I found today’s cycling much tougher. A combination of 1300 metres of height gained, with the accumulation of the last few days cycling was taking its toll. It all seemed a grind, and when I eventually peaked at 3000 metres, it couldn’t have come soon enough.My shorts and top were wet with sweat, which wasn’t ideal, as it was quite cold, with my misty breath adding to the clouds drifting … [Read more...]
Pasto to El Pedregal
Although I gained 600 metres in height over 15 km to reach the high point of the day at 3160 metres, I managed to do it quickly within two hours. Being a Sunday, there were plenty of other cyclists out, and some struggled more than I did even though they didn’t have all the gear I carry ! At the top, I stopped for a coffee and a fried, flat donut thing. It was quite chilly up there, and as I sat, … [Read more...]
Esso Station to Pasto
Today didn’t turn out as badly as I had feared. Sure, it had some tough sections of uphill, but the descent down into the town of Pasto more than made up for it. I found a hotel in the centre, which at 30,000 was expensive, but had the added bonuses of WiFi and hot, yes HOT water ! A shower never felt so good!It looks like I will make Ecuador before my visa here in Colombia runs out, although it … [Read more...]
El Remolino to Esso Station
I was expecting a tough day, and I was in no way disappointed! To start off with, things were relatively easy as I cycled out of Remolino and hit the first uphill stretch. As it was first thing, I had plenty of strength and powered upwards.At the village of El Manzano I met Jeff and Rose again. It turned out that they had also stayed in Remolino, and were in the hotel almost directly opposite … [Read more...]
El Bordo to El Remolino
Jeff and Rose had left a half hour earlier than me, but the initial 350 metre drop out of El Bordo and the subsequent flatish section that followed meant that I soon caught them up. We stopped for breakfast at a roadside restaurant, and then parted company there. They were going to do a shorter day, whilst I needed to hit my targets if I was to reach Ecuador before my visa expired. There’s a good … [Read more...]