This route takes you on a loop through some lovely southern Colombian scenery on a mostly paved b-road that descends down to the River Magdalena past the iconic Estrecho (a 2m wide gully with the entire River Magdalena thundering through it, less than a metre below the edge), up to the picturesque town of Obando […]
San Agustín – Isnos Loop Read More »
Desierto de La Tatacoa is technically a tropical dry forest rather than a desert. But it sure feels like a desert when you’re riding the hot, dusty, sandy trails that rise and fall as they traverse a largely barren landscape full of amazing sand and rock formations, with seemingly infinite layers of mountains in the
Desierto de La Tatacoa Read More »
This is the second part of the route across the Central Cordillera; a great way of avoiding the busy Panamericana Highway if you’re riding north (or south). It can also be used between La Plata and Neiva to avoid the main road running through the department of Huila. The route is 65% paved and follows
Tierradentro – Neiva Read More »
This route is a great way to cross the Central Cordillera. It rises up from Popayan on a picturesque paved road to the village of Gabriel Lopez at almost 3,400m, where a long gravel descent begins. The vistas all the way up and down are absolutely magnificent. The climb is an impressive 50km long, but
Popayán – Tierradentro Read More »
This rollercoaster route goes from El Calvario to Fomeque through the rugged mountains of the Eastern Cordillera, and it’s just as insane as the route to El Calvario described in another post, perhaps a little more so as the total elevation is the same over a shorter distance. The route is 95% gravel and climbs
El Calvario – Fómeque Read More »
I rode this crazy route from Fómeque to El Calvario in the rugged mountains of the Eastern Cordillera with a group of friends in late-2022. The first part follows a well-maintained gravel road with great views and a few challenging climbs, and then a gentle 25km paved descent takes you through a couple of tunnels
Fómeque – El Calvario Read More »
This popular route takes you out of Bogotá using the Alto de Patios paved climb, before turning off onto the dirt just past the Teusaca River. After a few kilometres of rolling terrain, you reach a short but mighty gravel wall up and over the brow of a hill, with gradients reaching 20%. After that,
Jerusalén – Choachí Read More »
I discovered this route in early 2022, when I came across a new gravel cycle path while I was on a ride out to Zipacón, a lovely colonial town in the hills SW of Bogotá, and decided to see where it went. The path follows a disused train line that used to run between Facatativá
Facatativá – Zipacón Read More »
El Tablazo is an iconic destination among Bogotá’s gravel and MTB cycling communities. Starting from the picturesque town of Subachoque, about 50km NWW of Bogotá, the route rises up and up, first on a fairly steep paved road with a few double-digit ramps (lots of shops on this part for refreshment breaks), and then along
This short but challenging route takes you through some incredible mountain scenery to the east of Bogotá. The route starts about 80km outside the city, but it’s worth the effort as the paved road there includes the mythical Cuchilla climb, the gorgeous ride across Páramo Grande and the breathtaking descent down into Sueva. The dirt
