Mountain Biking Holidays
Mountain Biking in Ecuador
Join Ecuador's Mountain Biking Pioneers on a mountain bike tour through Ecuador's spectacular countryside. Biking Dutchman has been providing memorable vacations for cyclists of all abilities since 1991. Our company is based in Quito Ecuador, one of the world's premier mountain bike destination. From Quito, cyclists have access to a large diversity of rides ranging from snow-capped Andean volcanoes exhilarating páramo, cloud forest or jungle on hundreds of miles of mostly traffic-free unpaved roads and trails. The massive scale of the Ecuador's Andes turns cycling uphill into a torture, so our tours are essentially downhill.
Choosing the Trip that's Right for You
Mountain biking is a great source of fun and exercise for people of all ages and abilities, but like any activity, there are levels of difficulty that range from quite manageable for most to the very difficult reserved only for truly experienced individuals. We want to make sure that the trip you choose is the one that's best for you, the one that you will enjoy the most, and so we have classified each of our tours into three categories: easy, moderate, and challenging. In classifying the trips we take into consideration the distance covered, the terrain, weather conditions and altitude. In all cases and as an added precaution, on every trip a driver in a support vehicle closely follows our guests so that anyone in need of a rest can take a break and hitch a ride to continue along with the group.
Trip Levels
Easy: Suitable for most people in good health.
Moderate: Requires a reasonable level of fitness - these trips can require sustained endurance levels, hills, longer days and higher altitudes.
Challenging: Physically demanding and best suited for strong people with a lot of endurance. Days can be long, often at altitude, and in remote regions with tough terrain.
Recommended Trip! - Mountain Biking Down Cotopaxi Volcano
Decend the slopes of one of the world's highest volcanos at breathtaking speeds. Leisurely pedal throug a lunar landscape sprinkled with lakes, Inca ruins, and giant boulders long past spewed from the volcano.
Cotopaxi National Park...
Our five-day biking adventure begins as we drive south to Cotopaxi National Park, two hours from Quito. At the base of Cotopaxi Volcano, we embark on the first leg of our journey: a wild ride downward to the silvery lake of Limpiopungo. Across the paramo landscape you often see wild herds of horses galloping free, as well as dainty clusters of paramo flowers in yellows, pinks and lavenders. Eventually, we pedal through pine-forested lands until reaching the park's guard station, where a llama herd is typically seen. In the afternoon, we drive to Urbina, where we spend the night in a mountain chalet. (B,L)
Chimborazo to Baños...
We head out early for the drive south to volcano Chimborazo, the highest peak in Ecuador at 6310 meters (20,697 ft.) At the base camp we hop on our bikes and begin the downward descent through a magical Andean landscape to the small village of San Juan, nearby Riobamba. Before reaching this point, we'll be served our lunch in a very typical Indian village. In San Juan we load the bikes on the jeep roof and drive to Baños, a small town famous for its hot springs, and spend the night there. (B,L)
Puyo and the Avenue of the Orchids...
We take a pre-breakfast dip in the thermal baths of Baños before pedaling east toward Puyo. You'll notice the dramatic temperature and vegetation changes as we descend into the steamy Amazon basin. Bike along the Avenue of the Orchids to the Amazonian frontier town of Puyo. Lunch. Drive through quichua villages and tropical rainforest to Tena town in the Amazon basin. Overnight and dinner in a jungle lodge at the river bank (B,L)
Amazon Basin...
Today our travel is by foot as we explore pristine Amazon rainforest. On this hike, we will see a beautiful waterfall as well as exotic flora and fauna. We stand a good chance of spotting flocks of Amazon parrots, macaws and toucans. We have a 30 km bike ride through the forest back to the lodge. In the afternoon we relax at the lodge, enjoying a swim in a protected bay in the river. (B,L)
We begin by driving by jeep up into the Andes (Guaguamaya Pass). We cycle to the town of Baeza at the base of the Andes. We enjoy a picnic lunch, and then drive up to the Papallacta thermal baths for a well-earned soak in the toasty hot springs. From the Ave Maria Pass (4200m), we then bike back towards Quito along the Chiche river basin. This is one of the longest downhill rides in the world, about 45 km. The last 12 kilometers will be on the famous railroad line going through five tunnels, one of which is 322 meters long. The spectacular ride takes us speeding through wide stretches of paramo and cloud forest, with the Andean sun illuminating the way. Some days can be chilled by occasional fog, so don't forget your mittens and fleece. In Tumbaco we pile the bikes on the jeep's roof and head back to Quito. (B,L)
Prices per person for the whole trip:
2-4 pax: US$ 540,00
5+ pax: 460,00
INCLUDED: Jungle tour, meals as indicated (B=breakfast, L= lunch, D=dinner) 4 nights accommodation, 21-speed mountain bikes, transportation, guide-driver, all protections (helmet, elbow and knee pads)
NOT INCLUDED: Meals not mentioned above Entrance fee to the National Parks (e.
-
Hiking -
Backpacking -
Camping
-
Aid Climbing
-
Ice Climbing
-
Bouldering
-
Indoor Climbing
-
Traditional Climbing
-
Avalanche Awareness
-
Environmental Awareness
-
Mountaineering
-
High Altitude
-
Traversing
-
Aid Climbing
-
Free Climbing
-
Solo Climbing
-
Lead Climbing
-
Outdoor Survival
-
Navigation
-
Search & Rescue
-
Canyoneering
-
Caving
-
Coasteering
-
Big Walling
-
Ropes & Knots
-
Belaying
-
Rappeling
-
Top Roping
-
First Aid
Additional:
Mountain biking
Prices per person per package
2-3 pax: US$ 540,00
4+ pax: 460,00
INCLUDED: Jungle tour, meals as indicated (B=breakfast, L= lunch, D=dinner) 4 nights accommodation, 21-speed mountain bikes, transportation, guide-driver, all protections (helmet, elbow and knee pads)
NOT INCLUDED: Meals not mentioned above Entrance fee to the National Parks (e.g Cotopaxi and Chimborazo US$ 10,00 each one), drinks, tips, personal expenses.
Mountain Biking Travel Directory
Monday 2nd November 2009 at 2:13:15 PM
Was on your website looking at Mountain Biking in Ecuador. How much distance is covered in the 4/5 days and what days in December do the trips start?
Many thanks
Name: (required)
Email Address: (will not be published) (required)
Website:
Comment: