Ecuador – Enduro road trip

In South America, directly on the equator, lies the small country of Ecuador. Small in area, but big in verticality. It stretches from the sea to the summit of Chimborazo at 6263m. The landscape is correspondingly varied. From the coast it goes into the jungle and on to meadows and fields up to over 4000m. Above that it becomes barren and rocky before you reach glaciers on the summits.

The culture is just as varied as the landscape. As a Central European, you may have heard of the Galapagos Islands or Cotopaxi. But Ecuador is much more. There is, for example, the city of Quito, which is over 50 km long and stretches over the hills like a sea of houses. Rich and poor are close together here. Luxury villas next to shacks. Cuenca, a city in the south, is much more modern, western and sporty. Many young people are drawn here, which is particularly noticeable in the numerous bars. The old town with its imposing cathedral is also well worth a visit.

Mountain biking in Ecuador is characterized by single trails maintained by the local communities. Climatically, there is a lot of rain in our winter months, which leads to a lot of mud on the trails. In summer it is then dry as dust. Without maintenance, the trails would be broken after every winter. However, the locals are very supportive because they love biking and especially downhill riding. That’s why there are so many local community races and the trails are in top condition. Even if they are much dustier than you are used to in Europe.

During our trip, we cross the country from north to south and stop at the best bike spots. Sometimes there are local trail parks where you can shuttle yourself with a pickup, and other times there are big freeride descents on the flanks of the volcanoes. It’s not unusual for us to climb several thousand meters in one go. Most of the time we are relatively high, between 2500m and 5000m, so you don’t even notice that you are at the equator because of the temperatures. But we also get through the literal sea of clouds down to 200m, where we are quickly confronted with a tropical climate.

The accommodation on this trip offers you the full range of Ecuador, and each one is unique. In Quito we spend the night at Guide Cuervo’s organic farm, in the north in a beautiful hotel with hot springs. The most comfortable accommodation is probably at Coco in Guaranda: a farm converted into accommodation with a shared main house and smaller apartment buildings. Morning chill-out with coffee on the balcony included.

We have a cozy hotel in an ideal location in Cuenca. The old town is within walking distance and nothing stands in the way of an evening out. In the far south, near the famous La Paz Trail, we stayed in some lovely tiny houses that a local rider had opened especially for bikers.

We usually eat out and enjoy the great Ecuadorian cuisine in typical restaurants. We always pay attention to good quality. Our favorite was ceviche, you’ll soon find out why.

The travel report of our Explorer trips can currently be read in Bikemagazin. Online articles will follow.