Category: Trail Info

Trail M (Mechero (Burner)) starts off of Trail HFR (High Flyer Ridge) and dives down to Road LNR (Libramiento Norte Road) . The top is a rutted, twisty, very steep, rock-filled bobsled run that eventually turns into a rutted doubletrack trail/jeep road.

Trail LP (Luz Piloto (Pilot Light)) is the shortest member of The Smoking Section collection. Like the other Smoking Section trails, it’s a straight-down-a-ridge, singletrack made by goats, campesinos, running water, and a few biker/hikers. The vegetation can quickly take back over this rarely used trail so part of the fun is keeping a sharp eye on the terrain to keep from being led astray by a mirage path. Depending on the time of year and the amount of recent use, the tread may show more or less obviously. The usual mix of scrub oak and acacia bushes (i.e. THORNS!) do their best to keep your sight lines short and your body scraped up. Just go easy on the terrain with your braking, be prepared to turn quick, and let ‘er roll.

Since Trail LP dumps out on Trail TTT (Toro Toro Toro (Bull Bull Bull)) above the steep, eroded section, it makes for a nice connector to create a loop on the western end of Road LNR so you can ride part of Trail MMD (Maguey Mi Dia (Maguey My Day)), come down Trail LP, and be back up on the top of Road LNR for more singletrack (e.g. Trail ED (Espina D (Spine)), Trail LLL (Larry’s Lacerated Leg), Trail VV (Via Viguera)).

Road LNR (Libramiento Norte Road) north of Donaji over into Trinidad de Viguera is a built but never used roadway. The pavement is falling apart in some areas, and there are roadblocks (piles of dirt dumped across the road) in some places. Occasional motorized traffic uses the accessible parts but it’s used by residents more like a greenbelt path than a beltway road. Half-jokingly called the “San Felipe del Agua Bike Park Access Road” it in itself isn’t a worthy mountain bike trail, but using Road LNR to head east or west on the elevated areas north of Oaxaca de Juarez provides one easy access to over 40 kilometers of trails (and adding more every month!).

Trail LLL (Larry’s Lacerated Leg) is a tight, twisty mostly downhill singletrack trail connecting Trail HFR (High Flyer Ridge) and Trail TTT (Toro Toro Toro (Bull Bull Bull)). The LLL trail splits off to the west from Trail HFR just as HFR starts to climb after exiting the clearing around the electrical tower and gets more crowded from vegetation. The tread is well-packed dirt with very few technical obstacles except for erosion ruts in steep sections. The section above the LLL + MMD (Maguey Mi Dia (Maguey My Day)) Junction is readily ridable up or down. The section below that junction is a bit steeper and rutted. A nice connection is to use Trail MMD down to the LLL + MMD Junction, climb LLL up to the HFR + LLL Junction and then up HFR to one of the trails reached from HFR (e.g. Trail M (Mechero (Burner))).

OaxacaMTB.org All-Trails Map

Trail HFR (High Flyer Ridge) is a shady, singletrack trail that climbs the ridge starting out from LNR (road) and getting more technical and steep as it climbs. Cutoffs for the Trails LLL (Larry’s Lacerated Leg), M (Mechero (Burner)) and Ma (Martillada (Hammerblow) and T (Tostadora (Toaster)) (all downhills) are on this trail.

From the west end the trail starts with a climb to gain the ridge but then loses elevation as it runs on the ridge top to the northeast. Around the first kilometer the trail starts the climb that averages around 12% for the next 1.75km to its junction with Trails BK (Burro Kong (Donkey Kong)) and Ma (Martillada (Hammerblow). Beyond that the trail continues up the ridge but the tread gets rougher and sections of steeper grades become more frequent.

Note that this track shows the west entrance on the south side of the ridge, basically at the junction of Trail HFR, Trail MMD (Maguey Mi Dia (Maguey My Day)) and Road LNR (Libramiento Norte Road). Find that junction and scramble up the erosion-gutted rut to your left just as you start down Trail MMD having left Road LNR. Turn left (north) and follow the obvious singletrack trail up. When you are east of the high-voltage electrical tower, go about 50m north but at each social path intersection, follow the best path that leads you to the ridge top headed northwest. As you turn and begin NW, watch of for mistaken turns (e.g. north approach from Road LNR up to HFR on your left, Trail VV on your left, Trail LLL on your right). Trail rolls up and down for