A terrific – if challenging – 16.4 mile (26 kms) ride on steep mountain roads in the hills west of the cuota to Mexico City northwest of Huitzo. Turn off on a spur road 15.5 kms northwest of the Huitzo toll booth, just beyond the overpass at kilometer 207. Map below shows route one way (the return leg), so double the distance for the round trip ride. The total climb going both ways amounts to 935 meters (3067 feet). The initial hill climb has a gradient between 10% and 16%, which will strain your leg muscles. The highest point on the route is 2313 meters (7588 feet). There is a pleasant comedor at the highway junction which provides a perfect place to stop for rest and refreshments at the end of the adventure.
Great climbs here! – see road squiggling uphill in the upper right.Lovely vistas in every direction.Beards of Spanish moss hang from trees along the way.If not for the sign, you would never know you were passing through Ojo De Agua.The newest – and about the only – building in the town.A lonely but colorful miscellania offers sustenance to travelers.A word of mountain wisdom: “He who has health has hope.”Enjoy the ride!
San Cristobal is a tiny village perched precariously on the steep slopes of the mountain ridge which forms the western boundary of the Valley of Oaxaca. It is usually accessed from a paved road completed in 2022. However, there are two little-used, rough jeep roads that wind their way up to San Cristobal, one of which is the route taken on this ride. The track is used by farmers to get to their small milpas on the lower slopes, but almost no one ventures higher up where the mountain is too steep and densely forested for farming. It is a delight, though, for mountain bikers looking for a challenging climb.
It is a 491 meter (1612 foot) climb up the old jeep road to San Cristobal.The valley of Oaxaca stretches for miles into the distance.
There is some good riding to be found on the gravel roads that run upvalley from San Baltazar Guelavila with views of the backside of Hierve el Agua. It is a 90 minute drive to San Baltazar, 64 kilometers (40 miles) southeast of Oaxaca. The objective for today’s outing was a visit to the cascada at Las Salinas, located just over 8 kilometers (5 miles) from San Baltazar. There is a very challenging hiking trail which leads from Las Salinas to Hierve el Agua, but it is not open to bicycles. After linking up with two local guides at the cascada, we continued to ride further through the valley, passing well beyond the rock waterfalls at Hierve el Aqua, which were easily visible across the valley. The road has a good bit of ups and downs, but nothing too steep. However, the road is very rough in places, with lots of loose stones to make your rear tire spin out on the climbs. All in all, this is an interesting destination for a shuttle ride from Oaxaca. We covered 26.2 kms (16.3 miles), gaining and losing 511 meters (1678 feet) in elevation on today’s ride, which took about four hours to complete. We would have pedaled farther but looming rain clouds prompted us to turn back. Happily, we outran the storm, getting just a bit wet at the end.
The village of San Baltazar Guelavila is the jumping-off point for today’s ride.Rugged mountain scenery abounds.Not much water flowing at Las Salinas today.Even so, the rock formations are interesting. Uriel (standing) and Emanuel observe as Dhruba works on a broken derailleur.Two local guides + two gringos = a great team!Bike back in action: Yeehaw! The rock waterfall of Hierve el Aqua appears in the distance on the hillside across the valley.
This classic ride takes one on a grand circle up and over the mountains which form the western wall of the Valley of Oaxaca. It is not for the faint of heart, as there is over 1500 meters (5000 feet) of climbing along the route, which stretches for 88.7 kilometers (55.1 miles). Someone with stout legs and lungs – or riding an ebike – can accomplish the loop in five or six hours time. The loop can be ridden equally well in either direction.
If you are looking for a high-country ride to enjoy mountain scenery and escape the heat of the Oaxaca valley, this loop through Magdalena Mixtepec and Santa Catalina Mixtepec may be just the ticket. These two small villages are tucked into steep mountain valleys about midway between Zaachila and San Miguel Peras. A shuttle takes bikes and riders to the intersection where the unpaved road to Magdalena branches off from the paved road between Santa Inez del Monte and San Miguel. The shuttle drive takes 90 minutes each way from Oaxaca. The ride itself utilizes a combination of paved and dirt roads and covers a distance of 35.4 km (22.0 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 1094 meters (3590 feet). The various roads generally have a gradient of between 8% and 12% – not too strenuous until you reckon the uphill segments run for miles at a time. The highest point on the route is 2822 meters (9258 feet) and the lowest spot registers 1841 meters (6041 feet). Expect to spend about 4.5 hours completing the loop.
The four dedicated cyclists on today’s mountain adventure. Biking buddies.Riding an ebike makes the hill climbs easy!If you look closely you can see Magdalena Mixtepec far down the valley to the left.Santa Catalina Mixtepec resides in a different mountain valley.A child’s birthday party was in progress at the municipal building in Santa Catalina.Road signs along the way point out miradors and cascadas.
