Category: Countryside

Countryside, Foothills, GPS, Mountains, MTBing, Photos, Racing, Trail Info

“La Carroñera”

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“La Carroñera” (“The Scavenger”) is an epic race held in the mountains just outside San Agustin Etla, a community a short distance to the north of Oaxaca city. On this particular day the contest drew a whopping 190 registered participants, all eager to test their mettle on this rigorous course, which ran 23.54 miles (37.88 km), using a combination of city streets, dirt roads, single track trails across the flanks of the mountain — and one section of tenuous trail running along the aqueduct that supplies water to San Agustin. There were three significant climbs along the way, the first being by far the longest and toughest, requiring contestants to use pedal power to gain 3711 feet (1131 meters) in altitude along the 7.2 mile (11.6 km) route from town to the highest point on the circuit — which topped out at an altitude of 9220 feet (2810 meters). The total elevation gain and loss riding around the course came to a whopping 6676 feet (2035 meters) — certainly a good day’s workout!

Those who preferred a somewhat less challenging course had the option of skipping the upper loop shown on the map. This reduced the overall length of the ride by 5.6 miles (9.0 km) and lopped off 2386 feet (722 meters) from the total elevation gain & loss for the day. Even so, the shorter ride totaled 17.9 miles (28.8 km) and demanded 4290 feet (1307 meters) of climbing and descending. Congratulations to all who completed the ride and earned a special medallion for their effort!

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Countryside, Hiking, Mountains, MTBing, Trail Info

San Agustin Etla – Aqueduct & Hydroelectric Plant

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San Agustin Etla is a charming small village set in the foothills northwest of Oaxaca. Among its attractions are an aqueduct which brings water down the mountain from a small diversion dam to the municipal water treatment and bottling plant. It is also home to the Centro de las Artes – a splendid building which once housed a steam-powered textile mill, and has been converted to a gallery which displays traveling exhibits of art from Mexico and Central America. Be forewarned that there is some serious climbing to be done on this route, both on city streets, dirt roads and single track trails. This ride basically follows the first part of the 26 mile (42 km) course used for the famed “La Carroñera” bike race held at San Agustin from time to time.

The route shown on the map below covers 8.9 miles (14.3 km). The ride starts from the parking lot at the municipal building in San Agustin, which sits at an elevation of 5757 feet (1755 meters). The high point on the trail reaches an altitude of 7097 feet (2163 meters). The elevation gain and loss riding the trail amounts to 2034 feet (620 meters).

Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos

Summit Cyclery Ride to Santo Domingo Tomaltepec

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A bright Sunday morning enticed fifteen riders to show up for the weekly ride sponsored by Summit Cyclery, located in the Reforma neighborhood of Oaxaca city. The destination for the day was one of the mountain valleys east of the village of Santo Domingo Tomaltepec. Normally an outing in this area comes with the guarantee of getting wet, as there are numerous creek crossings going into and coming back out of the valley. However, the rains this summer seem to have skipped over this area, as the stream had little water in it and the two reservoirs that supply irrigation water to the community were very low.

Riders left Summit Cyclery at about 8:20 am and traveled 25.2 miles on the round trip excursion, passing through Tlalixtac on the way out and returning by way of Tule — where the group stopped to enjoy nieves of various flavors. In the course of the day they climbed about 1240 feet as they wound along the trail through the woods to the eventual turn-around point.

Countryside, Mountains, MTBing, Photos, Racing, Ride Routes

Videos of Mountain Bike Races in the U.S.

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Mountain bikers in Oaxaca have a great selection of local races to enjoy — either as participants or as spectators. But if you are curious about professional races held in the U.S., there is now a way to satisfy that longing. “Mountain Bike Mania” is a TV show that first aired in 2014. Past episodes can be seen at http://mountainbikemania.net/.  Check it out!

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Racing

Mountain Bike Race at San Lorenzo Cacaotepec

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The village of San Lorenzo Cacaotepec is located in the Etla valley 9.5 miles (15.3 km) north of the zocalo in Oaxaca city and sits near the Atoyac River. The town marked its patron saint’s feast day with a community-sponsored mountain bike race on Sunday, 16 August 2015. The race was conducted under the auspices of ACEOVA, but not ACCREO, and so did not draw as many participants — and none of the major race teams — as most such contests. However, those who took part, especially the kids, made up in spirit for what was lacking in numbers.

The race course was a combination of city streets, country lanes and a bit of single track trail through farm fields. The loop course ran 2.6 miles (4.2 km), with a very modest elevation gain and loss of 254 feet (77.4 meters) and no technical challenges, making it one of the shortest and easiest race venues in the area. Contestants rode the circuit four times to complete the race. On-site race registration began at 9 am, with the race itself getting under way at 10 am.

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