MTB adventure in Ecuador: Biking on Chimborazo, the highest mountain in the world

"So, where is it now, the trail?" I'm not sure if Fred even heard my question against the wind. In any case, he doesn't react and continues to stare at his GPS device on the handlebars. But he's obviously cold too. "15 degrees", it said at the mountain station of the Pichincha cable car. But with these gusts of wind blowing around our ears here at almost 4000 metres, it feels like five degrees. We could have guessed that it would be chilly up here. Then we would have thought about a warm jacket and felt like the group of llamas in their fluffy furs looking up at us curiously a few hundred metres down the slope. But it was only supposed to be a short roll-in tour above the city. A quick ride on the "TelefériQo" up Quito's 4784 metre high volcano to test out the first Ecuadorian trail. To familiarise ourselves with what lies ahead in the land of 100 volcanoes.

"OK, roughly it should go down here." Fred now just rolls off without taking his eyes off his GPS device. "Look for the markings and take it easy!" Great. There's no sign of a trail at first, but every now and then a splash of colour flashes through the lava scree - it seems to be the remains of a marker. And then there is a kind of plastic sheeting under the stones. Perhaps this is to save on path maintenance? In any case, relaxed driving is almost impossible because deep ruts keep throwing us off our rhythm. It's only towards the end of the descent that something like driving fun emerges, but by then we've almost reached the steep alleyways of Quito's old town. Well, the next few days are going to be fun.

In search of Ecuador's bike trails

We have a lot planned for Ecuador. Hardly any other country in the world has such a diverse landscape as this state on the north-west coast of South America. Just the size of Great Britain in terms of area, the equator stretches across the country and along the Sierra - a gigantic chain of volcanoes that culminates in the 6263 metre high and legendary Chimborazo. However, Fred and I are not exactly the most detail-obsessed tour planners. We usually only set out rough destinations in advance so that there is enough room for encounters and improvisation. This adds a very special flavour to the whole adventure. For example, we knew almost nothing about Ecuador's bike trails when we landed in Quito yesterday, at the end of July. All we had for sure shortly after landing was a taxi driver who took us from the airport to the city. He may have had the smallest car in the taxi queue, but he still managed to load us, all our bags and the bulky bike boxes. Accommodation? Of course he knew the right hostel for us! And we actually felt so comfortable at the Secret Garden in the centre of the old town that we planned to stay several nights, as the hosts had drawers full of tour tips and also knew the addresses that would be useful for the rest of our trip. Bingo! Our zero-advance planning concept seemed to work as expected. But this time things turned out differently.

Our first trip to the national park should take us up to the Pasochoa volcanic peak. But it ends after just a few metres at two rangers: no biking!

The very next day, the weathered trail on the Pichincha is followed by the next flop. Genajo, a friend of our hostel host, drives us in his car to the Pasochoa volcano, 40 minutes away. He drops us off at the car park in front of the national park and points to the signposts: "Just follow the bike signs to the summit!" Then he speeds off, leaving us behind in the swirling cloud of dust. Highly motivated, we pedal off, but are stopped just a few hundred metres later by two guards in uniform: national park, biking prohibited. But as we now have time until the evening when Genajo picks us up again, we explore the surrounding villages and learn that Ecuadorians love chicken with countless sauces and play volleyball in every free corner. But we don't spot any mountain bikers. This causes us to panic a little. What if you're not allowed to bike in any national park here? It doesn't help, we need a guide who is a mountain biker himself and really knows the trails. In the evening at the hostel, Fred calls off half his list of acquaintances and finally sits down to eat with us, grinning broadly: "So, now I've found the key to our Ecuador adventure!"

Without Mateo, we would not only have missed the super volcanoes Chimborazo and Cotopaxi, but also such country icons as Marcelo, the western ranch owner.

Mountain biking on the flanks of the Chimborazo

Mateo Cuesta lives near Quito and has been running a mountain bike tour agency here for many years. Just the day before yesterday, a group of Americans cancelled on him, so he was delighted to get Fred's call and was at his door the next morning with a pickup truck and a fully prepared tour plan. It's off to Chimborazo. Or as they proudly say in Ecuador: to the highest mountain in the world. According to a French-Ecuadorian study, Chimborazo is actually the furthest peak from the centre of the earth due to its proximity to the equator. It is even 1800 metres higher than Mount Everest. Its glaciers supply thousands of inhabitants in the valley with drinking water. But of course, climate change is also affecting the high glaciers of the Andes. At the foot of the Chimborazo, Mateo has rented us a kind of barn as accommodation. Very basic, but we have enough space here to reorganise our rucksacks for the expedition. There's not much time to sleep anyway, as the alarm clock will ring at 4.30am the next morning.

It is wet, cold and dark as we drive up the road to Chimborazo National Park in our pick-up. The headlights feel their way through dense fog up to an altitude of 4300 metres, where the tarmac road ends. This is where you have to get out. With a heavy rucksack and head torch, we set off on a sandy track. Soon all you can hear is our panting. After 500 metres in altitude, we reach the Hermanos hut, where the fog suddenly lifts. And there it is already shining in the still dark blue sky: the Chimborazo with its snow-covered glacier peak. We would love to have a hot coffee with this sight, but unfortunately the coronavirus is also keeping huts closed in Ecuador.

Instead, we have this magical moment to ourselves as the first rays of sunlight slowly illuminate the volcanic terrain. A trail now leads further up to the Whymper hut, but it's steep and stepped, and the air is getting thinner and thinner. We soon have to shoulder and carry the bikes. A short breather, then another 100, 200, 300 metres in altitude until we reach the snow line. 5100 metres above sea level - this is as close as we can get to the highest mountain in the world. Which I'm glad about, because my heart is now pounding at the slightest step. But now I also know that a 40 kilometre descent awaits us.

First we make giant turns through pathless ash fields, then we take a short sandy track to the start of the marked Hieleros Trail. This winds its way through a gigantic lunar landscape as a butter-soft trail of ash sand and later through knee-high pampas grass. Soon sharp-edged volcanic rocks, meltwater furrows and scree are mixed into the narrow track. So there's plenty to do before we arrive back in the village of Cochas, where we started nine hours ago this morning, after a total of 2,300 metres. Mateo is pleased with us. Above all because we did quite well in terms of riding technique. "Then you're now perfectly prepared for the volcanic ash flanks on Cotopaxi." Another experience we will never forget. Just like the realisation that a certain amount of preparation isn't such a bad thing after all.

I plan my trips as little as possible in advance to leave plenty of room for spontaneous adventures. That was a mistake in Ecuador. - Fred Horny, Freerider

Deep respect for the locals who keep these trails in good shape. That's not easy with 40 kilometres of descent and a loose volcanic ash surface. - Richard Bord, adventure photographer

Mountain bike information on Ecuador

The bike area

By South American standards, Ecuador is a rather small country. In terms of area, it is about the same size as Great Britain, but its peaks are 1.5 times as high as Switzerland. The highest peak is Chimborazo (6268 metres). Even the capital Quito is located at an altitude of 2850 metres and its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ecuador has an extremely diverse landscape due to its location in the Andes and on the equator. Tropical regions on the Pacific coast, Amazon rainforest on the eastern border and, running through the middle from north to south, the partly still active volcanic chain of the Andes, known in Ecuador as the Sierra.

These two parallel mountain ranges, separated by a plateau, are particularly interesting for bikers. Here, locals in the national parks have also been authorised to mark out and maintain special bike trails. Tour guides are also allowed to transport their guests to these trail ascents in shuttle vehicles. The trails from the volcanoes usually start at altitudes of 4000 metres and above, where there is little oxygen, so acclimatisation is advisable. A good level of fitness is also advisable, as the descents are very long at up to 40 kilometres and are sometimes rocky and challenging. The right riding technique, on the other hand, will have to be learnt on the spot, unless you have a volcano with deep, dusty ash sand at home, where you can practise tail-wagging at high speed ...

The best mountain bike tours

We spent two weeks travelling around Ecuador with our guide Mateo and not only experienced various volcano and national park tours with and without a shuttle vehicle, but also got to know the country and its people. For example, we stayed at Marcelo's western ranch for two days and helped him maintain the Inca Trail. Our most impressive tours:

QuilotoaTwo-day acclimatisation tour in the Cordillera Occidental, 160 km south-west of Quito. With camp equipment from Angamarca up to the 3914 metre high, turquoise-coloured crater lake, spend the night there with wild horses in the open air and return the next day through mountain plantations.

ChimborazoThe highest mountain in Ecuador and, in fact, the whole world. Very early in the morning with the shuttle up to 4300 metres, then with bike and headlamp to the plateau with the Hermanos hut (4800 m) and watch the volcanic peak wake up. Then past the Whymper hut (5000 metres) and up a trail to the snow line (5100 metres for us). Then 40 kilometres downhill only (Hieleros Trail).

CotopaxiIt is Ecuador's highest active volcano (5897 metres). Last eruption: 2016. The shuttle vehicle takes you up to an altitude of 4580 metres, where you start the descent directly over wide volcanic ash fields. A 30-kilometre-long, very special riding experience.

Bike guides in Ecuador

Ride EcuadorMateo Cuesta's agency not only organises day tours and multi-day round trips including shuttles and accommodation, but also takes care of trail building in the country. In other words: nobody knows better which national parks are open to mountain bikers and which descents are currently in good shape. Info: Ride Ecuador

Best time to travel for bikers

Main months for travelling in Ecuador: January, February, July and August. The Sierra mountains, on the other hand, are best experienced in the period with the least rainfall from June to September (the warmest month). Temperatures in the mountains are then 0 -18 degrees.