You’ll need your climbing and hiking legs with you for this one; it’s short but hardcore! After climbing up from the River Teusacá, you’ll encounter the challenging and technical Herradura climb before the track levels off a bit as you make your way through some high-mountain farmland (the track is an ancient footpath and nowadays parts of it go through private land, so make sure to direct an “¡Hola! ¡Con permiso!” at anyone you encounter on the way). After riding along an overgrown track for a while, and hiking your bike up an incline that has no right to be that steep, you come out onto a high mountain meadow with breathtaking views across the mountains to northern Bogotá, and a creepy abandoned farmhouse behind you. And then, after hiking your bike up another steep rutted track, you come out onto a path through a high Andean forest that turns into a paramo full of frailejones (espeletia). From there, the route follows some rolling hills before coming out onto a paved road that will take you back down to Bogotá. Bring everything you need with you as there are no shops and hardly any houses until you reach the paved road, and expect to suffer. You’ll be rewarded by some truly unique vistas. This is one of my favourite local routes.