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Peru

October 2007

I've spent the last 10 days mountain biking in Lima and Cusco with my friends Daamo, Lorraine and Ruth (or, as will be described on my Revenue Canada Form T2124-07 Statement of Business Activities - Deductions for Operating Expenses: "participating in a reconnaissance trip to evaluate the terrain and trails in Peru as a possible new destination for Big Mountain Bike Adventures".)
Before I explain why I've concluded that Peru is unquestionably one of the most remarkable places to visit and ride, I'd like to introduce the crew on my trip:

LORRAINE BLANCHER
Canadian National DH Champion: 1998, World Masters DH Champion: 2006
Hometown: Revelstoke, British Columbia
Age: 31. Sign: Scorpio
Occupation: Ministry of Transportation dispatcher, helihiking guide, mountain bike coach
Bike: Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC 70
First mountain bike: rigid black Nishiki Banshee
Favourite post-ride meal: avocado salad
Weirdest thing ever eaten: bear jerkey
Last song downloaded / CD bought: Dashboard by Modest Mouse. Bought a CD at the Cusco Airport earlier this week from a Peruvian pan flute street busker for 9 soles (about $3)
Tattoos: lower back
Pets: no
Last book read: Let My People Surf, Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia)
Favourite ride: Keystone Standard Basin, Revelstoke

DAAMO SKELTON
Canadian National DH Champion 1997, 1999
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia (born in Sydney, Australia)
Age: 36 year old teenager. Sign: Gemini
Occupation: will bike for food
Bike: Marin Mount Vision
Sponsors: Marin, Shimano First mountain bike: 55 pound silver rigid frame singlespeed. Got bike in a trade for a jar a Vegemite and a case of Foster's Lager.
Favourite post-ride meal: tortilla chips with salsa and beer
Favourite flavour of energy bar: Sharkies. Fruit Blast ? (the ones in the blue package)
Last song downloaded / CD bought: Flashdance by Irene Cara. [ed. note: Daamo, an unabashed fan of 80s music, has many other redeeming qualities.]
Favourite beer: Corona
Weirdest thing ever eaten: roasted guinea pig
Tattoos: no
Pets: Kootenay (lab cross) and Dakota (cat)
Favourite ride: Burro Pass, La Sal Mountains, Utah

RUTH RITCHEY
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia
Age: 44. Sign: Leo
Occupation: Coast Mountain Transit Buses - Driver Instructor
Bike: Marin Rift Zone. currently for sale if anyone is interested.
First mountain bike: rigid Trek
Favourite post-ride meal: beer
Favourite flavour of energy bar: Cliff Bar Peanut Butter Buzz
Weirdest thing ever eaten: cockroaches coated in chocolate.
Favourite beer: Tecate
Pets: Copper (Rhodesian Ridgeback)

Tattoos: 3 total. Right forearm. Left bicep. Ankle.
Last song downloaded / CD bought: Art Teacher by Rufus Wainwright
Favourite book: A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
Favourite ride: Cunning Stunts, Sunshine Coast, BC

Our group joined a tour which had the following 2 guys signed up: Luis Viallacorta from Lima and Scott Vizniowski from Peterborough, Ontario (but currently residing in Maranello, Italy)

Our guides:

RUSO COVARRUBIAS

Peruvian National XC Champion: 2001, 2004-2005

Hometown: Maras Cusco, Peru

Age: 35

Bike: Gary Fisher Cake

WAYO STEIN
Peruvian National DH Champion: 1999-2001
Pan American Games Bronze: 2001
Peruvian National XC Champion: 1997
Hometown: Lima, Peru
Age: 33
Bike: Santa Cruz Nomad
First mountain bike: light blue GT Zaskar, Rock Shox QR21 2.5" travel fork
Favourite post-ride meal: beer
Favourite flavour of "energy bar": Nestle Sublime Extremo Peanut and Milk Chocolate bar
Favourite beer: Cusquena
Favourite ride: Marcahuasi Stone Forest, Peru
Quote: ride fast or be last

And me:
Holy Trinity Elementary School Undefeated Grade 3 Recess Schoolyard Tetherball Champion
Hometown: Whistler, British Columbia
Age: 39. Sign: Scorpio
Bike: Marin Wolfridge. with a pair of Maxxis High Rollers purchased on the black market in Lima for 65 soles (about $21). Score.
First mountain bike: 1996 Rocky Mountain Hammer Race
Favourite post-ride meal: sushi
Weirdest thing ever eaten: deep fried iguana nuggets. Yes, there was a lot of tequila involved as well
Tattoos: no
Pets: no. Had a guinea pig growing up - a little horrified watching Daamo dine on a roasted "Snuffles" in Cusco.
Last song downloaded / CD bought: Stronger, Kanye West
Favourite book: Breakfast of Champions, Kurt Vonnegut
Favourite trail: Aline. Whistler Mountain Bike Park, BC

And some of the locals we met along the way:

Quick recap of the trip:
- 10 days
- 0 other mountain bikers
- 55,774 total accumulated vertical feet of descending
- 11,385 vertical feet - longest individual descent
- 1 replacement set of brake pads
- 14,271 "why is everything....gasp...going dark???" feet above sea level – elevation of highest trailhead
- 3,500 switchbacks (2,500 on the roads used to shuttle the rides 1,000 on the trails)
- 3,450 switchbacks successfully negotiated (2,500 on the roads used to shuttle the rides 950 on the trails)
- 45 hours riding bikes
- 30 hours riding in shuttle van
- 2 hours "shuttling" by horseback. still haven't fully regained the feeling in my ass
- 4 apparently functioning traffic lights in Lima, a city of 8 million inhabitants
- 1,200 photos taken by Daamo
- 1,196 taken with the lens cap off
- 500 year old singletrack - (one of our rides traversed along a section of the Inca Trail)
- 7 pounds of seafood ceviche
- 8 bowls of cholco. Peruvian salty crunchy goodness. A little bit like partially popped popcorn kernels. But softer so that you don't have to worry about cracking molars
- 0 glasses of chicha – homemade Peruvian beer. Brewing process, according to the Lonely Planet Guide, is begun by chewing and spitting corn into a vat, which is then sealed and stored for several weeks to allow for fermentation. Establishments which sell the beer display a red flag above the door. Gaaaaaack
- 12 glasses of Andean lemonade. Blended ice, peppermint, ginger and fresh lemons
- 1 grilled medium rare elpaca (a smaller, woolier version of a llama) filet. retched.
- 24 imodium tablets
- 0 to 27 degrees celsius. Temperature range on the trip. Often during the same day. Routinely started rides wearing every piece of clothing that I had brought
- 2 Peruvian soles (about $0.45) paid for a pair of souvenir salt and pepper shakers shaped like the Machu Picchu peaks
- 1 trip of a lifetime

Hard to properly describe and express just how incredible this experience has been. Unforgettable rides, massive descents, endless fast flowy singletrack, challenging technical trails, spectacular scenery, unique terrain and topography, majestic Andean peaks, magnificent Inca sites and ruins, delicious food (wel...except for a few funky exceptions), amazing hospitality and the warmest friendliest people imaginable. There are countless people we met on our rides and travels who touched our hearts - from Wayo (one of the most thoughtful, easy going, and charming guys you will ever meet); to Willy Pro (owner of a bike shop in Lima) who kept his shop open 2 extra hours waiting for us to return from a ride in order to fix Ruth's brake line; to the young barefooted shepherd we met at the Megavalanche trailhead (he's the one who's waving in the picture above - the shyest, sweetest smile ever); to Juan (a porter on our horseback shuttle ride) who hiked back up to the top of the trail to retrieve Lorraine's forgotten camera and arranged to have it delivered to us the next day; and to all the people who warmly greeted and welcomed us as we passed through their lands and villages.

I am exceptionally lucky and privileged to have had the chance to visit and ride in Peru - hope you also get the opportunity someday.

sraper bike

New 2008 Remedy...

Six inches (150 mm), 28.5lbs and one hell of a new look. We're looking forward to getting this baby out on the trails in 2008. How long do you have to wait? March in North America. Let the games begin.

storm

This photo is just before the sky puked on us on the island of Pag on Croatia's Dalmatian coast. a bad-ass storm came barelling in like a freight train and i love big tropical storms. BOOM! this island is barren, stark, rugged. all rock and some scub brush. cool place.

eastern europa

Greetings from Ljubjlana, Slovenia. Have you ever been here? It's very nice. A small city of about 300,000 full of students and a sweet little old center of the city that kind of feels like a small town with bridges over a river and lots of outdoor cafes and bars and cool little hole in the wall shops and stuff. And there's a castle up on a hill over looking the town. It's sick. And I'm not done yet. Behind the city are big peaks that look a lot like the Dolomites, grey and rocky. There the Slovenian Alps. I pulled into a small little ski town a few nights ago in the dark and a big bike went hammering past me on a staircase. Looks to me like lift access riding is catching on here too. Then i drove past a bike shop today that was all Kona'd up. I better pop in and check it out. Might have to come back with my mountain bike. For now though, i'm about to embark on a 2 week road trip from here to Dubrovnik in Croatia. I'm pumped.

I like this shot. I had some setting wrong on my camera (the truth is, i rarely use the settings but just go for it manually) and this is what came out. All i know is that the shutter stayed open while i panned. Nice riding too. I'm pretty sure that this is Jeff (hard to tell with the blurr, you know?), a Torontonian who is based in Berlin. He joined us on our Alpenrock DH trip in Swissland this summer. Thanks for the downhills and the laughs Jeff!!

the road less travelled

Hey, just a quick note from Nice. I'm hanging with Carla from the Kootenays and we're on the way from a road bike trip in the Dordogne region of France that she was leading, to Croatia for another roadie trip. On the way to the Dordogne i stopped in Provence, one of my fav places to road ride in Europe and had my ass whooped by photographer Scott Markewitz, from Utah who spends lots of time in France with his french wife. Scott is in amazing shape. I thought i was in good shape after a summer of climbing and descending the Alps, I guess not! I took a few photos in Apt, hope you like them. Tomorrow we drive south all day. I will let you know how it goes.

bike

A few days ago i was lucky to ride with some old friends and new friends that where passing through the Alps doing a story for Bike. Holger Meyer, from Germany who rides for Scott USA, Hans Rey, photographer Scott Markewitz from Utah and journalist Dan Caruso, a funny American living in Davos Switzerland. I met the crew in a little town way up in the mountains. After about 9 back-to-back coffees we decided to pin it to Zermatt for some big mountain riding and photography. We were not disappointed...the sun was shinning and we shuttled up to 3100 meters. I took the boys on one of my favorite rides on the planet, a 4500-foot ripper that takes over an hour if your ride it non-stop. This trail is over the top. Keep your eyes peeled in Bike next year, she'll be a good tale for sure. Hint: think Haute Route on bikes.

Downhill...

Heading to Zermatt today on the Alpenrock trip. The trip started off well weather-wise but it's turned grey with sporadic precip and even snow at higher elevations. Snow in August! That's what you get in the big mountains eh? At least we had stellar weather for the first 3 days in Verbier and the Rhone. Regardless of the conditions, our group is pumped to ride their bikes and the level of stoke. We've been lapping up the big descents like a kitty with a cup of milk. Yesterday we rolled into our Sierre hotel after 9pm, covered in mud and starving. We descended 12,000 feet...two Brazillians. The hotel was fine with the mud. Gabe from Miami has never ridden in snow...he's praying for it. Today might be the day...will keep you posted. Cheers!

Electrico

A few days ago we were riding back from Klosters to Davos and came upon yet another turnstile and electric fence. They are common in the Swiss Alps to let hikers through but not cattle. I cursed briefly as i do as we were pinning down a sweet section of trail and had to stop, yet again. I tossed my bike over the electric fence part while Paulo opted to go through the turnstile...little did he know but the fence went up and over and as soon as he hit the fence above him with his bike he got shocked. He was OK despite doing a little scorpion dance and leaving his Kona hanging. The bike was buzzing, literally, as it hung there! Good thing he was OK...one tough Costa Rican!

This other pic is Nathalie Grether...hailing from Whistler BC. I was filming helmet cam with Nat today and she is a serious RIPPER! Yeeehaw...

Riding in Livigno Italia and Santa Maria CH

Sorry it's been a while. We've been at a hotel where i could not get on the internet, just download emails. More info than you need to know, i know. Riding's been stellar; left Davos for Poschiavo, this little squeak of a town with a load of classic European style in a deep valley with a little red train that runs though it. Shuttled up a mad mad road in a Beamer X-somethingrather SUV to a valley in the middle of nowhere, hike a biked for about an hour to a pass and a statue of the Madonna that is the border of Italy and Switzerland...and then proceeded to shred 1800 meters of DH down to Italy. The trails been dubbed The Smuggler as it was an old smuggling route. Originally it was used by WWI as a military road. You should have seen the work that went into this thing - massive rocks pilled up and the grade is always 8%. Makes for damn good downhilling. Then swung over to Livigno and hooked up with our friend Darco and Hans Rey for a few days. By the way, Hans Rey is one of the nicest people, besides the fact that he rips!!!!!! If you ever get a chance to meet him, you'll be stoked. Livingo was buffed and rapido. Rode a killer trail in Bormio Italy too! Thanks for the riding Hans! Now we are in Santa Maria, a hamlet of a place in the far east of Switzerland where people speak Romanesch...an ancient dialect. It's real pretty here. I am officially BLOWN. We pedalled 50 kms today...and i feel like i've been on my bike every day for months...cause i have! Life could not be better. My Trek Remedy is taking the hits and rolling like a star....
Photos of Big Mountain guide Paulo Valle in Davos...and Hans, Paulo and guide Nathalie Grether rolling in Livigno. Talk soon...

Update from the front lines...

Sunny evening here in Davos, Switzerland. All's well. Today we rode a sweet trail that we dubbed "G 10 Summit Trail", a long traversing nugget of singletrack that is one of the best XC rips that we've found in the Alps. Another few days in Davos then it's off to Livigno Italy for some Italian riding....can't wait.
We wrapped up a stellar Cloudraker trip last week...I can still hear people's voices from the group and it makes me smile and laugh. Thanks for the good times all of you...I miss you guys! Highlights? The weather was outstanding which makes already beautiful Switzerland over the top. We rode lots and lots and it was unreal how swiftly and effortlessly our group moved through the mountains...few mechanicals and even fewer falls. What a great trip. Here are a few images. Enjoy!

Greeting from the Alps

How's it going eh? Just touching base from Lourtier near Verbier in Switzerland. Riding lots with a group of 12 from all parts - London UK, Whitehorse Yukon, Kamloops BC, San Jose Costa Rica, Vancouver BC and Georgia USA. Very good times indeed. We rode an epic loop this afternoon just up from the hotel, a 1.5 hour climb and 1 hour descent that was killer - fast, flowy and railing! Dinner tonight was local raclette and red wine...life's good. Here's a few shots of Paulo Valle from a few days ago. Enjoy.

Crankworx Slideshow

What's happening? If you're in Whistler this weekend check out the slideshow that we are hosting. Photos by Sterling Lorence, Stephen Wilde, Christophe Margot, Derek Frankowski and Chris Winter. Should be killer! Shows are at 7:30 and 9:30 PM. Entry by donation, all proceeds to local Whistler charity Zero Ceiling. Hope to see you there!

DIRT MAG FEATURES BIG MOUNTAIN IN COSTA RICA

If you get a chance, grab a copy of the June issue of DIRT from the UK. In it, check out the 13-page feature on our Pura Vida trip. Thanks to London-based writer Stuart Millar and Rossland, BC-based photographer Derek Frankowski for a great tale and riders Wade Simmons, Dave Watson and Geoff Gullevich for ridin' so nicely.

DIRT cont'

DIRT cont'

Perspectives

It's important to get out of your comfort zone, to step out of your usual realm and see what lies beyond what you know and are familiar with. When you challenge your reality you expand your mind. Challenge your riding and expand your mind: do your usual loop backwards, ride with different people or grab your hard tail. There's nothing like coming home from travels with your mountain bike and stepping out your door and seeing things differently. Deep, I know. Ride+Travel+Explore.

Springtime

Hey mountain bikers...it's been awhile. How's the spring riding season doing in your neck of the woods? This time of the year you just can't get enough eh? Like candy. I just returned from a 2 week trip in Southern Africa - Botswana and South Africa. Very cool experiences indeed. We ventured into some classic African bush zones including mountain grasslands and savannahs and saw a plethora of wildlife on foot, bike and land rover. Highlights? In Botswana while camping under the stars in a 70,000 acre game reserve, taking my turn at night-watch from 2-3 AM while listening to howling hyenas, snorting impalas and roaring lions in the darkness. You definitely want to keep the fire stoked! And then surprising a heard of 20+ elephant while riding across the vast savannah. Here are a few pics. Enjoy. Happy riding.....

MEXICO: Lady of the Desert

Hey Riders: OK, enough photos for a second, alright? Here is an interview with our man and guide Ryan Sullivan who is co-leading our new Mexico mountain biking trip from October 20-28, 2007 with Andreas Hestler.

What makes riding in Mexico different than anywhere else?

The network of single track in the Creel area is much like an intricate spider web. Countless narrow singletrack paths connect one farm to the next. At times, we hit trail intersections every 100 meters or less. Riding with local guides allows you to pick and choose through the very best of this matrix. The land in the Copper Canyon is communally owned by indigenous subsistence farmers; the Tarahumara people. Unlike the States and Canada, it is perfectly acceptable for visitors and locals alike to pass through fenced pastures and nearby private homes. Tarahumara's have a different understanding of land access. At one moment, we'll be riding seemingly remote singletrack and the next moment, we are pedaling through a farmers cornfield saying hello. Through the course of our trip, we'll visit 4 distinct ecological communities as a function of elevation; Chihuahuan desert, pine forests, oak forests and subtropical Sonoran desert. The landscape is constantly changing. The trip begins and ends in the vast arid Chihuahuan Desert: thorny hard scrable country useful for cattle ranching and little else. In the Creel area, we'll be riding among extensive pine forests and small cornfields all at a minimum elevation of 2400 meters. The plunge into Batopilas canyon transports us from high pine forests to a zone chocked with a variety of Oak species. Quickly, down further, we are pedaling among dry sub tropical biota - 10m tall pitaya cactus, thorny scrubs, Papaya, citrus, and Mango, banana and more.

Tell us about the epic climbs and descents and the riding in general?

October in the sierra and canyons is usually dry, with ample strong sun and cool nights. October is harvest time so cornfields are tall and green making for colorful landscapes. Once in the lower canyons, we'll have hot weather no doubt. This trip offers an opportunity for Northerners to extend their riding season some extra weeks. This is also a great tune-up trip for folks aiming for racing La Ruta in Costa Rica in November. It is a TOP priority that clients get as much ride time as they seek. Never, do we want folks to feel like they didn't get enough ride time. Many days, we offer a main ride for the day and afterwards, extra credit opportunites for folks who are still hungry for more.Our first 2.5 days of riding takes place in the high mountains and mesas near Creel - the trails are generally buffed and climbs and descents are fast and plentiful. We've some favorite loops in the immediate Creel area that mix singletrack, doubletrack, town roads and even some room for exploration. The Cristo Rey and La Onza race courses will make you laugh out loud they are so fun. In the second half of our trip, we descend and climb out of Batopilas canyon. Aside from the scenery being breathtaking, riders have the unique opportunity to descend/climb some 3000 meters in a single day in just 65 km. Day 5 of our trip, we descend a continous 1400 meters without a single climb - just down down down over 2 dozen switchbacks. Its on Day 7, the climb out of Batopilas Canyon, that climbers get a chance to give it their ALL pedaling 65 km on a rough ribbon of dirt road up 3000 meters and out of the gorge. The climb out of Batopilas canyon is what you make of it. Folks can pedal a few hours and enjoy being picked up by our sag vehicles as they sweep the road. Often, riders like to really pin it and make the climb out a race against the clock as well as the strengthening morning sun. Indeed, wagers on climb time are common and encouraged. November 2006, we had a client complete the 65 km climb in 3 hrs 57 min - that is PRO fast - the particular rider was a 45-year old former pro roadie and mtb racer. Riders start pedaling early - 6 or 7 a.m. in order to beat the heat riding on the shaded east-facing wall of the canyon. It’s a climb of a lifetime.

Why is this trip different than a typical Mexico holiday?

The Sierra Tarahumara and Copper Canyon is one of the least developed regions in all of Mexico - there are no highrise hotels like those found in Cancun or Cabo. Access to boundless riding, hiking, climbing is literally steps from our cabin or hotel room. Tourism is an important industry in the town of Creel but hotels are on the 'Mom and Pop' scale not the big box scale. The lifestyles of the indigenous Tarahumaras are the most primitive in Mexico and all of North America for that matter. The region has a pronounced frontier or Old West feel to it. Many people in the Copper Canyon region don't know where the United States or Canada is.


Sounds like a hell of a lot of fun eh? More info on this bad boy: http://www.ridebig.com/mexico.html