Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Across Ecuador on the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route (Video)
Clotaire Mandel’s latest video captures the start of his ride through Ecuador, following the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route (TEMBR) on his journey from Alaska to Patagonia. Watch the video and find a short written reflection with stunning photos from the ride here…
Words and photos by Clotaire Mandel
Ecuador has been a lovely surprise. Aside from the dozens of times I’ve watched Cass Gilbert’s video about the TEMBR, we honestly don’t know much about Ecuador. The conflicts of recent years and the growing violence in the country have raised the question among many cyclists of whether or not to pass through Ecuador. I must say it would have been a mistake to miss this country.
The landscapes are spectacular. The kind you rarely find anywhere else. Colors, views, and mountains. There is something about this place that makes you want to keep climbing and descending steep valleys. It has become a game to ask locals whether the next few kilometers are steep. “No, tranquilo, todo plano.” Ecuadorian flat indeed.
The weather wasn’t always kind, far from it. But I had Gustavo Santaolalla’s music in my head. The dramatic feel of the low clouds, mud, and endless trails fit perfectly with the music. It somehow fit perfectly with what I expected from my journey across this country.
It’s far from being a vacation. But all it takes is the kindness and friendliness of a handful of locals, a break in the clouds over Cotopaxi, for everything to come to life, for everything to make sense. Ultimately, that’s the beauty of this kind of country: arriving with a few images of those who came before, while being completely unaware of the exceptional grandeur of the country you are about to discover.
Further Reading
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