2025 - in pictures

Words and photos Rupert Hartley

I wrote last year that this moment gives me pause to show how much, or little, I have been out and about with a camera. When Albion started, our entire visual output was me. I see it as a great progress map that that is less and less the case. More than ever I see the great positivity in how Albion’s visual journey gets documented all around the world by others too. And makes me all the more enjoy where I can contribute. Part brand story, part personal visual diary, here are a few things I have enjoyed this year.

I’ve really come to appreciate the importance of place to an individual, and their connection to it. From last year, and continuing this, I like to be able to join up the dots of placing people in their ‘home’ environments. Whether that is visiting an ambassador at home, or riding someone’s event they have put on - I have learned how deeply connected to our own environments we are, and getting to see a bit of that in different people is something I take inspiration from.

I went to the Canaries in April with George and Zoe.

Our plan was to visit two islands, and take a ferry between. Tenerife and La Gomera are only an hour apart, but the landscape and climate is so different. The rugged earthy tones and pine trees of Tenerife and Mount Tiede give way to the humid, verdant roads, tracks and palms of La Gomera so quickly. The jeopardy of taking a ferry across in the morning to La Gomera, completing a loop and making it back for the return ferry adds to this. Aggressive sea sickness for everyone on the ferry over was a bad start. Mercifully the crossing back was far calmer.

Doing these trips, real adventure, big or small, are really important to me.

Molly Weaver broke the long standing record for the fastest circumnavigation of Great Britain by bike in July. 21 days, 10 hours, and 48 minutes for 7730km. It was an inspiring undertaking, and I was lucky enough to see her finish, back where she’d started, at Tower Bridge. I felt slightly fraudulent being handed one of her ‘team’ t-shirts to wear, given the incredible work her support crew had given her but I was really pleased these pictures gained a lot of publicity for her amazing achievement online afterwards.

In September I visited Marin de Saint-Exupéry at his home in Switzerland. The seasons were changing, as was lots in Marin’s life since I last visited. He had ridden across the world in 2024, to Kyrgystan, via all three of the Mountain Races, before riding home again after finishing the Silk Road Mountain Race. 2025 would be Marin’s ‘last’ year racing, as he sought other ways to enjoy his time outside, and adventures. I always enjoy spending time with Marin, and riding close to his home, and sharing an overnighter in the mountains was a real treat. Whatever comes next for Marin, you know he’ll approach it with his usual quietly inspirational attitude.

We arrived up at the ‘shelter’ spot having ridden up through the clouds with rumbling thunder getting closer. Getting to pick Marin’s brains about how and when to feel threatened by the thunder and lightning in the mountains was comforting for my own upcoming adventures. Mercifully when we arrived, a group of walkers had already lit the fire.

I went straight from Switzerland, by train to visit Marei Moldenhuaer, to spend a couple of days at her home on the edge of the Black Forest in Freiburg.

I joined her on a ride up to a favourite training spot of hers. I recently listened to Mel Webb’s excellent podcast episode with Chris Burkard, who described needing to love your training as a tool for success. I really got that sense from Marei - the mountains and forests around her home clearly mean a lot to her, and makes her relish her training.

Beautiful early autumn riding with views to the Alps in the south was a great way to end this trip.

In August I went north to ride Albion ambassador Rich Rothwell’s event, The Land Between. This beautiful (tough) 515km route is a wonderful insight into the amazing knowledge, and love for his native Northumberland Rich has. Exploring the north east coast, as well as dipping into Scotland, was a varied and rugged dive into a part of the world I don’t know well. I’d chosen to ride with a film camera a little more this year. I had 11 pictures left on the roll, which I thought might help my riding efficiency, not having the option to stop loads and take pictures. I had originally planned this as a bit of a shakedown before I went to the Pyrenees, but as always, these things end up being cherished memories all of their own, and I know to see them as that.

Low cloud hanging over the fields as the morning light came up. I’d taken a 20min power nap by the side of the road just before it got light as I could hardly keep my eyes open.

Some film scans from the Trans Pyrenees. This had been my ‘big’ goal for the year, and for it to end near the Andorran border with a scratch on the 4th day was a great disappointment. However, getting to enjoy 3 days touring back along the Pyrennean Raid was an amazing experience - and with lessons learned, it’s something I wouldn’t change. The first picture is from the ‘hike’ I did over the Viehla Tunnel. A brutal experience I’ll never forget. Losing my passport, and then walking back down the hill and finding it again was probably my final slice of ‘luck’. What a beautiful part of the world.

‘Enjoying’ a bit of sector 2 alongside Joost and Adam. Any of these events/races I do, I’m always left with a series of human interactions that will never be forgotten. Sharing a few laughs here and there with fellow racers is always great.

The challenge and pleasure of using film is that it feels more precious. I’m more picky about what I photograph. It all costs money. It isn’t instant. I can’t double check if I got a good exposure. The time that passes between taking photographs and seeing them developed makes the whole thing come back to life again. That is something I have more interest in these days. I don’t want instant, and I don’t want perfect.