Author: Larry

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos

Huitzo Or Bust

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In the mood for a significant ride through unexplored territory, five mountain biking buddies set out this fine Friday in early May to pedal from Oaxaca city to San Pablo Huitzo. On the outbound leg of the journey, they traveled first to Atzompa, then headed in a northwesterly direction through San Lorenzo Cacaotepec, Matadamas, Soledad Etla and Nazareno Etla to Santiago Suchilquitongo. This route took them along a series of unpaved country lanes, beneath the toll road to Mexico City and well out into the relatively flat countryside of the Etla Valley. The planned destination was the restored monastery in Huitzo, or perhaps even the large reservoir not far beyond the town. However, one of the party was on a borrowed bike that turned out to be in serious need of maintenance. Approaching Suchilquitongo both the bearings in the bottom bracket and those in the rear hub gave out, necessitating an unscheduled stop at a bicycle repair shop there. The group took advantage of the stop to enjoy a tasty lunch of memelitas. With tummies full and the wounded bike operational again, our intrepid gang decided to head back to Oaxaca, riding along the abandoned railway line that once linked the Valley of Oaxaca with Mexico City and the United States. Though the rail line was still in place (and can be traced on the map below), it was badly overgrown in several spots and so a good amount of bushwhacking ensued. This, in turn, resulted in multiple thorn punctures in everyone’s tires. Happily, all but one rider was running tubeless tires filled with sealant, so only two flat tires had to be dealt with. All in all, the ride was hailed a success. The weary bikers returned home after spending eight hours in the saddle, covering a round-trip distance of 48.3 miles (77.7 kms). Though the terrain was relatively flat, there was nevertheless an elevation gain and loss of about 2100 feet (640 meters) on the circuit. The map below shows only the outbound half of the trip, as the batteries in the GPS unit gave out while the group was stopped for lunch. The return journey followed a roughly parallel path back to Oaxaca.

 

Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos

Pedaling Through The Pandemic

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    The year 2020 will go down in history as the year of the coronavirus pandemic. Since late February the whole world has been turned topsy-turvy by news of and reactions to the latest esoteric virus to come out of China. As of this writing (30 April 2020) 3.2 million people have contracted Covid-19 world wide, and there have been over 225,000 deaths. Citizens in countries around the globe have been ordered to stay at home and national economies are tottering toward collapse. Thankfully, the health situation is not so dire in Oaxaca, though the local economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism, is reeling. These are tough times, indeed!

    Happily, mountain biking provides a welcome respite from the coronavirus crisis. It is not difficult to maintain social distance while pedaling through the countryside; and spending time in the saddle is both great exercise and a big psychological boost. So it is that small groups of friends, including a number of retired expats who call Oaxaca home, meet several times each week for rides on nearby mountain trails or around the central valley. On this particular Thursday morning, four amigos rode 21.6 miles from Oaxaca up to San Felipe del Agua, then over the mountain ridge to Viguera and on to San Pablo Etla before returning to town along the abandoned railroad line that once linked Oaxaca with Mexico City to the north and the Pacific coast to the south. The relative lack of vehicular traffic on city streets is a side benefit of the pandemic, as is the better air quality.

Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing

Lobera Loop

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The world is in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic in mid-April of 2020. The city and state of Oaxaca are yet to be hit with significant numbers of Covid-19 infections, but people are on edge. There are virtually no flights in or out of Oaxaca; tourists are non-existent; most businesses are closed; and large numbers of citizens are out of work. Folks are hunkered down in their homes and social distancing is the norm. All the more reason, then, to climb aboard our mountain bikes for a rejuvenating morning ride through the countryside of the Zimatlan valley. Fresh air and exercise are great antidotes for feeling depressed. So four expats living in Oaxaca set out on a pleasant 26.7 mile (43 kms) loop ride on a bright Saturday morning, aiming to pedal to the little village of Lobera and back. The outing took just over three hours, with riders gaining and losing a total of 1203 feet (367 meters) in elevation along the way.

Countryside, GPS, MTBing

Hopping Along With The Easter Bunny

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It is Easter Sunday in Oaxaca – 12 April 2020. It is a beautiful morning, but the city is exceptionally quiet. There is always much less traffic on Sunday mornings, especially on holidays. But this year people are hunkered down and staying home because of the coronavirus crisis. There are no church services this Easter. Larry, Omar and Vidal agreed to meet up at 8:30 am for a ride in the country. They rendezvoused at the Plaza Bella shopping center in Atzompa. From there they pedaled north to San Lorenzo Cacaotepec, then west to San Felipe Tejalápam, then south over a ridge of hills to San Andres Ixtlahuaca. From there it was a short jaunt to San Pedro Ixtlahuaca where they stopped for breakfast (yes, there are still a few restaurants open for business, despite the pandemic). After chowing down, the threesome headed back to Oaxaca. From start to finish, the loop ride covered 29.2 miles (47 kms), with an elevation gain and loss of 1560 feet (475.5 meters). All told, the outing took almost exactly four hours, with the riders moving at a leisurely pace. Unfortunately, no chocolate Easter eggs or marshmellow bunnies were discovered along the way.

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Biking Around Oaxaca During The Coronaviris Crisis

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Both the city and the state of Oaxaca have been affected by the coronavirus crisis. The first two confirmed cases of Covid-19 were reported on 16 March 2020 and that number grew slowly over the next few weeks. As in cities around the world, steps were taken here to limit the spread of the pandemic. Most public venues (schools, movie theaters, ball parks, concert halls, etc.) were shuttered and gatherings of more than 10 people were banned. People were urged to avoid groups and distance themselves from others. Everyone was encouraged to stay in their homes. As a consequence, the city is eerily quiet, with little pedestrian or vehicular traffic about.

Mountain bikers have been affected, too, as local bike clubs cancelled their weekly group rides. However, individual riders continue to pedal trails in the mountains and around the Valles Centrales as a way of staying in shape and to keep from going stir crazy because of forced isolation. If anything, there seem to be more bikers on the Libramiento and the trail network in the hills above San Felipe del Agua than usual on weekday mornings. 

This post was put up on 1 April. It is hoped the pandemic will peak sometime this month and that the number of infections will begin to taper off in May and June. In the meantime, mountain biking serves as a way to keep one’s sanity in a world gone crazy.

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