Eleven intrepid cyclists showed up for today’s Sunday ride, which went from the center of Oaxaca out through Tlalixtac, up the Los Molinos trail to the waterfall and then along Hwy 175 to El Estudiante – a round trip distance of 37.6 kilometers (23.4 miles). Elevation gain and loss on the route totaled 513 meters (1683 feet). Though the temperature was a brisk 11° C (52° F) at 8 am, intense sunshine was forecast to push the thermometer to 31° C (88° F) by mid-afternoon, making for a marvelous day to be aboard a bicycle. Most of our Sunday rides are pretty mellow, with a rating of easy to moderate. Today’s excursion, though, pushed to the edge of the “difficult” category, given the challenges of the single track trail leading to the cascada and then up to the highway. Nevertheless, everyone in the group – including three newcomers – managed quite well. That said, all seemed quite happy to return to the city via the highway rather than endure again the hike-a-bike sections traversed on the outbound leg of the ride.
in the hills above Tlalixtac.