[slyfink]

Edited to add an intro:
Myself and 7 other buddies decided to do our annual bike-trip to Ecuador this year. One of the guys in the group had worked/volunteered there 15 years ago, and became friends with a local DH racer back in the day. They got in touch over the summer, a plan was devised, and David would become our tour guide for a week. He found lodging, a bus, a driver, a couple of other guides, and put together an itinerary for us. This was essentially an all-inclusive trip.

We flew in on three separate flights. I flew in through Dulles and Panama. I was amazed that my bike and suitcase made it with me given that I changed planes twice. Another group flew through Boston and Panama. Last group flew through Toronto and Houston. That group's luggage did not make it for two days...

Day 1 – Parque metropolitano

Acclimatization ride. The three guys in the group that didn’t receive their bikes had to hike. This is an urban park with lots of short descents (3-5 minutes tops) that you climb back up. Lots of fun, and probably good training if you live there and don’t have lots of time to do an epic ride.

 

[Pesqueeb]

 

[slyfink]

Day 2 – Pululahua

Still no bikes for the 3 unfortunate souls, but our guide scrounged together a few extra bikes for them. View from the top of the rim:

We descended double track down a volcanic crater rim. Taking a break on the road:

Then rode over to the cone, and down through “coluncas” (I think that’s what the guide called them – they’re hiking paths that have worn deep trenches into the ground. The walls can reach up to 10 feet high at certain points, but they’re narrow with lots of switchbacks. It’s like riding a 10 foot deep rut!). Very cool, but very challenging. I don't think we got photos of this since there was nowhere to stop. and it was too much fun to stop!

The colunca spit us out onto a lava-flow. This was kind of the opposite. Open lines, choose your own adventure type thing. Very cool. Top of the lava flow:

pushing back up for another run:

wild mountain orchids:

The crater is a protected park, but people still live there. We finished the ride with a beer at a small country store.

 

[slyfink]

Day 3 – Casitagua and Teleférico
Bikes arrived from Houston over night! Bike building:

We did two separate rides on this day: Casitagua volcano and the urban bike park i.e. Teleférico (gondola).

Casitagua

We shuttled most of the way, to 3400m. View after unloading the shuttle bus:

There was a fire-road bomb down, then up another road. At this altitude, that climb was a som'bitch. Catching our breath at before dropping in:

Then we rode deeeeep ruts down a crazy ridge. Railing ruts is an art. It left a few scars on my legs and a few bruises and swollen members on the other guys. I was happy to have knee and elbow pads… This photo doesn't do the rut justice, but we stopped to take pictures on the equator:

On the equator:

Teleférico

There is a gondola that leaves from town (3100m) and goes up to 4050m. Our guide said there were 4 trails, but we only had time to ride one.

It was raining at the top. And there were more ruts. I wound up off track and in the bushes at one point (went OTB into the bushes):

what are friends for?:

1 gondola ride up cost $4 USD. Still, an amazing trail. So good.
Views while on track:

 

[slyfink]

I'll finish posting tomorrow... gotta get the kids to scouts...

Here's a teaser of what's to come:

 

[slyfink]

Day 4 – Mindo

Sort-of rest day. Rode a massive double track descent through beautiful coastal rainforest, from Nono to Tandallapa.
Starting village (looks like the swiss Alps):

This is a full suspension bike route:

there was a shrine along the way. This was painted on the ceiling of a grotto, about 70 years ago:

lot's of rallying and rubbin'...

had to stop and sign autographs for the fans:

Then we visited Mindo, a small town that is a bird sanctuary. We rode out to a creek and went for a swim.
banana flowers:

Heliconia:

swimming spot:

Our guide knows a woodworker there, so we visited his workshop, and had fresh trout for lunch.

 

[slyfink]

Day 5 – Chimborazo

Big day. 4 hour bus ride from Quito, meaning an early start. We rode a trail called “hieleros”. The drive took us through the clouds –we started the ride above the clouds, and finished below. We started just below 5000m, and rode down to below 3000m. That’s a 6500’ descent. Pretty awesome. For me, this was the highlight of the trip. The top was open, windswept, with visibility of about 20’. Then we dropped through some steep, hardened lava flows. Then some wide open not quite double track section of black-dirt blasting. Hero dirt. Speeds we insanely high. I was able to stay on my guide’s tail, and the smallest lip (like popping off a tuft of grass), would send your airbourne for 10m! it was fantastic. Then we wound up riding through beautiful valleys and fields, where locals traditionally farm small plots. It made for a breathtaking ride. The end of the ride was riding footpaths the locals use to get to their plots. They were steep, deeply rutted (beyond axle high), and muddy as hell. We were also dodging mean ass dogs! It was like surfing down the mountain side. Had dinner a grill, and headed to our hacienda for the night.

Approaching Chimborazo:

riding with Vicunya:

picking our way throuh lava flows at 14,500'...

regrouping in the superfast, wide-open sections:

dropping into lower altitude valleys. this was jaw-droppingly beautiful:

hard to beat these views for lunch:

ready to rip the last section (these were the two guides for our guide):

more unbelievable views:

 

[slyfink]

Day 6 – Mama Rumi

With a 5000’ descent, this was the highlight of the trip. Well, it was supposed to be. I managed to crash and bruise my hand about 1/3 of the way down. Riding through the coluncas again, I came around a corner, and my foot hit a rock. I guess it pushed me off my line, my front wheel dropped into a hole, and I went OTB. I thought I’d broken my wrist at first.
This was taken about 4 days later:

This is a centuries-old trail, that was recently rediscovered and rehabilitated. There’s an annual DH race there, and lots of videos on-line… worth a search.

post-ride beers and dirty faces at the bottom:

My group did two runs: one for scoping and one to just rail it. I was bummed to miss run #2, but got to ride the bus and meet some locals: these kids ride the bus to school each day, an hour each way.

They are the children of subsistence farmers. They have cattle for milk (they make cheese for themselves), have some chickens, guinea pigs, and eat what they grow. As best I could make out, the only crops they sell are blackberries.
local produce:

 

[slyfink]

Day 7 – Rest day – Guaranda and Salinas de Bolivar
My forced rest day. As the boys went out for a ride, I jumped in a “camionetta” and headed to Salinas de Bolivar. The town is organized in coops, and they make cheese, salami, chocolate, and woven goods (llama and sheep). It was a neat little town, and it was cool to meet people and talk with them. I hopped in a camionetta to rejoin my group, but this one was more of a “collectivo”: people would hop in or out anywhere along the route. The 30 minute ride cost $1.

There's lots of walls in Ecuador. And so therefore there is lots of art on the walls:

llamas are part of daily life:

its was a rainy day, but laundry needs gettin' done no matter:

looks like the guys were havin' fun while I was tourin':

lots of wrought-iron gates:

buyin' llama knit-wear at the coop office:

my lift back into town:

travel companions:

town square (Guaranda - Plaza Bolivar):

 

[slyfink]

Day 8 – Cotopaxi

Couldn't pass on this opportunity. Felt good enough to ride. Mostly… I managed to hang on for most of it. The best part was definitely the beginning – bombing down volcanic scree slopes. The end of the ride was a long meandering saunter through a plain. The slow speed stuff hurt like hell, despite dropping sag to 35% and turning LSC all the way off. Still, it was beautiful. Drove 3 hours to get home, pack our shit and try and get some rest for the 3am wake up to get to the airport…
local fauna:

the unveiling is nigh:

thar she be!

unloading at 15,700':

taking a breather, letting my hand recover:

it's hard to capture how steep it is with a camera phone:

these canyons form when the volcano erupts and melts massive swaths of glacier. Otherwise known as Lahar :

flora:

Final little bit of steep before the flats:

flats were pretty spectacular though:

and we're done. Thank you Ecuador, it was fantastic getting to know you.

 

[slyfink]

Our accomodations:

We were 8 so we rented a narco-villa North of Quito for the whole time. It was awesome: 5 bedrooms, a pool, a pool table, a ping-pong table, hamacs. It was luxury.

But I think we spent more time chilling on the bus, on the way to and from our various rides. Sweet setup, and awesome driver. If anyone ever winds up going, and is in need of a driver, Hector is the real deal. Our guide didn’t know him before the trip, but said he was the best he’d ever worked with. I’d be happy to pass along his contact info if anyone’s interested.

Down South, we stayed in a hacienda for two nights. 3 bedrooms, each with a bunkbed, a loft, and a double. The living room with fireplace was spectacular.

dining area:

inside wood-fired oven:

and charcoal grill:

Parting shot: leaving Ecuador as the sun rose of the volcanos:

 

[Pesqueeb]

Meh.......

 

[CBJ]

Amazing. I have a friend there and really want to go.

 

[Dirtrider]

Not sure if you ever mentioned but...What made y’all choose an Equador bike trip?

 

[rideit]

Tee Hee...you said 'Swollen Members'

 

[slyfink]

Amazing. I have a friend there and really want to go.

You totally should. Especially if you know someone there. Unless you speak Spanish. Then you should go regardless. Even withiuw the world-class biking,it's a super cool place to visit.beautiful scenery, and chill people.

 

[slyfink]

Not sure if you ever mentioned but...What made y’all choose an Equador bike trip?

This might be a response for the pawn forum...but here goes anyways.

We do an annual bike trip. we usually go to the US or the west coast of Canada. This year we could only go in November, so Canada was off the table. And the political situation in the US right now is not very appealing... One of the guys had lived in Ecuador for a few months almost 20 years ago, and had a friend who is a former DH racer. So he pitched the idea to the group and we all agreed we were up for a little adventure.

 

[rockofullr]

the political situation in the US right now is not very appealing

lol wut?