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Volcano 32
Holland Herald
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velo
When you cycle Ecuador’s smouldering Andean peaks, the biggest highs come on the way down WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: DANIEL ALLEN
The snowcapped peak of Mount Cotopaxi INSET In full downhill flow Holland Herald
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LEFT A 4WD offers some respite from time in the saddle. ABOVE AND TOP RIGHT The area is sparsely populated, but local villagers give a warm welcome to travellers BOTTOM RIGHT On the plain, between descents
“No, but seriously,” says amiable Dutchman Jan
Lescrauwaet, as he breaks off from a stream of travel tales, “please don’t apply the front brake before the back one. I’ve seen people go straight over the handlebars at 60 kilometres per hour and it’s not pretty. Anyone who’s left-handed or used to driving in England should pay special attention.” At nearly 4,500m up, the wind scouring the sides of Mount Cotopaxi, Ecuador’s highest active volcano, is strong, cold and laden with grit. The team of riders take shelter behind Jan’s four-wheel drive as they don helmets and gloves. Above them, the fast-moving cloud periodically breaks to reveal the mountain’s conical, snowclad peak, topping out at over 5,800m. For many in the group, it’s the highest they’ve ever been. “There’s no better place than Ecuador to go downhill biking,” enthuses Lescrauwaet, who founded the country’s first mountain
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biking outfit – the Biking Dutchman – more than 20 years ago. “I mean, you’ve got one of the highest densities of volcanoes here in the world. Most of these peaks are either dormant or extinct, so it’s not as if you’re going to be pedalling through geysers or trying to escape lava flows.”
While a downhill bike ride on Cotopaxi starts at high
altitude, there’s barely time to suffer the ill effects of soroche (altitude sickness). After an hour’s drive from Quito and quick pit stop at the Cotopaxi National Park entrance, cycles, riders and guides are soon assembled, kitted out and briefed for a full day in the saddle. A quick mugful of steaming ginger tea and the motley collection of daredevils are ready for the ride of their lives. From start to finish, Jan’s tour involves a 2,400m drop over just 30km. Pack leaders are soon hurtling down a steep and heavily rutted road of volcanic rock, throwing up plumes of
RIGHT A snippet of street life FAR RIGHT TEverro tecea volor re planda saectas que consed maiore, nonsectate vel et elique volorei
“If not for the wild horses grazing in the volcano’s
”
shadow, you could almost be cycling on the moon
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ABOVE AND FAR LEFT Zumbahua and its market are rarely seen by tourists ABOVE RIGHT See box, right
dust as they negotiate hairpin turns. The more cautious peloton is soon strung out behind, as riders familiarise themselves with the vagaries of bikes and terrain. On days when the weather is good, the scenery on Cotopaxi is majestic. Snowy fields shine bright as they contrast with the mountain’s rust-coloured flanks. The air is cold, thin and lightly fragranced with the smell of alpine flowers. At high speed, lava canyons and patches of scrubby grassland fly past, while serrated peaks and desiccated páramo (high-altitude tundra) plains stretch toward the horizon. If it weren’t for the wild horses grazing in the volcano’s shadow, you could almost be cycling on the moon. This isn’t Cotopaxi’s only lunar connection. “A sacred Andean peak, this is Ecuador’s most famous volcano,” explains Quitobased tour guide Analia Arrata. “In the indigenous Kichwa language, Cotopaxi means ‘neck of the moon’. Every so often, a full moon will rise behind the mountain and look as though it is resting right on the snow cap.”
The starting section of a Cotopaxi descent is by far the
steepest and most exhilarating. Even those suffering the lingering effects of sleep deprivation will soon find their senses sharpened by adrenaline. “Lean your weight backwards, especially on the steeper sections,” advises Lescrauwaet. “A lot of people start out
Full steam ahead After more than four years of renovation, Ecuador’s spectacular capital-to-coast railway line reopened earlier this year. The ambitious project sees luxury tourist trains running from Quito, high up in the Andes, all the way to lowland Guayaquil on the Pacific. The 450-kilometre route passes below volcanic giants such as Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, reaching elevations as high as 3,600m. Tackling the famous Nariz del Diablo (Devil’s Nose), the train has to negotiate a dramatic series of switchbacks, while other highlights include indigenous markets and rose plantations. The train is pulled by steam locomotive for part of the journey. See trenecuador.com/crucero.
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TR AVEL ECUADOR BELOW AND LEFT Outside Quito, the scenery very quickly gives way to rolling fields and pristine nature
“There is fried pig skin, roast guinea pig, flagons of
”
chicha alcohol, and live llamas are $40
riding the brakes, but quickly let themselves go as they lose the fear.” Gravity does the rest. But Cotopaxi riders will eventually find themselves engaging in a spot of pedalling. With the terrain flattening out, most routes head off-road and across the páramo. Lava fields give way to grassy meadows studded with delicate flowers, and the volcano’s snowy peak is reflected in Lake Limpiopungo’s shallow waters. By the time lunch arrives, riders have invariably worked up a healthy appetite. More sweet ginger tea and carbohydrates are perfect for recharging the batteries, while the chocolate brownie box empties rapidly. “People come a long way for these brownies,” says
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Lescrauwaet. “My wife makes them from an old Dutch recipe. When I’m too old for this we’ll sell the bikes and open a bakery.”
The Ecuadorean environment is as diverse as its
people and culture. From the elevated Andean passes to steamy jungle trails and Old Quito’s cobbled streets, there’s plenty to experience. “Flying down mountains with only two wheels between you and the earth is becoming an increasingly popular way to spend a day or two in Ecuador,” says Dominic Hamilton of touring firm Metropolitan. “This country offers some awesome rides, plunging down mountains to the plains below. But Ecuador bike tours offer
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Head in the clouds Small in size, Ecuador’s cloud forests contain approximately 16% of the world’s plant species, and nearly 20% of its bird diversity. While Ecuador as a whole covers only 1.6% of South America, it is home to almost 50% of the continent’s bird species. A three-hour drive from Quito, the spectacularly isolated yet luxurious Mashpi Lodge sits at the centre of a 3,000-acre cloud forest reserve in the Mindo region. The area is home to pumas, kinkajous, hundreds of amphibian and reptile species, thousands of insect and arachnid species, and more than 500 species of birds, including some spectacular colibri (hummingbird). See mashpilodge.com.
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more sedate pleasures too, from stopping at highland villages and indigenous markets to camping in the wilds or staying at humble hosterías.” Outside Quito, but still within sight of Cotopaxi’s snowy summit, the Latacunga to Quilotoa route is another Ecuadorean highlight. It follows winding mountain roads that connect Cotopaxi, the twin volcanic peaks of Ilinizas, Lake Quilotoa, and several colourful villages.
Remote Quilotoa is the most westerly volcano in the
Ecuadorean Andes. On bright days, dissolved minerals give a turquoise hue to its water-filled crater, and it’s frequently possible to hitch a llama ride right down to the water’s edge. From Quilotoa village, perched beside the crater lip, it’s a short downhill ride to one of the route’s highlights – the weekly market at Zumbahua. Fried pig skin. Spit-roasted guinea pigs. Sheep’s heads.
Chicken’s claws. Flagons of chicha alcohol for less than a dollar. Live llamas (only $40). Zumbahua’s bustling bazaar is a feast of sights and smells. Surrounded by hills and low peaks covered with a patchwork of crops, this Saturday market draws crowds of locals from miles around. “Zumbahua isn’t a touristy market at all,” explains Analia Arrata. “This area is still quite off the beaten track, which means this is a truly authentic experience. Leave your bike on the outskirts of the village and just wander through the crowds and stalls. Don’t be surprised if people are a little shy at first – they don’t get to see many gringos!” “You know, before I came here I wasn’t sure about cycling around Ecuador,” says Brazilian Janaina Andrade, at the end of a three-day Biking Dutchman tour of Cotopaxi and Quilotoa. “For me, biking is usually something you do when the car breaks down. But this time the bike’s been part of the pleasure. Maybe I’ll even go crazy and try some uphill stuff next time.”
Ecuador South America
hotel, with rooms off two large
N
courtyards and great food. Quito
Bike tours
Cotopaxi
A range of Quito-based tour companies offer support
Chimborazo
vehicles, guides and highquality cycling equipment
Guayaguil
for biking Cotopaxi. These
GETTING THERE
companies drive cyclists to
KLM operates seven non-stop
the park, where they begin
flights a week to Quito Mariscal
the descent from 4,500m.
Sucre Airport from Amsterdam
Farther from Quito, mountain
Ecuador
Airport Schiphol.
QUITO ACCOMMODATION Casa Gangotena
biking down Chimborazo, an
that include Chimborazo,
(casagangotena.com) is a
extinct volcano and Ecuador’s
Cotopaxi, the hot springs at
recently opened luxury hotel
highest mountain (6,310m), is
Papallacta and the Latacunga-
on one of Old Quito’s most
also a favourite with visiting
Quilotoa loop. Try Biking
beautiful plazas. Hotel Patio
cyclists. Many tour operators
Dutchman (bikingdutchman.
Andaluz (hotelpatioandaluz.
offer one-day tours down
com) or Metropolitan Touring
com) is a beautiful Old Quito
Chimborazo or multi-day tours
(metropolitan-touring.com).
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Map: Allan Grotjohann. This map is for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered authoritative.
Ecuador fact file
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adv Holland Herald
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