This Sunday I went with some athlete friends to do mountain biking in Quito. We went to a close by city named Cumbaya (15 mins from Quito); to a mountain bike trail named “Chaquiñan” where people can run, walk, and bike at approximately 2,288 meters above sea level.
We started at 7am and we did 34 km in about 3 hours. Biking along this trail is fun! you get to see nice views and have hills, down hills, rocks, sand, trees, tunnels, and cliffs (to your side). The trail is not dangerous – meaning you don’t need to be a pro to go with your bicycle there – just make sure you have a good mountain bicycle and some company (as it is not recommended to go by yourself and definitely go early in the morning).
Approximately 11 km from the starting point in Cumbaya, you get to the best part of the trail! you are going downhill and you have at your right a beautiful view of the “Chiche canyon”, this nice view at your right lasts about 10 minutes, approximately 2 kilometers. Then you get to cross several tunnels, the second one being the longest, it has a length of about 100 meters. You have to have a lighter or you won’t see a thing! It is a bit of an upper hill, but it is not bad; so make sure you put a lot of strenght on this part to cross the tunnel fast!
When you get to kilometer # 17 (Arrayanes), you have a refreshing point. Here you can buy fresh fruit juices, energy drinks, fruits, snacks, and water; there are also restrooms here. Juices are good, especially because they are 100% natural and no sugar added! I drank an orange and banana juice and it was very refreshing! As part of the snacks they sell “chochos” this is one grain that is original from the Andes, it has a lot of nutrients! So this could be a good snack for you, if you want to try something different and healthy.
Once we reached to the refreshing point (Arrayanes) we rested there like 10 minutes; then we took our bikes to go back to where we started. The way back is a bit easier because you go most of the time downhill.
We were back at the starting point after 3 hours of biking, and thanks to my Garmin watch I was able to track a map (which I have shared it under Share a Trail: “Mountain Bike at Chaquiñan”), and gather a lot of useful information.
If you want to do this too, here are some important facts and tips:
Information on the trail:
* Starting point: Km 2 of the Chaquiñan
* Finish point: Km 17 Arrayanes
* Total distance for this trail: 34.05 km
* Average speed: 11.3 km/hour
* Altitude: 2,288 m
* Elevation gain: 459 m
* Starting time: 7:29 am
* Finishing time: 10:30 am
Tips:
* Bring a lighter with you – there are some dark tunnels on the way!
* Use sunblock on face
* Always wear a helmet
* Wear long sleeves, or sleeves because the sun is super strong and you will get sunburned
* Better to use bike pants (to your ankles) because there are trees, dust, and few mosquitos that could bite
* Wear sunglasses
* Wear bike gloves
* Start early in the morning to avoid strong heat at noon, at the latest 7:30 am.
* Bring some cash with you (like $25 US dollars – better to have one or two dollars in coins especially if you want to enjoy a fresh juice and you dont wan’t to wait for change)
Hope you enjoy the ride as much as I did!