Ecuador, Part 1

After 4 and a half months in Colombia, our adventures have brought us to Ecuador. Officially named República del Ecuador (Republic of the Equator), it is here that we will traverse from the Northen Hemisphere into the Southern. As the first nation to write into the constitution the rights for nature, it is the most biodiverse country per square kilometer. Including the Galapagos, the birthplace of Darwin's Theory of Evolution and Coral Atolls, Ecuador is home to over 16,000 species of birds, seven which are endemic to the mainland and 30 to the Galapagos. Over 18,000 species of plants, 6,000 types of butterflies, 239 amphibian species, 157 endemic reptiles, and 40 endemic mammals unique to its lands. Ecuador is also home to Chimborazo peak, the closet point to space due to the Earth's equatorial bulge from the centrifugal force of Earth's rotation.

During the 15th century, the Amerindian groups of Ecuador were absorbed into the Incan Empire and later colonized by Spain during the 16th century. The indigenous people of the Amazon jungle and coastal Ecuador remained relatively autonomous until the Spanish soldiers and missionaries arrived in force. The Amazonian people and the Cayapas of Coastal Ecuador were the only groups to resist Inca and Spanish domination, maintaining their language and culture well into the 21st century. Gaining independence as part of Colombia in 1820, it emerged as a sovereign state in 1830. One can trace this legacy through its ethnically diverse population. Of its 15.2 million estimated population, most are Mestizos, followed by significant minorities of Europeans and African descendants.

Our first section of Ecuador loosely followed the dirt road version of the Trans Ecuador Mountian Bike Route from Tulcan to Otavalo. TEMBR is a route developed by Cass Gilbert and the Dammer brothers, offering both a punishing single track hike-a-bike and a mellower dirt road version. If you have been following along with our previous entries, you know which route we decided to follow. For those new here, we chose the softer dirt road sibling of the two.

I say loosely followed, as we decided to cut out the Piñán páramo. A hard decision we eventually came to from reading about a nasty mountain consisting of bike pushing up a muddy track for 2-3 days. These extra days saved will also help us ensure we get past Peru before the rainy season starting in October.

Our first day started with the border crossing from Ipiales Colombia to Tulcán Ecuador. In Tulcán we fueled up and obtained good 'ol American currency from the ATM before heading to the start point of TEMBR. The road went from nice hard-packed dirt to rough rocky tracks the further we climbed and ventured into the remoteness. After a few hours, we stopped and listened. We were shocked to hear nothing except the rustle of the wind. With no human-made object in sight for miles, we felt a sense of calmness settle over our minds as we breathed in the remote nature. The breathing was quick and heavy as we panted up the challenging road — a real struggle to ride but fun nonetheless.

We were signaled of our entry into El Angel Ecological Reserve when we rounded the bend to find thousands of Frailejónes spread across the valley and surrounding hills. These plants are an endangered species of the sunflower family located in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and a Dr.Suess book.

We climbed past 12,300 in elevation to the top of the pass, where a ranger's station was said to accept cyclists for the night. Lying in the clouds, it was freezing at this elevation. Piling on every piece of clothing we had, we paced to stay warm as we waited for our dinner to cook. The weather was a worthy test for our winter gear, which proved to work well. One point at night, I had to strip off a few layers from waking up overheating.

We awoke to find that the clouds had moved in even more. A grey mist covered the land, limiting visibility to around 30 feet in front of us. We had planned to take the short lake hike in the morning but decided against it as visibility was poor and we just wanted to lose elevation to get warmer. The descent felt like we were exploring a new world. The clouded scenery with Frailejónes jetting from the mist gave off an otherworldly atmosphere.

Dropping into the town of El Angel, we departed the TEMBR and headed onto the Pan American which greeted us with 18 miles of exhilarating downhill. We were soon stripping off layers as we declined into a valley that reminded us much of Baja, heat and all. Over the next two days, we regained a bit our elevation through a series of very steep hills on paved roads with very little traffic. Although not as remote as our dirt traversals, this paved section was pleasant, and we soon rejoined the TEMBR in the town of Imantag. Riding the cobbled section into Cotachaci, we found the square celebrating Independence Day. A small market was set up where women in the traditional dress of Ecuador were selling various goods of textiles, beans, and fruit.

Finishing off this section of Ecuador, we are taking a rest day in Otavalo, a touristy textile town of the Andean Highlands surrounded by the two looming Volcanoes, Cotacachi and Imbabura. The primary market, Plaza de Ponchos, is packed with vendors in indigenous garments selling beautiful textiles of rugs, ponchos, scarves, and other handmade goods. We entered the city on Saturday when the market is at its busiest. Navigating our bicycles through the crowded vendor alleyways, we ended the day by pushing our bikes up an extremely steep cobbled road to a hostel accepting tents. I am still not sure if the bike-push up that hill was worth the five dollars we saved by camping.

This section was a fantastic start to Ecuador, and we are excited to keep moving. Our next course will follow the TEMBR from Otavalo to Tumbaco, a 2-3 day route that will start with another cobbled climb up to Lake Mojanda. To read more about the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route, follow this link to bikepacking.com.