Top Rides in Cusco and the Sacred Valley.rev1

As dusk fell over the valley, green mountains gave way to an orange glow reflected from the sprawling red terracotta roofs below. I secured the chin strap of my helmet and pulled on my gloves. My hands trembled with anticipation. After a week of walking the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, talking with scores of pushy 'tour guides,' and evaluating various rental mountain bikes, my hard work had finally paid off.  With a glance down the winding single-track trail, I knew that I was finally going to be rewarded with some world class mountain biking.


“Hay perros aqui abajo, entonces dale duro y no los ponga attension.”
There are dogs down there so just pedal hard and try not to pay attention to them.

Juan Carlos, my guide and new riding partner, issued this warning in an innocuous tone as I began my first descent of some of the local mountain bike trails outside of Cusco, Peru. After two trips to Cusco and four years of riding mountain bikes in South America, I am well aware that severe consequences would surely ensue if his words were not heeded. So chasing after Juan Carlos, I pedaled as hard as my oxygen-deprived legs would let me and hoped for the best.

The difference between Cusco and other mountain bike destinations is the history. In the mid-15th century, the Inca empire was in full swing, and their road construction was at its peak. There are over 2,500 km of Inca roads that run like ribbons throughout Peru. Because of the rugged nature of the Inca territory, these roads were actually more like foot paths, keep open to enable communication and transportation throughout the empire. Today, over 500 years later, local mountain bikers are beginning to realize the enormous potential that these 'roads' have as bike trails.

As, Will "KB" Janecek, owner of KB Tambo Tours, explained before one of our rides; "take these ruins here for example, they are currently being excavated and cleaned slowly by the local population. The government tried to charge an entry fee for them, and for two years they did charge a fee to enter here, but now they are free — that is good news for us as mountain bikers. Look at this trail, at first I had to say that this was a newly discovered Inca trail that only we were riding, now look at it, it’s abandoned, we haven’t ridden it recently and neither has anyone else.”

The following list of rides in Cusco and the Sacred Valley is an introduction to the endless mountain biking opportunities in the area, and I hope to shows that the quality and quantity of the mountain bike trails here are more than worth the inherent risks.

Getting There:

All of the mountain bike rides explained here can be accessed from Cusco. To get Cusco from Lima, you can bus it or fly. To fly, if you are a flexible traveler it is cheaper to purchase one of the daily Lima-Cusco flights in the Lima airport or through a travel agency in Lima. If you buy a ticket outside of Peru, it will cost a bit more. The bus is a bit cheaper but prepare for a 22 hour non-stop trip from Lima. There are several bus companies in Lima in the San Isidro neighborhood that each have their own station and offer daily departures to Cusco. Cruz del Sur, Av. Javier Prado Nº 1109 - San Isidro, is the best.

Cusco is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South America, so a wide variety of lodging and international and local cuisine is available. Also, the streets are filled with young backpackers year round, you can also expect a bustling nightlife.

Before attempting any of these rides, take a few days to aclimatize to the altitude by doing some short hikes in the area and drinking plenty of water.

DISCLAIMER: 

A knowledge of your riding ability and riding goals is required for these trails.  

The rides described here can be ridden on a cross-country mountain bike, but a downhill or all-mountain bicycle (with at least 140mm of suspension in front and 100mm of rear suspension) would be more appropriate.  I have refrained from rating these trails on a technical level because all of these trails require a certain level of technical ability and experience in downhill riding. These trails are not for beginners, so if you are not a DH or freeride mountain bike rider or do not feel comfortable with some steep rocky sections, berms, rock gardens, and a few drops and jumps you should seek some of the more mellow trails (many of which are promoted by the local tour agencies) in the area.

Also, all of these trails can be accessed by riding up paved, dirt, or cobblestone roads, BUT unless you are a semi-sadomasochistic rider who derives pleasure from riding uphill for 2-3 hours in exchange for a 30-90 minute downhill experience; taking a mini-bus, taxi, or truck uphill is strongly recommended.  Finally, do not try riding up these these trails - they are downhill trails and should not be ridden in reverse for obvious collision issues and impossible-to-climb (unless you are Danny MacAskill) sections.


ACCESS RATING:

Scale of 1-5.

1 = relatively easy access (ride there yourself, a more well-known trail)
5 = difficult to get to (guide required or lesser known trail, multiple busses and or taxis, an intermediate knowledge of Spanish is necessary)

1. Yuncaypata, San Sebastian, Cusco

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

Known as 'Cusco's Whistler,' this ride is not offered by any tour agencies, but it is a local’s favorite. You will undoubtedly run into other riders here, especially if you are out during the weekend.

Access: 2 

You can pedal or take a micro-bus from Plateros Av. out of central Cusco to access this ride. If you choose to ride, take Avenida Don Bosco west out of town, and start to climb. Pedal past some prominent Inca sites such as Saqsaywaman, Puka Puara, and Tambomachay. Stop to drink some water and snap some panoramic photos of the city below. About 3 km past the curve in the road with the Tambomachay ruins, you will see a sign indicating Yuncaypata on the right (south) side on the road. The trail begins here.

The first few kilometers pass through the community of Yuncaypata and a few crazy dogs will bark at your heals. Continue straight, pass a flat section. As the trail turns downhill, you will have a few choices, all of which will eventually take you to the same place at the bottom: steep switchbacks through the trees, a rocky rutted out shoot, or more soft soil drops. If you choose to hit a few soft, sculpted dirt jumps, scope out the landing first, but not to worry; the the moist, Andean soil will soak up your landings. The last section of trail passes over an Inca wall and then drops into a small river crossing before coming out to the road. From the road, you can ride back (right hand turn up hill), catch a micro-bus, or hitchhike back to town.

2. El Brujo, San Jerónimo, Cusco

Practice runs on El Bruja 

Downhill race course with stunning views and a little bit of everything.

Access: 5

I was lucky enough to come across this trail after meeting up with a few local riders who were training for a downhill race. To access this ride you need to ask around in Cusco in order to secure your own 4x4 transportation and a driver that knows the area. It also helps to find someone at a local bike shop that has ridden the trail before and try to bring him or her along. Leaving from from Quita, “El Vallecito" (5 km east of Cusco) the rocky access road climbs and twists past several waterfalls until you reach Abra Occoruro at over 4,000 meters. Be prepared for at least 45 minutes of rough 4x4 driving.

While I bounced around with eight passengers in the cabin and seven bikes on top of the Hyundai Galloper, my new friends passed me some maize tostada (toasted and salted corn kernels – “La Galleta Andino”) with cheese. I was reminded of the inherent generosity and friendly nature of the Latin culture. I wondered to myself 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.

After reaching the top, the trail begins with an exposed ridge ride rivaling Colorado Rocky Mountain vistas. It continues over lush soil that reminded me of the soft and squishy British Columbia loam. Later it drops through some steep rocky technical sections, and then some fast burmmed switchbacks reminiscent of the Star Wars section in Downeville, California. The last few kilometers follow the same dirt road where you started the climb.

When you get back down in town, 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 out into the street pierced with a red or white paper or plastic bag-ball on the end. It takes a sturdy pallet and some understanding of Spanish to enter confidently into these informal bars, and the constitution some of the regular patrons will almost invariably demonstrate the potency of the drink.

3. Pumamarka Ruins, Ollantaytambo

Riding next to Inca ruins outside of Ollantaytambo 

Ride through the ruins of an Inca grain storage facility and down agricultural terraces that have been in continual use for over 500 years.

Access: 3 


The trail is best accessed from the town of Ollantaytambo, a little town located in between Cusco and Aguas Calientes (the access town for Machu Picchu). Ollantaytambo was fortified and occupied by Manco Inca (one of the final Inca rulers) before his retreat and ultimate demise at the hands of the Spanish conquerors and it is overlooked by most tourists. The main ruin complex requires an entry fee, but if you are up for an hour hike outside of the central square, you can explore free ruins as well.

To get to Ollantaytambo, you can catch a taxi from Cusco for about for 10 soles (less than $4), or take a bus (the cheapest option), or take the Machi Picchu train (most expensive option). If you are in a taxi or bus you can tell Ollantaytambo is close when after about 90 minutes of rocking back and forth, making blind passes around hair-pin turns, and winding up and down Andean passes; the paved road turns to rough cobblestones.

This ride is offered through several tour companies in Ollantaytambo, so just ask around.  The access to the trailhead requires a 30 minute drive up Camino Willoq north of Ollantaytambo.

Watching a group of young riders descend through the green backdrop as the last rays of sun illuminate the crumbling grain storage structures of Pumamarca was undoubtedly the climax of my recent trip to Peru.

The trail drops into the fertile Urubamba valley and gets narrower as it crosses over Inca agricultural terraces and a few streams. The final section continues down some steep, rocky areas before ending on the cobblestone streets of Ollantaytambo.

Night in Ollantaytambo 

4. Mega Avalanche course, Urubamba valley

KB rocking the Mega course 

Popular ride offered by several local tour agencies. Descend over 3,000 meters on a paved road or a single-track downhill race course.

The off-road trail described here is an downhill race course, known to locals simply as 'el Mega,' after the Mega Avalanche race that was held here in recent years. It has gained an international reputation as a thrilling and beautiful, yet potentially dangerous and technical ride.

Access: 2

This trail is also accessed from Ollantaytambo and offered through the local tour agencies. To access the Mega Avalanche course, you need to drive 1.5 hours up a surprisingly well maintained section paved Peru highway 28B. The trail starts at Abra Malaga, near the foot of the Veronica Glacier at 4,316 meters of elevation. It is almost always cold, windy and rainy at the top, so be sure to bring a warm insulating layer to wear for the first half of the ride.

When I reached the top with Juan Carlos, we met three other riders practicing for the Mega race. Then the fun began. The top portion was wet: soggy soaking wet, Andean rainforest wet, tires sinking into the mossy soil wet, and extremely slippery. I fell more than once in the first 100 meters. But when the single track started, the trail was nice: technical parts, fun, rocky, sharp turns, and floaty jumps that left me wishing for more at the bottom.

The trail ends with some sizable jumps and spits you out in the community of St. Maria along the Urubamba river about 3 km outside of Ollantaytambo.

One highlights of travel here are the hardy three course - two dollar almuerzos (lunches) readily available in any of towns in the valley. After over 3,000 meters of descending though two different climactic zones, a warm barley soup, followed by seco de pollo con arroz, y jugo never tasted so good.

Climate:

Weather in the Andes is inherently unpredictable, however the 'dry season' is supposedly May through October. Both my trips have been in February, during the 'rainy season,' so in my experience the mornings are usually clear but then thunderstorms, ranging in severity, can roll in in the afternoon, so bring a poncho and try to get an early start on these rides.

Recommended gear: 

• Your own full-suspension freeride or downhill mountain bike.  Bringing your own bike is obviously a hassle and added security risk but I think it is worth it - you know your own bike, how it rides, how to fix it, etc. - a luxury your won't have with a rental. If you are planning to rent a bike, do a quick test-ride and a through check of the bike before you pay.  Pay attention to mechanical essentials like: Do the brakes feel crisp and effectively stop the bike? Do the gears shift without too much noise? If you stand next to the bike, hold the front brake, and rock the bike forward, do you feel any excess movement or hear any popping in the headset (indicating that the bolts in the stem need to be tightened)? The main goal  of the tour agencies in Cusco is to sell as many tours as possible as quickly as possible, so mechanical issues can be overlooked.
• Riding clothes and protective gear (helmet, gloves, knee and elbow pads if you have them, and cycling shorts)
• Camelback or comparable hydration pack to carry your essentials for the day.
• Rain poncho
• Purified water and a snack. Bottled water and snacks are readily available at any of the tiendas (little stores) scattered throughout the valley, however it is best to fill up with at least two liters of water and toss an energy bar in your pack before the ride
• Trail-side repair kit with an extra tube, patch kit, mini-pump and mini-tool. On one of my first rides, my 'guide' got a flat tire at the top of a long ride and was without a patch kit or pump - long walk down for him - so it is best to come prepared.
• Some cash for transportation and any other purchases
• Cell phone for emergency calls (ask at the tourism center for emergency numbers) - bring your cell-phone and you can swap out the SIM card for a Peruvian SIM card and make and receive calls.
• Sunscreen and lip protection - the Andean sun is strong and will burn you easily   
• Camera 
• A basic understanding of Spanish

Cultural Note: 

Negotiating prices in Latin America is normal, the workers and ‘guides’ on the street are used to overcharging tourists (because they usually pay!). 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 the case of booking tours, you can also negotiate with the tour providers in town, and if you have a group of three or more you have a better chance of getting a 'discuentito'. In such a poor country like Peru, I sometimes feel guilty about bartering over three soles (just over one US dollar) but taxi drivers and vendors routinely over-charge, so it is up to you to pay the gringo tax or negotiate.

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