Category: Photos

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Sun Ceremony At Mogote

At noon on May 8 the sun is directly overhead in Oaxaca so objects cast no shadow to the side. In ancient times this was considered a propitious day to begin construction of a home or temple. Our Sunday bike group just happened to be at the old temple ruins in San Jose el Mogote on this very day and witnessed a ceremony marking the occasion. A small assembly of young people re-enacted a ritual of purification celebrating the event. Prayers and invocations were recited and the group – including our bikers – danced around the sacred circle. This was a wonderful and totally unexpected addition to an otherwise pleasant but ordinary ride.

Lobera Or Bust

Steve was the ride leader today and proposed the group of eight cyclists pedal to the village of La Lobera, situated at the western edge of the Zimatlan valley some 9.8 kilometers (6.1 miles) directly west of Zaachila. The moderate out & back ride covered a distance of 50.4 kilometers (31.3 miles), most of it on fairly level terrain. The overall elevation gain and loss of 422 meters (1386 feet) was accomplished mainly in the last 4.1 kilometers (2.5 miles) before reaching the destination. In that segment the first 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) had a very mild gradient of 2.5%, but the final 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles) into Lobera averaged a steeper grade of 10%. As has become our custom when going this way, the group stopped at the Sabor A Ti restaurant for cold drinks and some delicious home-cooked Mexican dishes. Even with the lunch stop the group got back to Oaxaca in 4.5 hours, passing through Cuilapam both going and coming. Needless to say, it was a perfect day to be out on a bike, with clear skies and the thermometer hovering around 26ª Celsius (80º Fahrenheit). You just gotta love Oaxaca’s weather!

Easter Ride to Jalapa del Valle

Easter Sunday dawned bright and clear in Oaxaca on 17 April 2022, with a forecast high temperature of 33ºC / 92ºF. Four cyclists elected to skip church services and Easter egg hunts in favor of a somewhat challenging ride through the countryside – some of the hill climbs had grades of 12% or more. The destination chosen for the day was Jalapa del Valle, a very small village on the Rio Jalapilla at the western edge of the Etla Valley. Pedaling along at a moderate pace and stopping several times for cold drinks and snacks, the group finished the ride in 5.5 hours. When all was said and done, the gang covered 50.7 kilometers / 31.5 miles from start to finish, with an elevation gain and loss of 688 meters / 2259 feet along the way. A good time was had by all.

Presas of Tomaltepec

Patrick G. was the ride leader today – Sunday, 27 February 2022 – and elected to take the gang out to the presas in the mountain valley just above Santo Domingo Tomaltepec. A mixed group of fifteen men and women assembled in the plaza in front of Santo Domingo at 9 am for the start of the ride. Two of them were newcomers to the band – Sam S., visiting Oaxaca with his wife and two children from Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of northwestern Canada, and Ulises, a young Oaxaqueño. After pedaling to Tule, where several of the group were fascinated by their first view of the massive tree in the churchyard, the riders moved on through Santo Domingo Tomaltepec and then took a dirt road up valley to the second and more scenic of the two reservoirs. Four of the band were enticed into the lake for a swim while the rest spent time relaxing and chatting in the woods. Most of the riders turned back to Oaxaca at that point, with just two pressing further on to the ultimate end of the trail before heading for home. The total distance covered on the day’s excursion was about 38 kilometers (24 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 228 meters (750 feet). The ride was rated as easy and the group moved at a leisurely pace. Everyone seemed to enjoy another perfectly wonderful day.

First Ride in the New Year

We wanted to kick off the new year (2022) with a significant ride, and so chose the Tejalápam / Mazaltepec loop to do it. Today’s riders were all gringos – none of our Mexican amigos joined in. There were eight guys and one gal in the group. After meeting in the plaza in front of Santo Domingo at 9 am, the band pedaled through Atzompa to San Lorenzo Cacaotepec, then swung west on paved roads to San Felipe Tejalápam. From there we followed a freshly-graded gravel road up and over a ridge of hills and then down to Santo Tomas Mazaltepec. This was the most challenging part of the outing, where the major portion of the climbing was concentrated. The grade in places was over 15%, which prompted some riders to dismount and push their bikes uphill. The descent into Mazaltepec was fast and fun. It took the group 90 minutes to ride from Oaxaca to Tejalápam, then 60 minutes more to get to the crest of the hill. From there the group reached Mazaltepec in just 20 minutes. Then it was a bit over 90 minutes more to get back home to Oaxaca. Overall the gang covered 60.2 kilometers (37.4 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 413 meters (1356 feet) on the loop.