Miles Of Mountain Magic

This weekday outing was a challenging high country ride on logging roads in the Sierra Norte which varied in elevation between 2750 and 3050 meters (9,000 to 10,000 feet). After a 90 minute shuttle ride from Oaxaca on the newly paved road to Guacamaya, the group of biking buddies set out to conquer a series of long climbs and thrilling descents threading through dense evergreen forests between Guacamaya and the ecotourism camp at La Cumbre Ixtepeji. Several logging crews were encountered along the way, who were surprised to see four gringos swooping through the woods on bicycles. It was decidedly chilly when the ride started at 9:45 am under moderate cloud cover. Happily the sun broke through and warmed things to a pleasant 23°C (73°F) by mid-afternoon. At the turnaound point the group split up, with two riders retracing their route back to the shuttle van while two others opted to take a shorter route to town, dropping down the La Reina trail to Huayapam – thus the two route maps, below. Though participants were competent cyclists with many miles of pedaling experience, all were pretty tuckered out by the end of the day. The total round trip distance amounted to 49.6 kms (30.8 miles), with a serious 1362 meters (4468 feet) of climbing along the way.

Teotitlan del Valle

Thirteen eager cyclists turned out for this ride on Palm Sunday to Teotitlan del Valle. The route took advantage of mainly unpaved back roads and trails through farm fields to avoid riding along Hwy 190. Distance traveled amounted to 56.2 kms (34.9 miles) and took about five hours, allowing an hour for brunch at the market in Teotitlan.

Ride to La Raya

Five cyclists showed up for this Friday group ride from Oaxaca to La Raya and back, using a combination of roads and trails which formed a large loop through the countryside of the Zimatlan valley to the south of Oaxaca. It was a great five hour ride of a bit over 56 kms (35 miles) on a warm spring day.

El Carrizal Loop

A delightful but challenging ride on logging roads circling through the mountains near the village of El Carrizal. This is a high country outing on terrain that ranges between 2606 meters (8549 feet) to 3102 meters (10,177 feet) in elevation with gradients between 8% and 20%. Be forewarned the trail is rough and rocky, so your suspension will get a workout. Cyclists must register at the Officina de Bienes Communales in San Miguel del Valle and pay a fee of 100 pesos apiece. Local guide(s) not required, as all of ride is on designated roads. Elapsed time in the saddle varies from two hours on ebikes to four hours on pedal-powered conveyances. As a bonus, riders can scream 5.8 kms (3.6 miles) down the mountain to San Miguel, followed by the shuttle driver. Shuttle time: two hours from Oaxaca to trailhead.

Hidden Valley

There is a lovely, secluded valley situated between the villages of San Antonio Buena Vista and Santa Cecilia Jalieza in the outer reaches of the Teitipac region of the Tlacolula valley to the southeast of Oaxaca city. Well off the beaten path, few people venture this way. The valley is most beautiful in the summer and fall when the hillsides and farm fields are a vibrant green. But the area has an austere aesthetic even in the driest part of the year, when the blue sky contrasts with the various shades of brown and grey vegetation. This loop ride covers 75.2 km (46.7 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 437 meters (1435 feet). Expect to spend five to six hours in the saddle to finish the course, riding at a moderate pace.

%d bloggers like this: