6-28-2023 Ecuador Ingapirca Ruins

A little bit of a climb out of Alausi.  We pass the viewing place of “Nariz del Diablo”.  Highway riding brings us to Chunchi where we feast on ice cream.  We run into again a couple from French Canada.

Riding the highway we met a British couple traveling on a tandem bike.  They told us the French Canadians were a half hour ahead.  They were an hour ahead when we continued on to El Tambo.

From El Tambo we head to Ingapirca.  In Ingapirca we head to ruins and must wait for a tour.  Much of the ruins are foundation walls with the citadel being the highlight.  Then finally back on dirt roads for a while.  There is a truck blocking the road and a pig that must be loaded before we can continue.  I decide to help move things along.  Then we have a nice drop into Biblian.  The hotel we chose has weights being dropped all night long floors below.

Love and kisses

Steve

 

Ecuador 6-22-2023

After two nights in Riobamba and good eating we move on to Guamote.  It is a long day with a bit of a climb in the middle.  We spend two nights there to catch the local Thursday indigenous market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short cut the picture makes it look easy

We have a fairly easy ride up to Alausi.  Then we find out about the road blocks we past.  A major mudslide took out the road and section of town in March this year.  This killed many resident and some are still buried in the slide.  With the option of going miles back around we choose the step footpath straight down the mountainside.  It is challenging taking the fully loaded bikes down.

Alausi is the endpoint for the train going up the devils nose.  Covid stopped the train and no one knows when it will start again.  The town is hurting and we get a great hotel mostly to ourselves and hardly anyone else staying.  We spend a number of days here as we will arrive well before our mule arriving in Cuenca.  Yes we are needing stuff shipped in to Ecuador.

Love and Kisses

Steve

 

Mud slide that remove the road and part of the town

 

Ecuador 6-18-2023 Chmborazo

We have a long ride down to the village of Angamarca.  Then we climb a steep hill up from the river.  We find a nice camp in some trees on the ridge.

 

Riding up and down across the high hills   Much logging in the area with most wood chain sawed to meter size boards and I am thinking that is only good for pallets.  Finally find a camp spot on a ridge above some homes.

 

In the morning we ride down a road being work on with fresh mounds of dirt and rock with a road grader slowly trying to turn it back into a road.  In Simlatug we try to find a few provisions.  There is another climb out of the valley with a not to bad grade. Back to over 13000ft to camp in great spot in the trees.

Chmborazo

Vicuñas

The head wind is strong and makes the ride more chalanging to over 14000ft.  We continue to work our way around Chmborazo.  There are lots of Vicuñas around the volcano.  When we get to entrance a 3:00 the park is already closed.  Another day we will ride to 16000 ft.  Going down there is off road bike trail.  This gives us a good camping spot.

Vicuñas and Chmborazo in the background

Some other bikepacker

Off road riding down the mountain.  We see another bikepacker camping below us.  The route wanders back roads further around the base of Chmborazo.  Then we coast into Riobamba

Love and Kisses

Steve