Project Adventure

Much happened in between our run through the Cajas and our return to Philadelphia. We hiked and biked the roads and trails around Banos, including the 65 km ride from Banos to Puyo, a steamy town nestled in the fringes of the Amazon Basin. The road, known as La Ruta de Cascadas or The Route of Waterfalls, was highlighted by dozens of waterfalls, large and small. We then spent a glorious four days and nights at the Secret Garden Cotopaxi among wonderful people, dogs and scenery, especially the hulking form of the 5900 meter Cotopaxi, which dominated the valley when not enshrouded in clouds. We hiked and biked again, bringing our grand total of biking days for the trip to two! Neither day was exactly great training, but it was something and we kept on walking and hiking.

One of the top highlights of the trip came within the final two days when we finally met up with Rodolfo and Santiago of Proyecto Aventura, the premier AR organizers in Ecuador and founders of the ARWS Qualifier, Huairasinchi. After meeting the two race directors and Santiago’s wife, Natalia, for a wonderful dinner in Quito, I had the pleasure of finally getting on a halfway decent bike and actually doing some bike training for the first time in a month. Abby and I had biked leisurely for a few hours the day before; she wasn’t feeling all that well, so that left me alone for the final day’s adventure, a 70+ km ride out of Quito to Ecuadorians-only-know-where.

The ride started well enough as we quickly hit a bike trail after leaving Santiago’s house. 10 km later, we descended down to a river at the bottom of a steep ravine, and then we began to climb. And we just kept on climbing. While we had our share of short descents following the river, the vast majority of the ride seemed to be uphill for the next 50- 60 km, and it was then that I realized I had lost my legs for hills. Put me on a bike on flats or downs or gentle ups, and I could fake that I had continued training normally for the past four weeks. Put me on genuinely long or steeper inclines, and my legs were screaming uncle; I was eventually as slow and sluggish as I can remember ever being on a bike. It may have been that I rode the day before too or that my lungs just weren’t adjusted fully to this sort of exercise at altitude, diminishing my oxygen intake (a guy can make excuses, can’t he?). Whatever it was, halfway through the ride, I found myself lagging behind on the relentless hills and climbs and cobblestones that covered the bulk of the ride.

When it was all said and done, the ride was phenomenal, if also exhausting. The majestic Andean peaks peeked over the horizon whenever I felt my spirits sinking, and my hosts were as friendly and encouraging as I could hope for. Throughout the ride, Santiago and Rodolfo pointed out bits and pieces of Adventure Races past and gone, and they threw in comments that only made me want to come back and race in this beautiful country more than I already did; without question, Huairasinchi jumped to the top of my list. Unfortunately, as long as the race runs in February, I don’t see myself getting down to race, but from everything I have heard from racers who have visited for the event and from the directors themselves, it sounds like one for the ages, and I can’t dream of a better locale than the mountains, lakes and valleys in the Ecuadorian highlands. Following them through valleys, across creeks and over hills, I could imagine racing through the majestic Andes, and I was left satisfied and ready to get back to training and racing stateside when we pulled up in front of Santiago’s house four to five hours after starting.

It was a wonderful day of training and a perfect way to conclude the trip to Ecuador. The added perk was knowing that we were in fact training together for the same thing as Rodolfo and Santiago will be coming up to Dixville Notch to race in Untamed in a few weeks. Considering how good I have felt cardio-wise since returning from South America, I have no doubt they will find the hills and mountains of New England more manageable than many. While we won’t be on the same team and might not see much of each other after the gun goes off, it feels like I have two new teammates, and what great ones they would be. Now I just need to find a way to get to Ecuador in February…