Huascaran Loop the loop

We’ve arrived in Huaraz, the heart of adventure in Peru. Nobody seemed to show up in this town without sampling a day hike or multiday hikes and climbing on offer. Bike travelers are not get out of place here, there are tons of bike routes too. Beware though as most of it calls for lung-exploding…

Have Gear, Will Purge.

We’ve skipped a ton of dirt roads;-( in Northern Peru in hopes of arriving in Huaraz just in time to stash the bikes, take the crazy 30-hour bus ride to Cusco(Yikes!) and meet Dang’s family, a.k.a. gear mules. Incidentally, that calls for another round of gear purging, reevaluating what else can we get rid off,…

Towards the fun!: La Balsa to Huaraz

Entry stamps done and so the countdown starts. Six months is all we’ve got to explore Peru. I looked in the map, which Dang has been carrying since I don’t know when, she prefers to have a real map of her own and not just follow my ass. I see a massive landmass comprised of…

Peru at long last: Cuenca to the border

We have a group now, and a big one at that. I’m only half-surprised so many cyclists end up gathering in one roof in Cuenca. It’s a hub for cyclists heading south afterall. I’ve been lucky enough to ride with numerous tourers in the past but our rag tag bunch, all dirt road enthusiasts, seems…

Avenue of the Volcanoes: Part two

Our cool(literally) ride along the Avenida de Los Volcanes already feel like the highlight of our Ecuadorian bike odyssey. The enigmatic parámo that shines bright gold under the sun makes a perfect background to the snow-capped conical volcanoes that break the horizon. I’m trying to curb my temptation still to head straight to Peru now….

Onwards to Cuenca

All those time in rural Ecuador and I’m already antsy to make it to Cuenca, the second largest city in Ecuador. My yearn for good coffee and I’ve heard numerous times Cuenca being the more chillax and laid back cousin of Quito made me excited to make it there soon. I know it seems odd…

Cotopaxi Eastside: Bikepacking the Trans-Ecuador Mountain Bike Route Part 2

For those who are wondering what’s the Trans-Ecuador Mountain Bike route is all about, it’s a dirt route that transects almost all of Ecuador from north to south. It was created by Cass Gilbert of whileoutriding.com fame and the Dammer brothers, Ecuadorians, guides/bikepackers/climbers and first and foremost farmers. They were nice enough to share the…

Cotopaxi Eastside: Bikepacking the Trans-Ecuador Mountain Bike Route Part 1

I’ve been looking forward to meet the Ellises, bikepackers from Alaska, since they landed in Colombia. But they ride past the country while we, as expected, went west to east and back again. Eventually, we did go south but not until after renewing our visa and realizing we’re still halfway to the Ecuadorian border. A…

Loving the cobblestones: Otavalo to Quito

Gone are the throngs of tourists coming straight from Quito to get a glimpse of that Saturday market. As expected Otavalo transforms back to its more tranquil state. We left too but not after a brief bout with some mysterious stomach bug. I guess it’s nature’s reminder as we were a bit careless with our…

Hasta Luego Colombia, Hola Ecuador. Ultimo ves en Mundo de Frailejones: Pasto to Otavalo

We finally bid farewell to Colombia, our first South American country. Believe me it was difficult. Four and a half months is not enough but sadly we have move south. Entering a new country masks our sinking feeling because of excitement and apprehension. We’re getting accustomed to the Colombian way and now we’ll adjust to…

Desert Solitaire: Ibague to San Agustin

A ride along the flatland of Colombia.

Group of four: Salento – Ibague

It might all be pavement from here until Mocoa, somewhere south near the Colombia-Ecuador border. Luckily, we found some riding buddies for the next chapter of our ride. Some amigos are a nice welcome addition to make for a fun ride and take the edge off the anticipated boredom that pavement brings. Plus we are…

Adios bad coffee! Manizales to Salento

Salento hike and Colombian coffee tour

Los Nevados:Villa de Leyva to Manizales

Freezing rain and numb digits in Los Nevados

High-altitude Overload: El Cocuy to Belen

High-altitude bliss in Boyaca

Hiking El Cocuy National Park

El Cocuy – Alto de la Cueva – Hacienda La Esperanza – Laguna Sierra de la Grande – Alto Bellavista – Hacienda La Esperanza – Guican – El Cocuy We spent several days in El Cocuy, the town, planning the logistics of hiking the whole loop in the park. It is illegal to hike the…