Well I have to say I am thrilled to report that Friday’s ride half way over the Andes Mountains is over. It was ferocious. Very hot, very sunny and climbing all day. Over 100 miles and 6500 feet of ascent. A huge wake up call. Where to begin? How about the start.
We left from the sandy beach next to the Pacific Ocean. About 35 of us. Quite a diverse group of cyclists. All in great spirits and very easy to get along with. Mike and I too off with a small peloton that included Jan from Slovakia. He is a very big strong young man and likes to lead which drew no complaints from us. He lead us through the lunch break. Big help. The majority of the riders rode in a huge peloton. Some never finished and got a ride in.
After lunch we rode for 8 miles through an avocado farm. Brilliant start but a treacherous ending. Loose rocks and a very tough go. Mike and I wound up by ourselves (big surprise) and finished the day that way. Did we get a bit lost in the farm? Perhaps but gave us a chance for a couple more miles on the rocks.
The last 30 miles were absolutely torture. What a grind with the bulk of the climbing. Between running out of fuel and horrendous leg cramps I will not soon forget the last couple hours.
The reward? The hostel. Just the 4 of us in the room. Bunk beds and a full mattress. One big happy family. Two great guys from the UK joined us. Quite an adventure. Dinner here at the hotel was disappointing and you had to buy your own water. Learning lots about what not to do with Hudson Valley Detours.
Tomorrow looks like the craziest cycling day of my life. Incredible climb up to over 14,000 feet. Not a long ride but a technical and challenging one. Cool beans.
I know I promised photos from today but I didn’t deliver. Tomorrow for sure.
