, whether it’s your significant other on the motorcycle in your rearview mirror or 100 strangers on a rally. Taking care of each other is the number one priority, and it’s non-negotiable, creating bonds for life.

While photography has been a constant throughout most of my adult life, I am a late starter to motorcycle culture and to seeing the world on two wheels. I see a seamless blend across the work I’ve created, irrespective of how I got there.

@alexandrapace__