Category: Mountains

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.

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.

San Juan del Estado to San Miguel Aloápam

This was an exploratory ride to see what lies between these two towns in the hill country north of Oaxaca city. Three riders shuttled to San Juan where they unloaded their bikes and began the long uphill climb to cross a mountain ridge to the next valley. The excursion was a success, though the guys managed to get a bit less than halfway to San Miguel before leg fatigue prompted them to turn around. The little used paved road between the villages made for pleasant pedaling, despite the unrelenting climb, as there were terrific views of the valley below through the pine forest. The riders covered just 13.0 kilometers (8.1 miles) of the 31.6 kilometers (19.6 miles) distance between towns, gaining and losing 654 meters (2146 feet) in elevation along the way. Perhaps some intrepid cyclists will go the whole distance at some point in the future.

La Reina Trail

The La Reina trail is a very steep gravel road which links San Andres Huayapam with the ecotourism camp at La Cumbre Ixtepeji at over 9000 feet in altitude. This is a killer climb and, conversely, a screamer descent. The elevation gain amounts to 2378 feet in the space of 3.7 miles, with a gradient of 20% in some places. Your legs and lungs better be in top condition and your bike equipped with a good granny gear to make it to the top; and your brakes will get a heck of a workout on the way down. The map below shows the way, but note that this ride stopped short of the top of the mountain. Access to the trail is from Martires street. Note: there is a fee of 50 pesos (in 2024) to use the trail, payable at a toll booth at the bottom of the road just outside Huayapam.

Camino de Juarez

There is an epic new trail near Oaxaca deserving of mention here. Under construction for two years, the Camino de Juarez is set to open in March 2024. In all likelihood, though, it will not be completed for another year or two, given the work yet to be accomplished. As envisioned, the trail will run from San Pablo Guelatao – the birthplace of renowned Oaxaca native, Benito Juarez – to the outskirts of the capital city. The trail commemorates the twelve-year-old orphan’s solo walk from his hometown to Oaxaca in 1818, leaving behind his years as an unschooled shepherd boy to embark on a lifetime of stellar achievements as a student, lawyer, state governor, supreme court justice and president and savior of Mexico during the war of the French Intervention. A contemporary of Abraham Lincoln in the U.S., Juarez can fairly be called the father of the modern state of Mexico.

The Camino de Juarez winds for 29 miles (46.5 kms) through the mountainous terrain of the Sierra Norte, starting at an elevation of 5790 feet (1765 meters) in Guelatao and concluding at 5020 feet (1530 meters) at the Juarez monument in Tlalixtac where highway 175 intersects with highway 190 (the Panamerican Highway).

The highest point on the trail is 9246 feet (2818 meters). There is an elevation gain of 7631 feet (2326 meters) running from Guelatao to Oaxaca, with an elevation loss of 8333 feet (2540 meters) along the way. The paved trail has some steep segments containing lots of steps. There are pedestrian overpasses in the several places where the trail crosses highway 175. The Camino de Juarez is amenable to hikers, backpackers, joggers and bicyclists.

For a map, elevation chart and photos please see https://www.wikiloc.com/trail-running-trails/guelatao-de-juarez-santa-lucia-del-camino-152383536?utm_medium=app&utm_campaign=share&utm_source=4731429

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