Mountain biking in Ecuador
Mountain biking is an extreme sport in which a person riding a bicycle can travel great distances on very difficult and unimaginable great terrain. In general, this activity, which since 1996 is also considered as an Olympic sport, is disputed on mountainous terrain with surfaces that can be sand, mud, mud, etc., and where the rider must avoid obstacles such as rocks, rocks, Cliffs, among others.
Photo: volcanoclimbing
The beginnings of Mountain biking date back to the 70’s in California (United States), when a group of young cyclists began to enjoy the adrenaline of going up and down great hills. Later, seeing how difficult this action was, the bikes were adapting to the requirements and conditions of lar routes, while creating various sports modalities; Each with its levels of difficulty.
Ecuador is a destination par excellence for the practice of this sport thanks to its beautiful and huge mountains. If you want to practice it, here we leave you a list of options (elaborated by the Espol) that owns the country:
mountain biking
1. Guagua Pichincha – Pichincha. From the top of this active volcano located only 10 kilometers from Quito, a descent begins where you can admire on a clear day the city of Quito and the volcanoes that surround it.
2. Quilotoa Lagoon – Cotopaxi. The crater of an active volcano that receives an unforgettable green lake and surrounded by the exuberance of the Andean landscape. Stops in Zumbahua and Pujilí, two interesting indigenous communities.
3. City of Baños – Tungurahua. Maybe one of the places with more choices of bike rides. Day trips around the Tungurahua volcano and the famous route through the Cascadas, Orquídeas and Guayabas route to Pailón del Diablo or to the East are its main attractions.
4. Cotopaxi Volcano and Cotopaxi National Park. Through the Cotopaxi National Park and the beauty of the typical flora of the moors admire 8 volcanoes around it until descending to the lagoons of Limpiopungo and the pine forest. Other routes are diverted to the Pan-American highway and other more demanding ones go by Angamarca (town of Cotopaxi).
5. Papallacta – Pichincha. Located downhill from the eastern Andes that lead to the Amazon jungle. You can enjoy its rivers, the lagoon that bears its name and its sites. Just 1 hour from Quito.
Credit: RutaLatina