TOP Rides in Cusco and the Sacred Valley

I found it. I found the single track in the navel of the universe, as the Incas named it: Cusco, Peru. The Incas worshiped the sun and moon, they worshiped the earth, and it is easy to see why. Energy radiates from the earth here. And the trails are good.

The riding here is endless. The phenomenon taking place around Cusco and the Sacred Valley (roughly located between Cusco and the ruins of Machu Picchu) in Peru is unique. First, the sheer number of tourists is growing rapidly, bringing more foreign riders to the area. “Since the mid 1990s tourism has increased 20-25% every year (News from Peru, 2005). Second, more local downhill and freeride mountain bike riders are enjoying the sport than ever before because of regular local races and the increasing access to affordable mountain bikes. But most peculiarly, the constant discovery of Inca ruins contrasting with the simultaneous abandonment of certain sites and Inca roads creates a wealth of new trails open to the adventurous biker. Inca roads and ruins reveal themselves annually, but are then often forgotten, drifting into memory.

There are over 2,500 km of Inca roads that run like ribbons throughout Peru. These roads are slowly getting re-discovered and explored on foot and (lucky for us) on mountain bikes.

I have visited Cusco and Peru twice in the last two years, and this list is the compilation of my two wheeled adventures in the Sacred Valley.

1. Pumamarka Ruins, Ollantaytambo

Riding next to Inca ruins outside of Ollantaytambo 

For 10 soles (less than $4), you can catch a taxi from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, a little town on the way to Aguas Calientes (the town closest to Macchu Picchu) that is overlooked by most tourists. After 90 minutes of rocking back and forth in the taxi, making blind passes around hair-pin turns winding up and down Andean passes, you can tell Ollantaytambo is close when the paved road turns to rough cobblestones. Ollantaytambo was famously fortified and occupied by Manco Inca before his retreat and ultimate demise at the hands of the Spanish conquerors.

Access to this ride requires a 30 minute drive up Camino Willoq north of Ollantaytambo If all the clichéd hyperboles apply to Ollantaytambo, none can do it justice. The feeling of watching the last rays of sun illuminate crumbling grain storage structures while riding on top of the Inca agricultural terraces of Pumamarca as we start our decent into the lush Urubamba valley, was undoubtedly the climax of my 16 day trip to Peru.

Night in Ollantaytambo 

2. El Brujo, San Jerónimo, Cusco

Practice runs on El Bruja 

I am fortunate enough to run into Panacho, Botas, and Mario “Chucha” with their bikes in front of the Andean University in San Jerónimo, five kilometers east of Cusco. I learn that they are part of a local downhill team, AWKI (Quechua for small mountain in the foothills). We ride hard for three days. Their team captain, Dante Caspino, welcomes me into his team and his family.

To access this ride you leave from from Quita, “El Vallecito,” east of Cusco, and then climb for 45 minutes on a 4x4 road until you reach Abra Occoruro at over 4,000 meters. The drive twists past waterfalls, and a notorious “hole” that leads to an alternate universe - according to my new guides. As we bounce around with seven bikes and eight passengers in the Hyundai Galloper while eating maize tostada (toasted and salted corn kernels – “La Galleta Andino”) with cheese, I am reminded of the inherent generosity and friendly nature of the Latin culture, and I wonder silently if this same attitude could be found on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains (some 5,000 miles to the north across several borders). Although mountain biking was supposedly “invented” in the states, the culture here has embraced it with open arms and an unmistakably Latin enthusiasm.

This ride has a bit of everything: exposed ridge riding rivaling Colorado Rocky Mountain vistas, lush Andean soil that reminded me of the soft and squishy British Columbia loam, steep rocky technical sections, fast burmmed switchbacks reminiscent of the Star Wars section in Downeville, California, and lots of water.

Don’t forget to sample the beer of the Incas - “Chicha” – (method of preparation will not be discussed here so not to immediately turn you off from this local experience) sold exclusively in Chicharias – identifiable in small towns throughout Peru by the bamboo pole sticking outinto the street pierced with a red or white paper or plastic bag-ball on the end.

3. Yuncaypata, San Sebastian, Cusco

Yuncaypata, San Sebastian, Riding with Juan Carlos down Cusco’s local trails 

Ride (or take a micro bus) out of central Cusco on Plateros Avenue, past the ruins of Sacasayhuaman, continue climbing about 3 km. past the curve in the road with the Tambomachay ruins. Enter the trail on the right (south) side on the road. Some medium size gap jumps and various rocky, steep, or rocky and steep lines available.

4. Mega Avalanche course, Urubamba valley

KB rocking the Mega course 

The Mega Avalanche course starts at Abra Malaga (near the foot of the Veronica Glacier at 4,316) and descends over 3,000 meters into the Urubamba valley. This is an international race course, so don’t be surprised if you run into pros training for the next race, usually held in July.

5. Moray – Moras

Passing through Maras, this gentleman proudly told me of his family heritage in the town (the manor behind him was owned by his uncle and dates from the Spanish Conquest)

Visit an Inca agricultural experimental lab then ride down DH style fast wide trail to the Maras Salt mines which have been in continual operation for over 1,000 years.

6. Urubamba Valley

Riding with "Crazy Tim" outside of Urbamba 

After two laps using all seven inches of my rental Kona Stinky’s travel down some of the tightest, rockiest, bumpiest trail that I’ve seen, I am convinced. The down-hill free-ride scene does exist down here in a major way. Many trails exist here outside of Urubamba, you can hop a mini-bus or hire a taxi for pretty cheap and then take the road to Maras, but get off before you get to the town.


NOTES:

More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/philipdaltondixon/sets/72157627015687731/



Negotiating prices here is normal, the workers and ‘guides’ on the street are used to overcharging the tourists, so as a general rule if you’re buying something from the street like clothing or jewelry, you should offer about half of what they ask and then meet in the middle from there. In such a poor country, I sometimes felt guilty about bartering over one sole (about 30 cents American) but taxi drivers and vendors routinely do it, so, when in Cusco… negotiate.

Getting There:

It is cheaper to purchase one of the several daily Lima-Cusco flights from Lima. While a bus ride takes 22 hours non-stop Lima - Cusco, the same journey takes just over an hour by air, a testament to the rugged terrain of the Andes.



TOURS:

Although this list was intended to be a do-it-yourself guide, several agencies can set you up with some respectable mountain bikes and all – inclusive tours to these areas. Here are just a few:

· Inka Adventures www.inkasadventures.com

· Peru Mountain Rides run by Kike Eslava, www.perumountainrides.com, 2427202, 990509112

· Sacred Rides. www.sacredrides.com/





STAY:

· Pariwana Hostel, Cusco. http://www.pariwana-hostel.com/ A clean party hostel, with a bar upstairs always open, and plenty of common space to relax. In February and March it is mostly occupied by Argentinian and Chilean university students on their summer break. The building is an impressive colonial style mansion, with over 100 beds in total. I assembled my bike in their generous, sunny courtyard.

· Machu Picchu Spanish School, Cusco. www.machupicchuschool.org The school charges $120 a week for accommodations including a private room and three meals a day, and $140 a week for 20 hours of individual Spanish lessons. I recommend the Spanish lessons as they will add depth to your experience in Peru. I stayed in the director’s house which is a 10 minute walk from downtown. The room was comfortable, and the food delicious. I was provided a key to the house, and I felt very much at home there. Also, I shared the house with travelers from all over the globe, which was a pleasure.

· KB Tambo Hotel and Tours, Ollaytaytambo. www.kbperu.com, 084-204091; beautiful boutique hotel right off the main square, information hub on the area, excellent biking, horseback riding and trekking tours offered

· Hostal Quilla, Ollaytaytambo. Street Waqts, 984308499, Ollantaytambo, Cusco, Peru. The same family owns Ganso Café Bar and Cocktail spot down the road. Extremely friendly owners, simple rooms for cheap, met a mixture of tourists there

EAT:

· The Blue Puppy Main Plaza and Calle Horno, Ollantaytambo, Peru international cuisine and relaxed atmosphere

· Pariwana Meson de la Estrella, Cusco, Peru



Looking for beta…BIKE SHOPS:

· Russo Bikes Av. Tacna, Cusco; http://russobikes.blogspot.com; russobike@hotmail.com

· Edy Pro Av. Garcilazo, Cusco.