Category: GPS

Items containing GPS data (either the downloadable KML/Z or GPX file) &/or a map that displays such data.

Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Racing

Easter Race at San Pablo Etla

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I actually saw a live bunny rabbit hopping down the trail on today’s Easter Sunday mountain bike race at San Pablo Etla. I did not find any colored eggs hiding in the brush along the route, however. What I did find – happily so! – was the digital camera that bounced out of my fanny pack as I was riding back to the finish line after taking photos of the race. Elsewise there would be no pics to go with this post, and I would be one very unhappy camper!

Today’s race was on the same 3.2 mile (5.0 km) race circuit as last year, but to give the venture a different spin the riders rode the course in the opposite direction – going clockwise today. The start/finish line was in a slightly different location on the loop, as well.

You can see photos of the race last year by going to the “Race” page and scrolling down to the “San Pablo Etla” entry.

GPS, Mountains, MTBing, Trail Info

Visit to Yuvila

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Yuvila is a small Zapotec village in the highlands of the Sierra Norte not far north of Oaxaca city. It is accessible from a dirt road that links La Cumbre with La Neveria. The ride illustrated on the map below is an out & back trip to Yuvila from La Cumbre that covers 9.3 miles (14.97 km) round trip. It is a relatively easy ride, as the road is wide, smooth and not too steep. The bike rider will gain and lose a total of 1472 feet (448.6 meters) in elevation going up and down the hills along the way. We had expected to go longer and further on this ride, but found heavy cloud cover, light drizzle and chilly temperatures in the area when we visited on 14 April, so we cut short our time in the saddle.

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Trail Info

Pedaling Around San Pablo

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There is no shortage of flowing trails around San Pablo Etla, a suburb on the north side of Oaxaca city. This Sunday afternoon ride follows a popular trail (almost identical to the San Pablo Mountain Park Loop Two reported elsewhere on this web site). Fact is, there are so many intersecting trails in these parts it is possible to make a thousand variations so there is always something new, even when you’ve ridden the area many times over.

The bulk of the ride is on singletrack trail that pretty much follows the contour lines of the hills — though there are some rather steep ups and downs. The trail is quite narrow, for the most part, and often runs off-camber. There is a good assortment of rocky sections to keep you on your toes, and lots of thorny shrubbery waiting to draw blood from passing bikers.

The loop ride shown on the map below covers 6.0 miles (9.65 km) with a gain and loss of 1002 feet (305 meters) on the circuit. The high point just touches the 6000 foot mark (1829 meters), while the low point tips the altimeter at 5500 feet (1676 meters).

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Racing

Mountain Bike Race at San Jose de Gracia

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It is quite a slog to the village of San José de Gracia, which is located on highway 190 some 70 miles (112.6 km) southeast of Oaxaca city, but the local residents turned out in force to welcome all the mountain bikers who came for the race held on 16 March 2014. The race circuit was a 3.1 mile (5.1 km) loop that began on the city streets of the town and then dropped down into the valley of the Rio Quiechapa, where riders crossed the river twice on bridges set up for that purpose and then wound up, down and around through the forest on single track trail.

The high point of the race course hit an elevation of 2783 feet (848 meters) on the hillside above San Jose, while the low point was the river crossing at 2465 feet (751 meters). There was a total of 621 feet (189.3 meters) elevation gain and loss on one turn around the race course – but, of course, participants rode the loop two, three or four times, depending on which category they were entered in.

 

GPS, Mountains, MTBing, Photos, Ride Routes

Llano Grande Loops

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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.