Stef and Matt

I’ve spent many of the last seven or eight years cycling (true, I didn´t ride much in 2007 or 2008). I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I got here and wasn’t able to bike. When we got to Riobamba, Stef and I found a tour of the volcano Chimborazo through ProBici, who has been running mountain biking tours in Ecuador for almost twenty years. We met with Galo, the owner, who was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. After discussing our options, I chose the medium long route down Chimborazo, and Stef came along as a passenger. ProBici has some of the best bikes available, all in perfect condition. My bike, a Kona Blast with Hayes mechanical discs, rode as if it were brand new!

We spent the morning driving up to the first refuge (at 4800 meters), with a few stops along the way explaining the local culture, land rights, and geology. After a hike to and from the second refuge (at 5000 meters), I began the long descent. It was broken into 8 or 9 sections, including a 2 kilometer climb. Along the way we saw several things: a silver mine, a monument to a catholic bishop, some paper trees, the ruins of an inca building (called the inca barracks), and a freshwater carbonated spring.
Oh, and I rode inside a group of llamas, cows, sheep, and horses. And I drafted a police motorcycle doing about 30-35mph! It was a lot of fun – Chimborazo is beautiful, so be sure to check out the photos below!

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