It was another rainy day but I had just enough time to pack up between the drizzle. I swooshed my way in full rain kit and granny gear up a small hill wondering how it will look without the clouds.
The brake, which I thought I had repaired was again down to no pressure at all so I used only the rear one. Wondering if I will be able to do the inca trail with just one brake. At some town I found a store and internet. While there were no veggies there, a man happily gave me a bucket of potatoes (i just needed 3). The store happily boiled 10 eggs for me while I was on the internet.
Up and down the gloomy hillsides, one can see a lot of people all over. Working hard and smacking bundles of grass with sticks until it is done.
Dogs wander in and out of the road, some get very befuddled by the man on the silent motorcycle.
Somewhere before the big climb you can find a somewhat sheltered spot to call home for the night.
You may even catch a glimpse of the locals on their way back from the high pasturelands with their sheep, dogs or donkeys.
And in the morning Chimborazo pops out again to say hi. There is no getting away from this thing. I have been seeing it for the last 30 days...
The road eventually ends and at the end of the valley you are constantly looking at the map, then at the hill, then at the map again.
"Is this really the right way?"
A couple of steps is all you can do before you are out of breath and need to take so e rest.
At the top of the hill I take some time to try and fix the brakes. Both front and rear are not holding and I cut and stuff more of my aluminium stove windscreen under the brakepads to get some grip.
One thing was clear for sure: the Incas did not ride mountain bikes.
In the distance I spot a hut and decide to pay it a visit. Considering its 2pm and I barely rode my bike for 30 minutes today the next 15+ km of ridgeline would be best left for tomorrow. Not having to shake off frost from your tent fly here is one of the big joys of bikepacking!
A couple stopped by to chat, they ride up this valley once a week to check on their animals and man, those horses can run!!
Sleeping out in the little grass hut it was hard to believe so many animals live here even at 4100 meters. Birds flying by and making almost airplane noises and once they pass making short chirps. There are aparently frogs further down and a bug buzzes its way around every now and then. If the fog/mist can make a sound it would be this, just this imposing silence. Its cold enough that a tent in the hut is needed, quite comfy on the soft grass bottom.
It rained quite a bit, the old hut holding up quite well against it and the wind. I did not emerge until few cups of hot chocolate and until all the frost had melted from the ground.
The climb was not steep but not really rideable, just really bumpy and in many parts there wasnt even a trail.
The worst was the horse trenches, requiring either the bike in the trench and you walking on the deep grass or you on the trail and lifting the bike over the grass.
After a rather entertaining free for all around a rocky peak, a beautiful ridgeline trail opened up.
I even squeezed 2.5 liters of water from a small puddle.
A guy told me that the trail will get much better. The bad news.... he was on a horse...
No, it actually did get much better. Climbing gently toward another ridge but always wide enough for me and the bike.
Who would have thought I'd get to walk my bike in such beautiful places.
I folded another piece of windscreen under the front brake but by the top it was worthless. I rode down the ridge, rear brake only until it started grinding on the disc (pad was all worn out). Probably some type 2 fun, more fun after and only if I mute the sound of the video.
Once it got steep it was no longer rideable and I clinked and clanked my way down sometimes okay and other times stuck in 2meter deep horse trench, holding the bike by the seat and pushing it down. But I could not stop thinking how difficult and hopeless climbing up on this would be.
"Hike-a-bike bonanza" from the route description does little to describe the inca trail. Maybe a more accurate way would be to say how much exactly you can ride your bike. 2km on that ridge, 3km on the other and another 1 on the bottom. Done!
Eventually I went on the grassy hillside and free for all'd it down the slope to where the cows were resting.
I rode almost a kilometer down in the valley but like all good things, that ended and I continued walking, pushing and pulling my way forward.
I sought shelter at an old house which must have had a fire, been hit by a lightning or somebody went in, locked all the doors and divided by zero. Or all 3 at the same time? Did dividing by zero create a lightning storm, then the house got hit and set on fire? Ah, we'll never know.
It was too sketchy to be near it but a nice trail led to what seemed to be a road. There I met few locals who were trying to fish in the lake. They gave me a giant chicken and rice dinner and i did not have to fire up the stove and wait an hour to cook the lentils and rice i had. All I had since the morning breakfast of oatmeal was two boiled eggs and a cup of puddle water hot chocolate.
Not having the heart to grind up my rear brake rotor even more I took the road back to town using my foot on the front tire to help with the braking. Much easier to dodge cow poop when its on the road than on a single track with nowhere to go.
At town I met the group from yesterday and we went to see the local mechanic. Brake pads here are 20+ dollars, kind of ridiculous considering you pay $3-4 for the exact same brake pad in colombia. He machined me a brand new pair using my old brake backing plate and a piece of moto brake pads + glue. Brake still needs to be bled but that can wait until Cuenca.
You would think on the pavement you will be safe from cow poop but they make their rope just long enough so that they can reach the middle of the road to relieve themselves.
I passed the town of Ingapirca but to be honest the ruins did not seem that interesting, in addition there was a special tourist charge which is something I do not support. I chose a quiet campsite in the forest instead.
Next day was unbelievably smooth and easy climb on an old rail trail.
might need to do some digging to get to that store...
This was also the first time I was caught by a local talking and mooing with the cows. I pulled over to talk to these two beauties, then started mooing at them hoping for response. Young cows are very vocal and will often reply. Well... until I heard a woman laughing from across the road.
I told her her poodle was too dirty and she said she can wash him.
"Nooo , dont wash him, he hasnt had a shower his whole life," who was I to break that poodle's shower streak? I was barely going on 9 days... but the poor little pooch is becoming into a single unified dread.
Sometimes you need a shoulder to lean on! Other times you kind of get stuck that way... when I approached the cows got unentangled and all was good.
along the road were the usual suspects, donkeys, horses and ecuadorian poodles
I got to be the godfather of a little cow that just got born. I suggested they name him Trevor. It was cool to wath the mom lick off the baby and him trying to walk and always ending up face first in the grass.
I felt it was time to take a two day pavement retreat to Cuenca and have a shower.
Even have a $2.5 cup of latte while my bike is being watched outside!
Cuenca on the other hand.... i was very shocked to see a moto riding single file and waiting for red lights. The width of one of these traffic lanes... you can make it both ways and call it the Panamericana in Colombia.
The brakes got serviced but it seemed that the front lever was leaking oil. Nothing they can do except to buy a new one and that may need to wait a little so until then I can take it easy on the TEMBR dirt road version there isn't much of the singletrack route left anyway.
so an idea was to include a favorite song of this ride, so that goes to Tallest Man On Earth - The Wheel. I had this thing on and on helping me through those windy, trailless ridges. Here is a short compilation of it and all the photos of this post (plus some extras):