The best selection of MTB trails in the high mountains of Vilcabamba and deep in the jungle of Quillabamba. Trails characterized by the imposing beauty of its landscapes, technical trails, terrains and very changeable weathers; suitable for advanced and expert riders.
Our adventure begins in Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca empire, nowadays a multicultural city of great architectural and scenic beauty.
From here we set out on our expedition to what was one of the last regions besieged by the Spanish invaders and where the Incas fought their last battles before being totally conquered; the name of this iconic place is Vilcabamba and it is kno-wn as the "last bastion of Inca resistance".
Cusco - Sacred Valley of the Incas and Ausangate mountain bike trails are widely recognized as some of the best mountain bike trails on the planet.
The trails, in very few cases, were made for bicycles; They were originally Inca paths to connect the high towns of the Andes with the towns of nearby valleys and used by local people and walkers to this day.
We will have a great mix of bike trails and living culture. Given the high elevation of most trails, vegetation can be sparse, but what it lacks in trees it makes up for in rocks.
The bike trails are between 3,500 meters and 5,000 meters of elevation. Most ascents will be by shuttle; however, approximately 12% of all routes have climbs.
Rain and clouds are always a possibility. It is recommended to prepare for high altitude rides for long days.
We will leave Cusco early in the morning, heading north towards the high jungle, on our way we will reach a cloud forest area (1800 masl/5905 ft) where valuable agricultural products such as coffee and tea are currently cultivated. Taking advantage of our passage through this scenery, we will stop at a local farm to learn about the production process of coffee, tea and coca leaves.
Our expedition continues and now we will leave the warm lands behind, to advance towards higher lands (3500 masl/11482 ft), following the escape routes that the Incas had during their persecution by the invaders.
Little by little we will see how the climate changes and so does the geographical environment; in the afternoon we will arrive at the town of Huancacalle (3000 masl/9842 ft), a town where the Inca archaeological complex of "Rosaspata" is located.
We will settle in our lodging to prepare our mountain bike equipment for the days to come.
We will have dinner to coordinate all the details of our expedition.
Night in the village of Huancacalle
# of riders | 2 | 3-4 | 5-6 |
---|---|---|---|
USD (per rider) | 2000 US | 1800 US | 1500 US |