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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.

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.