Discover Ecuador
Flanked by the Andes mountains and a large volcano. Quito is the second highest capital city in the world, and the only one near an active volcano. Our 8 day journey will take us north and south of this historical city, to ride the best single track in the Equatorial Andes.
Starting north, descending from Quito, the terrain transitions from sub-tropical forests to desert. Trails surrounded by thick foliage with tacky dirt become lined with cactus and moon dust conditions. After a couple days north we’ll head back to Quito to explore the local trails off neighboring Volcano Pichincha, which stands at 15,500ft tall.
The riding off Volcano Pichincha will be a good warm up for the trails down south. The last 4 days we’ll ride off two of the tallest mountains in Ecuador, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. Beginning in the high alpine above 15,000ft the trails descend over 5,000ft to the jungle below. Exploring the highest mountains at the middle of the Earth, our excursion to Ecuador is a truly unique adventure.
Trip itinerary
Day One:
Pick you up at your hotel in the morning and head north out of Quito. The Pululahua trails are the perfect introduction to our Ecuadorian experience. Our first ride is off a massive extinct volcano on the famous Infiernillo trail. Descending nearly 5,000ft on flowy single track through a subtropical forest, it ends with tons of natural switchbacks. Next stop is a visit at the Middle of the Earth Museum, before driving north to Ibarra for our overnight at Quinta San Miguel.
Day Two:
Today we'll ride 2 trails which both start at 11,000ft. The trails become more desert like the closer we get to the valley, and the riding is absolutely amazing! After the ride a delightful pool awaits along with a hefty lunch. Head back to Quinta San Miguel for our last evening in northern Ecuador.
Day Three:
Sample the best of the infamous ‘Chotas’ Trails which take you down an open face of a mountain. It is a unique desert landscape with cactus everywhere. Drive back to Quito for the night and prepare for our journey into the big mountains.
Day Four:
This will be our first day in the high Andes of Ecuador. Descending flowy singletrack we’ll traverse from Guagua Pichincha volcano towards its twin brother, Rucu Pichincha. Descending down valley we’ll link up at the teleférico for a gondola ride back up Rucu Pichincha’s. The final descent of the day will be on the local downhill tracks that overlook Quito. After lunch drive to our beautiful hotel Tambopaxi, located at the foothills of Cotopaxi.
Day Five:
Ever ridden down a 5900m volcano before? Experience the mighty Cotopaxi Volcano by taming two different downhill runs through the most surreal moonscape scenery. Exploring Cotopaxi National Park is a truly humbling experience. Drive to Urbina that afternoon for our overnight stay at Posada La Estación.
Day Six:
Another day of high Andean exploration as we visit the highest mountain in Ecuador, Chimborazo. We’ll hike and bike up to 5000m to a mountain refuge, then descend down the famous Hieleros Trail. Expect a big day of descending today on a historical ice merchant route.
Day Seven:
Experience the most legendary trail in Ecuador. Once a pre-Inca walking route, later turned into a smuggling route, Mama Rumi now serves as one of the best descents in Ecuador. 5,000ft of vertical over 8 miles that ends in Telimbela. That afternoon sample some more local trails like Lourdes DH or Camino del Rey.
Day Eight:
For our last day of riding we’ll have the chance to repeat some of the best. Mama Rumi, or Camino del Rey, these two trails are an exhilarating ride through sub-tropical forests. Pack up the vehicles and drive back to Quito for the last night of the trip.
Trip details
What to Expect:
The Andes continue up through Ecuador maintaining their high altitude. Majority of the rides will be shuttled assisted to high elevations. The diversity of trails here is what makes this trip so special. We’ll ride everything from old jungle routes, to moto trails in the desert, to rocky high alpine single track. Ride Local is beyond excited to offer trips to this incredible country and show you it’s awesome selection of trails.
Prepare for 8 days of riding with of 1-4 rides a day. The trails will mostly be shuttle assisted to elevations up to 14,000ft. Ecuador has a lot of trail variety, prepare for a little bit of everything. They are all consistently long and have some climbing in them. We'll ride trails in the jungle, desert, and high alpine. Plan to be out riding 4-6 hours a day.
Trip Dates and Duration:
Offering one trip for next year, 2021. Over the course of 8 days and 8 nights.
September 25th - October 2nd
Meeting point:
Quito, Ecuador
Fitness and Skill Level:
Trip Costs:
$2,500 USD / person. Ask about our single rider best price guarantee.
Group Pricing:
Our trips are designed with groups in mind, we highly encourage you to invite your friends and family to take advantage of our discounted group pricing.
$2,400 USD / person for groups of 2 - 5 people
$2,300 USD / person for groups of 6 - 8 people
2 person minimum / 8 person max.
Click here for information on Custom and Private trips to Ecuador.
What's Included:
Airport pick-up and drop-off.
Lodging for 8 nights.
Breakfast and lunch for trip duration.
Dinner for 2 of the nights.
8 days of riding with 2-3 experienced guides.
Ride snacks and water for every day of riding.
Transportation and shuttle vehicle, along with a driver for the trip duration.
What's Not Included:
Dinner for 6 of the nights and all beverages, minus water for rides.
Airfare and baggage fees. Ride Local uses momondo.com for finding cheap and reliable airfare.
Price does not include a bike, but rental bikes are available for our trips to Ecuador. Please click here for information on rental bike pricing.
Single Room lodging. Most rooms will accommodate 2-3 people. Please click here for information on single room pricing.
Travel and medical insurance. Ride Local partners with World Nomads for all our insurance needs.
Add-On Costs:
Rental Bike Pricing- For our trips to Ecuador we have a size run of YT Capras available to rent.
$480 USD / 9 Day Trip
Single Room Lodging Upgrade- Room arrangements usually have 2-3 people per room with its own bathroom. We do this in order to keep the costs down, but understand this cannot apply to everyone. For people wanting single room lodging that is no problem at all but is an extra charge.
$150 USD / 9 Day Trip
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