Mountain Biking In Peru

[rideit]

Got it. Thanks for the reply! I’m not great about the pics, either, I am lucky to get the ones I get. Have fun today!

[Sandbox]

I’ve been around some of the wandering wheels crew in Revy ( just seen them on some trails and in the lot) and they have all been good people. They have a little store front in DT Revy as well. They seem to put together some solid trips.


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[LeeLau]

I’ve been around some of the wandering wheels crew in Revy ( just seen them on some trails and in the lot) and they have all been good people. They have a little store front in DT Revy as well. They seem to put together some solid trips.


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I would also say that Matt of Wandering Wheels does a lot of work supporting trails in Revelstoke and is a really good community guy. Just adding this if that's important to a consideration

[rideit]

LOL, that sounds very... familiar...

[climberevan]

All of this chatter has me interested. It might even be worth shuttling for the first time in my life...

[rideit]

You will be almost a spent (in a great way) after 20k of epicness!
If I recall, hablas español también? It would be fun to have another gringo that speaks it!

[rideit]

For the record, if a strong group wants to, there are huge days possible that could have 3-4k climbing/hiking with 12k descending (I think). But most people want to shred all day, especially with the bikes that are most fun for going down.

[LeeLau]

All of this chatter has me interested. It might even be worth shuttling for the first time in my life...

Evan a friend of mine ( TiTo Tomasi) did a bunch of self propelled trips in the Cusco area. The issue was that a non insignificant number of approach trails and roads to some area were through private roads or commune roads through Quecha villages where the access was complicated (ie public roads but villagers wanted tolls). I got him in touch with Cusco locals (Hans Martin & Alberto - rideit knows of them) who helped sort out access

So it is possible to do this fwiw.

Tito also did some riding in the Ausangate self supported. Again, it's possible but not without challenges.

[rideit]

Yes, it’s not like you could/should rent a car and a bike, and figure any of it out yourself. You would have a very, very suboptimal experience, IMO. It’s not like this stuff would be routable on Trailforks (most of it isn’t even on those platforms) .
Even my friends from Lima, who have been riding there for decades, still would get lost or denied access.
(In my experience).
A good analogy as to one other reason why you want to shuttle there, some of it is comparable to a non-shuttle Whole Enchilada: sure, possible for many of us, but that’s a hard no from me. One, you would spend many, many hours climbing 10-25% grades, be absolutely shelled for the technical downhills, (which would be very difficult to navigate, that would take a bunch of time). Two, the trails are not a contiguous 5000 foot descent, it goes from section to section, town to town, farm to farm. (“Take a left at that small tree near the thing!”). type of navigation.
damn straight you probably wouldn’t want to ride the next couple of days.
I guess if you lived there, or were there for a few weeks, sure, but it would burn a ton of precious time on a 10 day vacation.
There is basically zero climbable (non ebike!) singletrack in my experience (outside of short sections way up high). There is some XC on the coast, though, but most folks I know are e-biking there these days.
Another factor is that there are extremely limited rescue/medical services. There is no SAR. Inreach/etc won’t really help. They might know where you are, but they just don’t have resources to come and get you if required. The only helicopters are basically operated by the mining companies, you would be third in line for anything like that.
Guides are legally required to be able to do the equivalent of WFR, but that’s better than being alone.

[climberevan]

Por supuesto que hablo español. ¡Es mi arma secreta en los negocios! La verdad es que aprendí mucho de ello en Perú durante un largo viaje de alpinismo.

I love me some uphill riding, but I also don't really like hike-a-bike, so Peru sounds like a shuttle kind of place. Dealing with the access there (and in Oaxaca) sounds like something that would take a lot of time and effort.

Next November, you say? Hmm.

[rideit]

Possibly leaning towards early October, depends on the desires of whatever group of rippers I can put together, really. But things will book up sooner than later.
Either way, it would roughly be first two weeks of October, or the first two weeks of November.

[smmokan]

FWIW, I love doing big rides in the US with lots of climbing (CO, WA, UT, ID, etc)... but down here in Peru? Fuck that. Even the day that Rideit mentioned with 3-4k of climbing and 12k descending- I can't imagine most people could handle that as part of a big trip, especially considering you're probably above 10k' most of the day.

[rideit]

Jaja, EXACTAMUNDO, as Fonzie used to say!
What did you guys ride today?

[smmokan]

Inka Avalanche in the morning, then got shut down on a second AM lap due to bridge construction just outside of Ollantaytambo. After lunch we rode a couple trails over near Moray that were pretty bad ass (much more dry and rocky). Then headed up to ride Socma at the end of the day, but there was road construction near the very top so we had to turn around and ended up riding a legit DH trail they're using for a race next week, and then something below that weaved through the village. I think it was around 10k' vert on the day.

[rideit]

Sounds very typical, in that In Perú, ANYTHING can happen, at anytime, and you just have to laugh, make fun of yourselves, and come up with a plan B on the fly. Could be a landslide, could be a government overthrow, whatever, just roll with it!
But yeah, I love those trail (Moray 1 and 2), they are short, but intense. Good shit!
I get the sense they are building your trip like a song, with a crescendo and a release as you get deeper into the Sacred Valley!

[LeeLau]

There's no pics in this so thought I might add some from 2017

Sirijuani's S face from a traverse then descent of Patalares. It's a 5000m+ High peak.

Some AbraLares descents to valley floor Abra = pass

[rideit]

Hot damn, Lee, that section from the canal/Aquaduct back down is SO fast and fun!

[Full Trucker]

FT: I believe you can certain ride 'all' of the goods in Oaxaca without doing TSN, you just need the guides that would like to shred all day as well.

That might be true, but it seems like you’d need not only the “right” guides but also the “right” crew that was willing and able to do some bigger hike-a-bike days to get to the more remote stuff that was ridden in the race.

Anycrap, still really on the fence here. I have a solid set of peeps that are already signed up for ‘24 TSN, but Peru sounds exquisite. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately?) I’m not gonna be in a position to decide for a few months, due to finances.

[rideit]

I’ll keep the light on for you, Amigo, honestly, you, the Canadian, Hirsch, MTG, and Aaron are the people that I most want to share this amazing experience with, (along with some other FUN people!)

[zion zig zag]

Do you need a Spanish speaking medic on the trip? I could make recommendations.


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[rideit]

Depends, do they shred, have fun, and are they willing to be a client like the rest of us?

[zion zig zag]

Depends, do they shred, have fun, and are they willing to be a client like the rest of us?

2 out of 3 at least!

[rideit]

Haha, perfect. Tell you what, how about if they get a small refund if something actually happens?
Seems fair.
(My guides are pretty competent at fairly intense medical issues, Wayo has been doing this a long time, and has seen and learned a lot).
Curiously, we are usually no more than a few downhill kilometers to a support truck, which has a decent med kit, backboard, etc, etc.
It’s fairly pro for what it is.

[zion zig zag]

Haha, perfect. Tell you what, how about if they get a small refund if something actually happens?
Seems fair.
(My guides are pretty competent at fairly intense medical issues, Wayo has been doing this a long time, and has seen and learned a lot).
Curiously, we are usually no more than a few downhill kilometers to a support truck, which has a decent med kit, backboard, etc, etc.
It’s fairly pro for what it is.

Ha. It’s the shredding I’d need grace on. Let’s ride next summer and then you can give me an honest assessment for 2025.

[rideit]

LOL, I ain’t all that in the grand scheme of things myself, but I have my moments of shredworthiness, I guess. (For an old guy).
I am sure you would be fine. If you can make it down/enjoy Lithium, you would have a grand time! But yes, definitely let’s rally in July. Hopefully with the HMS/PD crew as well!