Category: Mountains

Countryside, GPS, Mountains, MTBing, Photos

Cuatro Venados Loop

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This loop ride is a cousin, of sorts, to the “San Pablo Cuatro Venados” ride which appears later on this page. Both versions of the ride begin and end in San Felipe del Agua, and both feature the very formidable climb up the mountainside to the tiny village of San Pablo Cuatro Venados. What sets this ride apart, though, is that it continues past 4 Venados, crossing through the high country at over 9000 feet elevation, then descends steeply through Santa Ines del Monte to Zaachila before returning to Oaxaca city (on mercifully level ground!). This is one of the epic rides around Oaxaca, and should not be taken lightly. The loop can be ridden in either direction, and is equally difficult either way. Pick your poison! If you can arrange a shuttle, you can eliminate the pain of the huge climb to Cuatro Venados and concentrate on the much more thrilling screamer of a downhill run back to Oaxaca.

The loop ride, start to finish, will take you 56.3 miles (90.6 km). The high point of the adventure is 9281 feet (2829 meters) in elevation. The uphill climb clocks in at 6219 feet (1895 meters). The ride is rated “Difficult” because of the length, steep gradients and altitude. There are no technical sections of trail (the entire route is on paved or dirt roads), but the unpaved sections can be quite rough in places and you will be moving at high speeds coming downhill.

Options for a shorter ride include starting and ending at the Zócalo in the center of Oaxaca rather than in San Felipe. This alone will take 7.0 miles (11.3 km) off the total distance. Using a shuttle to get to Cuatro Venados and riding just one way will cut the route in half. The segment from Cuatro Venados through Santa Ines to Zaachila amounts to just 11.3 miles (18.2 km), is mostly downhill and should take just 3 hours.

Countryside, GPS, Mountains, MTBing, Photos

Oaxaca to Juquila Pilgrims’ Route

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The notion of making a religious pilgrimage is an ancient tradition. In contemporary Mexico, the concept of making a pilgrimage to a religious shrine is very much alive and well. Almost two million people flock to the basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City on her feast day (12 December). Here in Oaxaca state there is a lesser-known shrine to the Virgin Mary in the small mountain community of Juquila, 203 kilometers (126 miles) southwest of the capital. People from all parts of the state go there – many by bicycle or on foot – to lay petitions before the Holy Mother. Whether you want to visit Juquila out of religious fervor or just because it is a worthy destination for an epic bike ride, here is how to get there.

Be aware that this route is on the shoulder of the secondary highway linking Oaxaca city with the Pacific coast. The road is narrow, steep, very sinuous and has little or no shoulder. Vehicle use is light most of the time,  and speeds are rarely higher than 30 miles per hour. There is a fair amount of pedestrian and bicycle traffic all along the way. Nevertheless, this is a hazardous route for cyclists, so be exceptionally vigilant.

GPS, Hiking, Mountains, MTBing, Photos

Cuajimoloyas Loop

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The village of Cuajimoloyas attracts a number of tourists. Its location high in the Sierra Norte (elevation: 10,398 feet / 3169 meters) is a draw, as are its hiking and biking trails. This short (3.1 mile / 5.0 km) loop trail is not worth driving all the way from Oaxaca city; but if you are already in the neighborhood, it’s worth checking out. Perhaps afterward you will want to take a ride on the community’s zip line, which is the longest and highest in this part of Mexico.

 

Foothills, GPS, Hiking, Mountains, MTBing, Ride Routes

San Pablo Etla Mountain Park – Loop 3

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There is an abundance of trails in the hills above San Pablo that are suitable for mountain biking. Here is another loop ride that is a variation on the theme established earlier with Loop 1 and Loop 2. The starting point and access routes are the same, but the lollipop loop that is the heart of this ride is different.

The biker attempting this ride will clock 9.1 miles (14.6 km) and find him or herself climbing and then descending a total of 2164 feet (650 meters) on mostly singletrack trail that winds through forested hillsides, often on rocky tread. The hardest climb, though, is on a dirt road that leads to the parking lot and community building at the new Mountain Park above San Pablo. After that, the grade of the singletrack trail is more moderate.

GPS, Mountains, MTBing, Outing, Photos, Ride Routes

Cuajimoloyas to Lachatao

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If downhill is your favorite direction, then the ride from Cuajimoloyas to Lachatao should get you really excited! Both of these villages are part of the Pueblos Mancomunados, a collection of eight very small communities high in the Sierra Norte mountains of Oaxaca state, about 30 miles northeast of the capital of Oaxaca. Cuajimoloyas sits at an altitude of 10,398 feet (3169 meters), while Santa Catarina Lachatao registers 6986 feet (2129 meters) on the altimeter.

This particular ride follows dirt roads that connect the two. You can also ride between these villages using a singletrack footpath that covers a portion of the distance before linking with the same roads – but taking the path requires hiring a local guide (to support the local economy and prevent your getting hopelessly lost in the forest).  If you look at a map, you will see that it is also possible to extend the ride by doing a detour to Yavesia on the way to Lachatao – again using either dirt roads or unmarked footpaths in the woods. And, of course, you can make this either a one-way or out & back trip.

However you accomplish the ride, there are logistical considerations. Both towns are rather remote. There is bus and colectivo service to each place from Oaxaca city every day. But there is no service between these villages. We managed a one-way ride by leaving our van in Cuajimoloyas and hiring a resident of Lachatao to haul us back to our starting point. That wasn’t cheap (400 pesos) but was better than the alternative – which was to crank back up over 4500 vertical feet  over 18 miles and riding several hours after sunset.

The route shown begins at the ecotourism office in Cuajimoloyas, where you pay the 50 pesos per person fee to enter the communal lands, and ends at the village church in Lachatao. The distance between the two is 18.4 miles (29.6 km). The elevation gain along the way amounts to 1116 feet (340 meters), while the downhill totals 4530 feet (1381 meters). The downhill sections are fun and fast! Our group managed to complete the ride in about three hours, pausing frequently to take photographs. We also had a late breakfast in Cuajimoloyas and stopped for lunch in the very pleasing restaurant next to the church in Lachatao, which precluded our trying to ride back to Cuajimoloyas under our own power while there was still daylight.