Oregon to Ushuaia on an XR650L

[Ulyses]

Originally Posted by alvincullumyork

I wish!

Well, take all of that oil field money you made, get your ass down here, and rent a bike! They rent XRL's in Peru.....

[alvincullumyork]

Originally Posted by Ulyses

Well, take all of that oil field money you made, get your ass down here, and rent a bike! They rent XRL's in Peru.....

I'd consider it if I had made more than I have and if they rented XRR s.

[trespalacios]

Originally Posted by Throttlemeister

The dude must not like the mig much It's really neat finding the good shops down in SA where serious craftsmanship is going on. I've seen some amazing machine shops down South.

Yep $60 was way on the high side, +1 on negotiating the price up front, saves the awkward situations.

Enjoying the report, was hoping you'd stay in Colombia and become a regular

So how do you like Ecuador compared to Colombia You had a nice place for New Years and looked like a wild fun party

Going to Medellin soon. Want to come along? Los paisas nacen en cualquier lado...even in OK land

[bwalsh]

Originally Posted by trululu96

hey ulysses....



a picture with an aweosome traveler

and another moustache pasted in an incredibly fast xr 250 r

safe trip again, Daniel

Nice, another ADV convert. You guys in Medellin really now how to make someone feel welcome!

Originally Posted by Ulyses

Thanks man! I'm actually kind of envious of you, I miss the snow. But I don't want to trade places...

While you're riding around down in Ecuador I'm up here in Virginia playing in the snow & ice.



Looks like you're having a blast!

Originally Posted by axxerd

In order to do something like this I'd have to ride thousands of miles just to get to the starting point of most other riders.

The longer the trip the better!

[rtwpaul]

Originally Posted by Ulyses

Last night we celebrated the new year Ecuador style with a bonfire and an Ano Viejo burning. Advriders present included: Dylan (cleanwatt), Allison (bubbletron), Dwight (kedgi), Frank, Tony, Boris, Alain, and me (ulyses).

glad you found the place, sad i couldn't be there for the party i arranged, sounds like it was all i expected it to be...all the best for the new year heading south

[Ulyses]

Day 80 (January 3, 2013)
Quito, Ecuador
Day's Hike: Approx 5 Miles with 1,950 feet of elevation gain.



Sometimes you just know you shouldn't do something, but you do it anyways. I believe the saying is "Old enough to know better, young enough not to care". Dylan, one of the riders who's here in Quito with me, recommended that we take the aerial tram out of town and then do a hike/climb up a nearby volcano.

I love hiking, climbing, camping, skiing, mountaineering, and all things outdoors. However, I figured that this trip would be a little more focused on riding and making miles, so I left most of that gear at home. But when Dylan suggested that we go for a little day hike, I figured why not?

I didn't have a proper back pack, but the little Honda shoulder bag that the Antioquia XR club had given me in Medellin seemed like it would be enough. I also didn't have any proper hiking pants, shoes, or gloves; however, I figured I could just roll in my running shorts and running shoes and stick my hands in my pockets to keep them warm.

We got to the tram at around 9 AM and hoped on board.



As we were riding up, I figured I should at least research what I was getting myself into. I busted out the Lonely Planet South America guide that I had downloaded on my iPhone and checked it out. Apparently the peak was 15,402 feet tall and required a bit of "scrambling".

Well, definitelyly wasn't prepared for that. I looked up at the mountains and realized that I couldn't see them because they were socked in by some dark grey, fast moving clouds. I've climbed a few mountains and I've seen some people get pretty jacked up by not bringing the right clothing and not making good choices (i.e. hiking a 15,400 foot tall volcano in a cotton t-shirt and running shoes in bad weather). There was a little voice in the back of my head telling me that this was not a good idea.....

....whatever. Lets go bag a Volcano!

The tram tops out at about 13,448 feet and the views of Quito were incredible.



I had forgotten to bring any water or food, but figured that I could buy some at the little shop at the top of the tram. Unfortunately, that shop was closed. Screw it. Let's hike! I was making all sorts of great choices.

We started off down the path at a good pace. The wind was whipping clouds over the peak and the summit was totally socked in. You can see the base of the peak on the left in the picture below.



We soon reached a sign informing us that the trail was 4km one way. Well, now I knew how far we were going...



The trail continued along a low grass covered ridge line. It was interesting to be above 14,000 feet and not be in a totally alpine environment.



Despite the brisk wind and cool temperatures, I was sweating up a storm in my cotton t-shirt. I put on my shell and kept trucking. Here's a good shot of Dylan coming up the trail:



As we were walking, I had noticed a large group of people in front of us. Being an extremely competitive person, I typically take a situation like this as a challenge to my manhood and climbing ability; it was immediatelyedietly clear that I had to pass them. So I picked up the pace.....



....and jogged by them while holding my breath, all in an effort to look hard. I nearly passed out after I got by them and started breathing again, but it was worth it. And then I saw three more people in front of me, and was obligated to do it again.

As I approached the rocky portion of the climb, the wind picked up even more and the clouds started getting a little more dense. In the picture below, the summit is way behind the promontory of rock.



After entering the clouds, the trail terminated in some sandy washes and it became an ankle deep slog straight up the north east face.



Eventually the sand gave way to scree and solid rock and it became a little bit of a scramble. The last few hundred feet of vertical turned into a low level class 3 climb. Before we knew it, we topped out on the summit.



By this time I was getting really cold. That cotton t-shirt was totally soaked with sweat and I was freezing. I tried to take off my jacket to put on a base layer and realized that my hands and arms were almost totally numb. My dexterity was almost totally gone.

I fianlly managed to get my jacket off and remove the t-shirt. Fortunately, I had brought a decent base layer, so I slapped that on and then put on my shells and felt a little better. I had Dylan snap the mandatory summit shot for me.



And then it was time to get the hell out of there before hypothermia started setting in! We got some strange looks from the people that we had passed earlier as we came bounding down the rocks.

We eventually reached the sandy washes and commenced with the plunge stepping. Essentially, plunge stepping is kind of like taking huge bounding steps (almost jumps) down hill and letting the sand (or snow, or scree) absorb the impact. It's kind of like a controlled fall. Besides screeing and skiing and glisading, plunge stepping is one of the faster ways to get off a mountain.



Eventually we got back to the trail and I started running to try and warm up. I always to try to run portions of the decent if practical, but now it was a necessity.



Eventually we came out of the clouds and I started warming up. Quito was stunning down in the valley with the sun and shadows from the clouds clashing together.



We made it back to the tram about three hours after we had started. I collapsed into a chair in the lobby and ordered some food while we waited for a ride down; It was time for the recovery drink:



On that way out I saw a rather humours sign:



That really doesn't inspire confidence in the tram. Sometimes Latin humor is a little off.....

Spent the rest of the day napping and putting the rack back on the bike. And that's all for today.

[alvincullumyork]

"There's the right way, the wrong way, and the Bissinger way."

"What's the difference between the wrong way and the Bissinger way?"

"The Bissinger way is more dangerous and faster."

Keep the family name strong brother!

[wbedient]

Originally Posted by alvincullumyork

"There's the right way, the wrong way, and the Bissinger way."

"What's the difference between the wrong way and the Bissinger way?"

"The Bissinger way is more dangerous and faster."

Keep the family name strong brother!

Leave it to an Infantryman to turn a hike into a ruck run.

[ONandOFF]

I am so impressed with your hike, Bryce! It always thrills me to do things to the max as well. I hope next time I go to Ecuador to do a backpacking outing, perhaps in Cajas. Glad to see you made the teleferico- I forgot about the trail at the top. Looks like you could ride your bike along much of that trail... I bet that would be a blast. You keep rocking and I hope you get to see a lot more of Ecuador, the best south america has to offer!

I'm still with you in Guatemala, how freaky that speedboat encounter and how unfortunate the slippery roads and other maladies, but can't blame it on the political boundaries as it's all in God's providence. You have a lot of blessings, just remember who to thank. Enjoy, but go light on the space gravy!

[DucHym09]

This has been a great story! My Columbian co-worker here on the rig has enjoyed it as well!!

Originally Posted by Ulyses

Day 74
Medellin, Colombia to Santa Rosa, Colombia
Day's Ride: 137 Miles



Well, I finally managed to leave Medellin. It was hard, but I forced myself to pack up and get out. Before I left I had to have Al sign the tank:



And then I had to get a picture with him and Zach, his manager, and James, one of the Motolobia guys, in front of the Shamrock.



Al, if you're reading this, thanks for the great stay! The Shamrock rules! By the way, you need to start a wall of fame with pictures from all of the overlanders that stop at your bar.

As I was leaving, Byron and Isabel rolled up and took over my room. It was good to see them again. I have a feeling I'll be meeting them again at least one more time.

Getting on the road south again felt good. It was hot out, but my new pressure suit thingamig was working great. After passing quite a bit of stalled traffic coming out of the city, I began to reflect that the double yellow line running down the middle of most roads does not mean "don't pass" but is actually a tiny passing lane for motos.



The ride out of Medellin heading south towards Cali is fantastic. Their is a fairly large climb and then an even larger drop down into a long river valley. Part of the road follows a ridge line down into the lowlands.



Stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant after I finally got to the floor of the valley and ordered "Choripapas", which I figured would be sausage and potatoes, but ended up being french fries and potatoes. Close enough.



After lunch I was blasting south when I saw a couple of riders stopped by the road on a VSTROM 650. I pulled over and said hi and asked for directions. They were taking a break from their riding gear as it was incredibly hot and humid. Once again I was thankful that I had purchased the pressure suit.



After leaving the VSTROM riders, I was coming around a corner when I ran right into a Colombian Speed Trap! Ay Carumba! The cops immediately jumped out into the road and motioned me to pull over. As soon as I had my helmet off, one of the cops came up and started asking for my papers and telling me that I had just been caught violating the speed limit. Blast!

I tried the stupid gringo trick and acted like I had no idea what he was saying; however, he was extremely persistent, so I eventually gave him my fake driver's license, and copies of my passport, importation papers, and insurance. He took everything over to his jefe and they started writing me up. I waltzed over and took a look at their operation. They had a perfect location, just at the bottom of a long sweeping curve where the speed limit dropped from 80 KPH to 50 KPH in the span of a few meters. You can see the curve in the background as one of the coppers scrutinizes my xeroxes:



I was a little pissed, but there wasn't much that I could do. It's not like I've actually been paying attention to speed limits. I don't usually ride much over 60 MPH anyways so it seemed like there was no need. This was also the first time I had seen Colombians using a speed gun. It was pretty legit though. They showed me the laser and replayed the video of me coming around the corner with my speed (88 KPH) pasted across the image.



Well, they got me fair and square. I waited for the discussion of money to begin; however, the jefe took my documents and started writing me a ticket. Well I'll be. I don't have to bribe anyone.



I was still playing stupid so I couldn't really ask him where to pay. Next time I'm just going to try giving them the sad Gringo look. About the same time they gave me my ticket and told me to go away, another motorcyclists on a R1200GS got pulled over. I asked the rider if he spoke English. He did. He then told me he recognized me from yesterday; apparently he had been eating lunch in the restaurant that I stopped at with Juan David, Daniel, and Rafa. Small world. I asked him what I should do.

"Don't pay it. Just get the hell out of Colombia. They aren't advanced enough to have it in the system by the time you cross into Ecuador."



Okay then. I'm not sure if that's the best advice, but I don't really know what else to do. I guess I'll try and figure it out tomorrow.

I hopped back on and continued riding until I reached Santa Rosa. I continued out of town until I reached the Hot Springs, or "Termales" as they are called. Al told me about this place and said it was a must see. There is a huge waterfall at the back of the complex, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 feet.



My pictures don't do it justice.



Getting into the nice Hot Springs costs 40,000 pesos (about $20). I probably wouldn't have paid that much, but a good soak sounded like a good idea and the restaurant had wifi. Since my Cabana down the road does not have internet, I decided I might as well take a dip and post on the old ride report. So here you go!



That's all for today. If there are any Colombianos reading this that want to give me advice on that ticket, I'd appreciate it. I've got to go, the lady in the lobby of the hotel that I'm pirating this wifi from is starting to give me dirty looks.....

[purpledrake]

Ummm, so are you the crazy MF that I see near the summit, the one with:

No hiking boots/proper backpack/hydration system/sunscreen/clothing/food/map....... but somehow are carrying:

Golf club/bottled beer/basketball/fireworks/rubber rafts/Costco-sized container of Cheerios.....???

Every once in a while I see such nuts, and wonder who they are. Now I know.

Looking forward to climbing with you soon.

PD

[RubberSideUp]

Originally Posted by alvincullumyork

I'd consider it if I had made more than I have and if they rented XRR s.

They did when I was there, although I didn't end up doing it. My brother and I flew to Costa Rica and rented bikes for a week. It is a lot of fun!

Thanks for contacting Peru Motorcycle tours.
We can Offer you the Honda XR650R or the NX400 the price is:
XR650R USD 80.00 per day ( Cusco area)
NX400 USD 60.00 per day ( Cusco area)

If you wish one of our program in motorcycle, you need inform us the date for see if we have people for some of our program, like this the
price are more cheap, for expl. we have a tour of 5 days, the day 9th of January.
Please send us this information, and we send you an answer as soon as possible.
Best regards

Jorge Polack

Peru motorcycle tours™
Cuesta San Cristobal #180 (Main office)
Calle Saphi # 546 (Tourist office)
Telf. 0051-84-9651588 (24 hours)
Telf.0051-84-236853 o 256884
Fax.0051-04-256884 o 233422
SKIPE. peruexplorers
E-mail.info@perumotorcycletours.com
Web.www.perumotorcycletours.com

Cusco - Peru .................................. Enjoying the report!

[Ulyses]

Originally Posted by rtwpaul

glad you found the place, sad i couldn't be there for the party i arranged, sounds like it was all i expected it to be...all the best for the new year heading south

Thanks for setting it up! Have a good time one that island that you're not supposed to be on!

[Ulyses]

Originally Posted by alvincullumyork

"There's the right way, the wrong way, and the Bissinger way."

"What's the difference between the wrong way and the Bissinger way?"

"The Bissinger way is more dangerous and faster."

Keep the family name strong brother!

You know, that is so true! More dangerous and faster.....always!

[Ulyses]

Originally Posted by DucHym09

This has been a great story! My Columbian co-worker here on the rig has enjoyed it as well!!

Thanks! Where are you guys at?