For those who prefer to have some “mountain” in their mountain biking, the place to ride around Oaxaca is in the Sierra Norte. And the best area there is the Pueblos Mancomunados – the forest region jointly owned and administered by eight Zapotec villages under the auspices of Expediciones Sierra Norte. All these little communities have charm, but perhaps the most special is Llano Grande; and it was here we chose to ride one Sunday in March.
We often ride the miles of dirt roads in this area without registering or paying for a native guide. But for today’s outing we wanted to explore some of the singletrack trails, and for that we hired a guide, who led us on a merry five-hour expedition through the woods, stopping to climb to a mirador and later hiking a short distance to a cascada. In fairness, the ride could have been accomplished in much less time, but we were in the mood for a more leisurely run – taking photos, climbing trees and just having fun.
The double loop we rode covered 9.95 miles (16.0 km) with an elevation gain and loss of 1812 feet (552 meters). The highest point was the peak with the panoramic view, which topped out at an altitude of 10,941 feet (3334.8 meters). The lowest point on the ride was a creek crossing at 9,635 feet (2936 meters). The steepest section was a downhill run that recorded a grade of 29%. There were seven moderate (but very fun) log ramps for those inclined to spend some time in the air.
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