The track below shows two routes linking Oaxaca and the charming hill town of San Agustin Etla. The outbound route, which uses the unfinished highway of the Libramiento Norte and a patchwork of back roads, is certainly the more scenic and charming – as well as the more difficult option. The return to Oaxaca, by contrast, follows main roads which are much more crowded and less attractive, but have the virtue of being much more level. The rider is certainly entitled to ride the loop in either direction, or to choose either leg as an out-and-back ride. Any way you slice it, this is a significant urban ride, amounting to 31+ miles (45+ km).
Category: MTBing
Countryside, GPS, MTBing
Grand Loop of the Etla Valley
by Larry • • 0 Comments
Many bike riders consider the western side of the Etla valley to be the most scenic and delightful area of the Valles Centrales. Certainly the rolling countryside is appealing, both visually and to those who enjoy a few good climbs as part of the day’s workout. There are miles of suitable back roads and trails in this part of the country, many of them shown on other rides in this collection. This particular outing, though, might be considered the grand loop. At 25.2 miles (40.6 km) in length (measured from central Oaxaca), the trail illustrated contains about 1700 feet (518 meters) of elevation gain and loss in the circuit.
Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Uncategorized
Outing – 2013-02-04 Ride (aka Great White Force from the Great White North)
by Deron • • 0 Comments
I went over to Etla to ride with a MountainBikeOaxaca.com tour today. Geoff and Glen(n) were in town visiting and deciding to go out with Carlos for a sampling of Oaxaca singletrack.
D, G, G on the trail
Foothills, GPS, Hiking, Mountains, MTBing, Ride Routes
San Pablo Etla Mountain Park – Loop 3
by Larry • • 0 Comments
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.
Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Outing, Trail Work
Scouting for an Etla to SFdA Connector
by Deron • • 3 Comments
After a short Thursday Morning No-Drop Group Ride with Larry and Judah, Carlos and I headed up Trail HFR to check on the post-rainy-season condition of Trail BK and to scout for possible singletrack trails to connect over to the trails Carlos and his amigos have built in the Etla hills. Our ride/scout GPS data is in grey, other trails and scouting efforts in the Viguera valley area are also included. In short, we didn’t find a way that gets us far enough north, but we were please to find Trail BK in such good condition and to be reminded how interesting and fun that trail is. We’re going to pursue pushing it on to the north and thus provide a bi-directional rideable route of singletrack. Care to help us?
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Here is the GPX file.
Here is the KML/KMZ version.