Lon Haldeman
Did you ever dream of reaching the top of highest mountain passes in Colorado at over 11,000 feet. You are proud and satisfied with your accomplishment and maybe even a little tired. Then someone wakes you up and reminds you are actually cycling over the Andes in South America and you still have almost one mile of vertical climbing yet to go. The top is 15,806 feet and you are at least five hours away by bicycle.
This was the scale of magnitude for twenty cyclists that cycled the route from the Andes to the Amazon in Peru during November. The 500 mile route from Lima on the Pacific Ocean to Pucallpa in the rain forest had never been bicycled before. The first 100 miles would be continuous climbing. The middle 200 miles would be through giant valleys averaging between 12,000 and 14,000 feet in elevation. The final 200 miles would be on a rough jungle road that would dead end at the Ucayali River in the middle of nowhere.
Before the tour, bicycling this route in six days looked possible for good PAC Tour riders who wanted adventure. By the third day we were realizing how difficult this trip would be. We found this route was better suited for Elite riders and this had become an ultra marathon event.
There were several reasons this tour became a challenge for even the strongest cyclists in our group. Going into the tour we needed to find bicycles that were designed for a variety of conditions. Early in the tour some of the roads were beautifully paved for many miles that climb up the Andes. During the next two days we would have sections of gravel with many miles of adequate pavement. Later in the tour the gravel roads would become so rough they resembled a creek bed of rocks and water.
A full suspension mountain bike was needed for the rough stuff. A cross bike was necessary for the gravel, but needed to be light enough for the mountain climbs. Most people would ride a mountain bike with street tires for the first few days. When we entered the jungle we switched to fatter knobby tires. This worked okay, but the extremes from pavement to rocks was a challenging combination to deal with.
Cycling at altitude was a unknown factor for us Americans. We would be crossing the highest paved road in the world. Even the local train carries oxygen for it's passengers. Back home in Colorado some of our group had ridden up to 12,000 feet at Loveland Pass or even 14,000 feet at Mt. Evans. We found that adding an additional 2,000 feet made a big difference none of us had faced before.
The body begins to slow down physically and mentally at these elevations. Even if your legs don't feel tired, it is hard to get any power to the pedals. One month before the tour I had ridden a 42 x 15 one speed bike over some of the major passes in Colorado. I thought I was feeling pretty fit without ill effects from breathing or fatigue. I didn't expect any problems in Peru. Wrong!
During the big climb to Ticlio I felt fine at 12,000 feet and still okay at 14,000'. There were fifteen kilometers to go to the top. I was counting the cement distance markers every kilometer. Finally I would ride to each kilometer marker then stop and rest for five minutes. The scenery was great so I had a good excuse to stop and take some photos. I had a low gear of 34 x 28. I never thought I would need it on a paved road. Wrong again! I used it the last five kilometers and was going so slow I didn't think I could balance. I didn't feel out of breath as much as a total lack of power.
When I reached the top I was feeling a little light headed. I was getting sleepy. Some of the other riders were getting sick to their stomachs and having trouble focusing and talking clearly. We knew it was best to get off the mountain as soon as we could. When we coasted down into the next valley most of us didn't feel alert again until we were down below 14,000 feet. It is amazing that many local villagers live and work above 15,000 feet their whole lives.
The great part about climbing to almost 16,000 feet is that you have a long way to come down. On day four we began our decent down the eastern slope of the Andes. We coasted and coasted down past mining towns and twisting hairpin turns. The grades were gradual and steady, not fast and steep. We coasted so long I was tired of sitting. You could look around at the landscape unfolding. The valleys were wide and the mountains towered over us. I felt very insignificant. The best way to describe Peru is to think of a magnificent view in Colorado or Montana then double the scale of everything.
On day five we crested the last major climb. We went through a tunnel and on the other side we entered the rain forest. Thick ferns and palm trees made the forest seem tropical. As we dropped down to 2,000 feet in elevation the temperature continued to increase. The day before we were freezing at 13,000 feet. Now the sun and humidity were intense. After the city of Tingo Maria, the pavement ends and the last crossroad goes north. We would continue east for 200 miles on a gravel path that would end at one of the most isolated cities on earth in Pucallpa.
We would go as far as we could by road. Across the Amazon basin into Brazil there are no roads for almost another 1,000 miles. If you want to continue east you need to fly or take a riverboat down the Ucayali and Amazon Rivers. It is a four day boat ride before you reach the next town down river with any services. Our plan was to fly from Pucallpa back to Lima after spending one night in the jungle at a rural Indian village on the river.
On the afternoon we entered the rain forest of course it started to rain. The gravel road became overflown with small streams flooding over the rocks. During one bumpy decent I felt like I was riding down a staircase. Using my brakes in the rain was useless. Just trying to hang on was a challenge. Every time I crossed a creak bed filled with rushing muddy water I was hoping it wasn't eroded a few feet deeper than expected.
This area is actually a beautiful tropical valley. Waterfalls flow from towering cliffs and children cheered us on from thatched roof houses. Some of the local villagers do ride bikes on this road but they thought we were crazy when they learned we were riding from Lima to Pucallpa. "Hey Gringo" was their greeting as they waved to the muddy Americans slogging their way over the wet clay and rocks.
Our schedule had us staying at hotels on alternate nights and camping for three nights. Some areas were so desolate that hotels and towns with services were not available. Tonight we camped on an old steel bridge that was closed to cars. It was the only open area big enough to pitch a tent. The raging river below was spectacular, but we arrived so late it was too dark to see it. This had been another tough day. We were all pretty sore from the pounding of the road. We still had over 100 miles of rocky road to ride tomorrow.
On the sixth day our group reached Pucallpa. It had been a difficult trip with new obstacles everyday. This had been the first time bicycles had ever crossed this entire area. Now we knew why. In 500 miles we had seen a range of extremes that included everything except a dry desert. We were tired and beat up and convinced we would never do this ride again. Maybe it will take a few years to sink in, but we actually had some bizarre and exceptional experiences that will give us some great memories.
This would end Part One of our tour. Part Two would begin with cruising the river and staying with the local Indians. Then we would fly to Cuzco to begin our hike of the Inca Trail and visit to Machu Picchu. That would be another trip filled with stories, but not really anything to do with cycling.
So what is next in Peru? Our route from Lima to Pucallpa would be an exciting Race Across Peru route. Near the equator there are only 13 hours of daylight year around. I was thinking a 4 day stage race with a support crew would be logistically safer and possible for more people.
Each rider could bring 2 or 3 bikes for the variety of road conditions. There are many local taxi drivers who would love to rent and drive their vehicles as support crew. The Spanish language is a problem for Americans so an interpreter is a must.
The traffic is equal to or better than most areas of the United States. I was always impressed with the courtesy we received on the road. The local villagers are some of the most friendly people in the world. They like bicycles and Americans so they would be thrilled to have a race come through their area. There would be a lot of planning to be done, but a race across Peru would be very exciting and interesting.
For bike touring in the Andes and the Rain forest I have been considering several ideas. Last year I lived in the rain forest for about three weeks and got to know many local guides and Indians. There are several areas to the north that offer a variety roads and hotels each night. They are better suited to shorter distances each day with a choice of services.
Besides the scenery in Peru, visiting the people is what I enjoy most. Living on the Amazon River and seeing the remote areas of the jungle would be a good experience for many Americans. I have been working on a tour which includes cycling, hotels, restaurants and riverboats. Traveling by boat through the Pacaya Wildlife Reserve is the best place to view monkeys, sloths, birds and crocodiles.
The conditions in Peru are simple by American standards but that is part of the appeal of jungle living. My best experience in the Rain Forest have not been as a tourist, but as part of the community living and working with the people. This is the type of interaction I would like to combine with a cycling tour across Peru.