Riding Chimborazo

Starting at the Refugio on Chimborazo at 4,800m in fresh snow with the Refuge behind

Today was my big challenge day.  Four years ago I crashed riding down Chimborazo and was off work for almost a year recovering from head injuries,  puncture lung and multiple broken bones. Today I was going to ride it again.

We left Riobamba in heavy overcast but at about 4,000m the mist cleared and we could see a fresh dump of snow stretching down to about 4,500m.  As we climbed in the 4WDs the snow got deeper and with difs locked we passed a ute that had slid off the road. We stopped to pick up the workers and food for the refuge before continuing to the road end at 4,800m.

After coffees in the Refuge 11 of us started down with much sliding and the odd tumble into the snow.  On the steeper bits riding the untracked snow worked well and we were all pretty cautious.

The rest of the riders joined us as the snow thinned

At a long stop we regrouped at the park entrance before continuing on a volcanic sand track that had once been the road.  This was the last memories I had of my previous trip and I realised how I had crashed.  This deceptively flat track had deep erosion cuts and I must have hit one while distracted watching the vicunas (llama like animals that live in wild herds on the mountain).

Catherine

After a short road spell we enjoyed some great clay/volcanic single track with deep erosion gullies.  Andre misjudged a leap and landed in a heap with a good hematoma from the handle bars but after a few moments of pain declared himself ready to continue.

The drizzle turned to rain and the route varied from deeply rutted 4WD to single track that everyone coped with remarkably well.  The cold was the biggest challenge, made worse by the stop/start nature of being a big group.

Sue and Jane F elected not to ride and had a great day learning about the region from their driver guide who had excellent English.

Peter at the finish

It was Catherine R's first ever mountain bike  ride and she was grinning from ear to ear.  I see a purchase coming up.

Everyone was covered in mud and pretty shattered by the end of nearly 2000m of descent, but very pleased with themselves.  The hotel concierge was unimpressed with the trail we left through the hotel, but I am not sure he was going to be impressed with anything we did.

As we were about to go to dinner Sangay Volcano erupted sending up a large ash cloud.  It is 50kms away, so no noise or ash here in Riobamba.

Layers of ash from at  least 30 eruptions.

There  are several other days to fill in - hopefully there will be time to explain the trip out of the jungle, Lake  Quilatoa, and walking up to the hot springs above Quinta Colorada.