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…
INTO ECUADOR!! Yes I’ve finally left Colombia. During my final three days of my 180 day Colombian visa I managed to climb the awesome Volcano Azufral (4070metres) … Under a bit of time pressure and after a couple of weeks of late night dancing in Cali it felt quite hard!
To enjoy Cali fully, it helps to know a bit of salsa so I cut straight to a few private lessons (scroll down for locations); then each night was spent practicing in the bars. Initially, a few awkward dances took place. This is the same for any new skill, I thought to myself, as I forced myself to approach the Colombian bellezas. We must battle through the small failures; small losses for future large gains. Soon I had enough to get by.
In this episode:
– Destruction of Colombia’s incredibly diverse and beautiful environment for the sake of money that I’m told only a handful of people seem to benefit from;
– Epic scenic winding mountain route with steep drop-offs famous amongst Colombian touring cyclists and the people of the south;
– A poor night’s sleep in an abandoned room with a strong odour of urine and loud trucks passing by all night within 15 feet of my head;
It seems that we are raised in the Western world to believe everything we do should be done as fast as possible. But for what exactly? More is not necessarily better.
I was about to leave and the owner of the camping area mentioned to me the possibility of a three to four day hike to Laguna de Magdalena (the source of Rio Magdalena that runs the whole country). It is situated high up in the páramo. The idea of missing out on this spectacular landscape got to me when I was already 2 kilometers out of town.
Huila – The Kindest People in Colombia … and that’s a bold statement in a country that seems for the most part, to be full of love and friendliness. Until I reached San Agustín 10 days later I was offered a bed in someone’s house virtually every night. Sometimes before they’d even spoken to me….
The adventures with Javier continued in full force after the first stretch from Bogota through mountains, lakes and deserts. (Rowing into the night in a canoe on the rather large Lake Prado searching for a camp spot on the jagged and rocky shoreline (unsuccessfully), the insects were of biblical proportions.) This is part II…