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Thread: Biking in Peru
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11-28-2017, 02:22 PM #1
Biking in Peru
Got our shoulder season trip by going on a biking trip to Peru. I've known about the possibilities there for a long time but never found the time to get to it. Our guide was Holy Trails MTB Peru.
First day was Morro Solar - Good way to stretch legs in Peru with a few climbs then some downhill in El Morro Solar in Lima. It's one of those rare beasts; sanctioned downhill in the middle of a large urban area. Pablo Lavinas who was out of commission due to a bike injury kindly drove us up On the downhill track there is a memorial to Eguz - a 22 year old fanatical biker who messed himself quite badly in another crash at another local spot. Eguz shouldn't even have been biking but couldn't keep off two wheels and was killed in a minor crash at Morro Solar.
Diego Pacifico Sarmiento, Pablo, and many others in the Holy Trails MTB Peru gang collaborate to build and maintain DH trails in the Lima area. Diego actually quarterbacked a UCI-sanctioned track in the area. Quite progressive of Lima to allow such a build
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11-28-2017, 02:26 PM #2
Next was Pachacamac; a suburb of Lima. It's an amalgam of cement plant owned industrial land with archaeological artifacts. The slopes will eventually be ground into quaŕrries and hopefully the locals will be able to find a compromise so some trails can stay as it's unusual to find such a well-developed, maintained and dense collection of trails relatively close to urban areas anywhere in the world.
We did four laps on the slopes around Pachacamac to the S side of the main cement mix access plant. Shuttle access is via gravel industrial roads where the Cement Mix Plant has roads that can be driven by public. These particular trails were used by both shuttlers and people who rode them uphill. We then did a lap in the "Amancaes Bike Park" a collection of purpose built downhill trails circa early to mid 2000s worked on by Peruvian DHers with tables, berms, jumps and tech-gnar. Then finished off with a ride down "Terrorista" named as such because Sendero Luminoso guerillas hid in the area towards the end of their insurrection
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11-28-2017, 02:29 PM #3
Then we headed off to Olleros - a neighbouring town on the Andean foothills
The Olleros full pull from the Sierra Andean foothills to Playa Negra at San Bartolo just S of Lima is a 3415m downhill. Be advised that the last 30 kms or so is a relatively gentle riverbed ride to ocean. It's entirely possible for motivated groups to do a couple of the downhill sections to the riverbed where the downhill effectively ends at approx 1000m above sea level then complete the full-pull. The downhills are fun, fast, rowdy-in-spots and can be loose. Watch for cactus!
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11-28-2017, 03:06 PM #4
Fun looking trails, pretty cool how accessible and close to big centres they are. Looks like it was pretty warm there in the fall/spring as well?
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11-28-2017, 03:16 PM #5
Nice shots! Looks like some fun riding. I've only ever been in Lima one time and that was transferring flights on my way home from Santiago in 1990. Two hours after we left the airport, it was shelled by the Shining Path. Glad we got out of there and that made me reluctant to think of going to Peru ever again, although I know it's now much different than then. Looks like the biking is pretty nice.
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11-28-2017, 03:56 PM #6Registered User
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11,000 foot descent? FKNA yeah!
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11-29-2017, 02:28 PM #7Banned
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Your life continues to suck, Mr Lau.
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11-29-2017, 03:56 PM #8
Nice work. I got to do a few days riding in sacred valley years ago. Big descents!
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11-29-2017, 04:35 PM #9
Radness, thanks for posting.
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11-29-2017, 05:58 PM #10Registered User
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pretty awesome!
how much of that big ride (until the creek bed) was singletrack verses doubletrack verses roads?
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11-29-2017, 07:52 PM #11
10-15 at night in the Sacred Valley. 20 - 25 during the day. But it can drop to freezing at the 4500m passes so keep your wits about you
It's so so much different now - but you already know that. They're doing a lot better. Still a pile of corruption but the people work hard and work through it
There's 1500m descents everywhere - then repeat and repeat
Truly surprised how inexpensive it was all things considered. 10 days of biking and everything taken cared of for approx 1700 pp
I'd say about 80%. It used to be 90% until they widened the road to Olleros. So still about 2400m of singletrack descending. Get about 2 laps of that pretty easy
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11-30-2017, 08:22 AM #12Banned
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Conozco, amigo. Pero no soy un pajaro. Estoy contento para ti y Sharon.
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11-30-2017, 02:20 PM #13
Cool stuff... Thanks for sharing!
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11-30-2017, 03:46 PM #14Registered User
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seems like you saved some dough by using this local company compared to other ones. I'd like to do a trip exactly like this, big descents, shuttles, etc. Do you know which times of the year are optimal weather wise?
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11-30-2017, 10:00 PM #15
You'd have to look at weather windows. I know Sept Oct are still dry season. Nov is beginning to get wetter but I like travelling in November as its just before ski season so kind of the last hurrah. I know April May can be good in Lima and Cusco. Not sure about wet season in the north or Huaraz
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11-30-2017, 10:10 PM #16
PataLares is the name given by Hans to the rides encompassing the high pamero / puna in the Patacancha highlands then valley descending the N side of Pumawank'a from the Chalhua Cocha pass. Via this route we got amazing views of Sahuaisiray and Sirijuani then took parts of the Wakawasi trail to Lares ducking out on partway on the road as a member of the party was feeling altitude sickness.
We then transferred from Lares up the insane paved road past Pampascorral and Morras with its Sahuaisiray glacierview at 3850m marvelling at how the glacier had carved up the mountain. The final pass at Abra Lares was flanked by Chhullunkunayuq and an un-named peak and was cold. Then we descended via Lares to Tortora finishing at Machacancha
The first leg was 4100m to 3100m The second leg was 4460m at abra lares to 3300m
Back to cosy lodging at Villa Urubamba in plenty of time for dinner and sunset on the mountains
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11-30-2017, 10:17 PM #17
Another run on Lares then two on Lamay. 1400m + 600m + 1100m - all via vehicle shuttle.
Call it moto-served alpine riding with liberal amounts of Inca ruins and steps and lots of sheer cliff dropoffs. Acceptably satisfying
Lares run
Lamay runs
Last edited by LeeLau; 12-14-2017 at 11:43 PM.
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11-30-2017, 10:22 PM #18
Awesome TR. Thanks.
However many are in a shit ton.
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12-04-2017, 01:00 PM #19
Deserves a bump. Sick trip!
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12-05-2017, 12:37 PM #20
Just a half-day for us so we could play tourist a bit and rest a tad before doing the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu hike.
Descent from Misminay at 3885m to Tarabamba at 3000m. Unfortunately part of the trail has been taken out by a new road but there's lot of natural berms and playfulness in what is left. Also saw an old Incan agricultural laboratory at Moray and the salt ponds at Maras (3175m). The salt rises from ocean and through tectonic pressure is extruded through geological strata to this elevation and is incredibly concentrated and pure
The revenue from the salt pans gives a lot of money to the community and draws lots of tourism.
Then we went to the Mercado Urubamba. When we were little kids in Malaysia we would always follow Mum around for food shopping. She knew all the shopkeepers. The sights and sounds were always so interesting.
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12-06-2017, 09:57 PM #21
Even more #blessed then one can imagine in real life. On a trip to hike the Inca Trail from Chachabamba via Winaywayna and Intipunku to Machu Picchu organized via Peru Outdoor Experiences Sidenote- Inca Trails specifically the Runaniang are steep! And maybe not llama-friendly. Got lucky and avoided crowds!
Much thanks to Willy Altamirano for showing us around and humouring my yoga poses. And yes there really is a #machupicchuyoga hashtag
Inca trail
A deserted Winay Wayna
Intipunku (the Sun Gate)
The alarmingly majestic Inca Bridge
Machu Picchu
The rather underrated town of Aguas Caliente
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12-06-2017, 10:08 PM #22
one of my favorite places on the planet. loved aguascalientes, too. great tr.
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12-08-2017, 04:06 PM #23
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12-09-2017, 02:54 AM #24
Dude. Wow.
I was out there in 2009. Hiked a few of those areas. Doing it on bike is winning. Thanks for sharing. Obviously I need to return.
Sent from my SM-G950U using TGR Forums mobile app
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12-11-2017, 11:45 AM #25Registered User
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Looks so different (rainy and no crowds) than when I was there last summer. Agreed about Aguas Caliente - amazing town where it seems time stops. I hiked to the sun gate to escape the crowds, but am now wishing I'd checked out the Inca Bridge. Thanks for the TR and the memories!
- Joe
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