Realising I’d be timing Peru perfectly for the raining season I decided to ‘put the brakes on’ and explore more of Ecuador. Passing by its beautiful volcanoes on the way down had sown a seed in my mind that was hard to shake off. Here is a video of my experience climbing these mountains, a written account…
Are you using your time and resources effectively to have the highest possible positive social impact during your time on Earth? How you allocate your time and money may not just result in a fractional change in your effectiveness. It could change your impact (for better or worse) by a factor of thousands. We must take a step back…
With its lower altitudes this may not win the award for being the most dramatic section of the TEMBR but it is still a fun ride and a good way to get down to Peru… I made the mistake of deviating from the main route on the penultimate day onto a rather gnarly horse track…
This section included a deviation from the TEMBR for further exploration of the old abandoned Ecuadorian railway line that passes through most of the country.
Snaking through three classic giant volcanoes, this is an undeniable highlight on the Trans Ecuador and not to be missed. My particular experience involved exhilarating and nervous moments passing through closed Cotopaxi volcano National Park; enduring hailstorms, fording streams and hiking through mud on the north side of Ecuador’s highest peak Chimborazo
After crossing several fields, running low on water, negotiating a massive wall and locked gate, a few days with an upset tummy (again) and passing through several tunnels on a old scenic railway I found myself at the Dammer farm for some much needed rest. Another spectacular section on the Dammer / Gilbert route.
The Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route weaves together a series of backcountry, low traffic dirt roads through Ecuador’s volcanic corridor by which to cross the entire country…
Bus rides across Colombia are undoubtedly long and tedious… However, it was a necessary evil if I was going to be able cycle traverse a high altitude volcano on a prohibited mountain pass with Cass Gilbert…
After finally stamping out of Costa Rica for the third time it was time to cross back over the Divide. A back route alternative was hard to find. I was told of a hiking route but no biking route; that’s not to say there isn’t one. Huge areas of wilderness in Panama seem to be…
Discovering La Ruta de los Conquistadores greatly enhanced my experience in Costa Rica. After the ride up Volcano Irazu and around Volcano Turrialba (more here), the final section from Siquirres to Limón follows an interesting route along a semi-used railway track for 60 or so kilometres. Part of it is dirt road that runs along…