Our week mountain biking Peru’s Sacred Valley continued to be fun, awesome, and different each day.  AFter a stellar day 3, it was time to head south and check out some very different riding.  Although our 2nd ride got cut short by torrential rain, the day was stellar and we were stoked to have gotten in as much riding as we did!

Ride 1: Radio Tower

Fun ride, started down a cool ridge from the radio/antenna tower (for the Cusco airport) and then into a traverse-y but still fun trail.  There were some cool canyon features, punchy climbs, and really flowy sections.  Then into some cool trees, and finally finished on a super balancy section along the river.   Overall, with 5k of descending, some climbing, lots of ecosystem change, and cool villages . . . it was another great ride!

Totally different landscape

Started out with a fun downhill off the ridge . . .

Flowy traversing around the mountainside – the trail continued across the ravine in the distance and down to the river.

Changing ecosystems throughout a ride is one of the coolest parts of riding these huge Peruvian rides

Ride 2: Cusco Enduro (halfway – rained out)

The second ride of the day was the Cusco Enduro route – another super long ride with lots of changing character throughout!

The top part was kind of traverse-y and then we dropped free form to a road to more free form.  Then into a trail-like section with some rock drops and tech sections.  I managed to freeze my front tire and go over the bars (again), maybe spraining my right pinky finger.  Then I was a bit of a head case and probably didn’t enjoy the next section as much as I might have because, especially in retrospect, it was a really cool section of trail.  

After this super fun tech descent came a decently fun climbing section and then another downhill.  And then we hit the road, and the car was there (typical) . . . and then the thunder and lightening came.  And then the rain and hail, torrential.  And we happened to be exactly at the car when it happened.  The timing was so uncanny and we got in the car and didn’t finish the ride.  We still rode a solid 10k day, so it was hardly a day-killer!  And the riding was so unique to what we’d been riding!  

Classic Peru . . . this was the terrain of the free-form riding sections off the top

Who needs trails? Free form is so fun!

Coming out of the high villages and making our way down . . . the super tech section came next!

Just after the tech section, we had a short climb – a few antics to lighten the mood!

Coming out of the tech section, I found this waterfall to be super peaceful!