9
Days
This four-day tour is the crowning achievement in Colombian cycling. The ride is centred on conquering the longest climb in the world: Alto de Letras. Imagine 82 kilometres of climbing as you rise over 3700 metres (12,000 feet)! You will start the ride in the steamy tropical valley in the town of Mariquita and end the day at a small police outpost in the high Andean Plateau. This ride is spectacularly unique. You will pass banana plantations, coffee fields, and pine forests as you climb through the changing climatic zones. The warm valley will slowly fade into the distance as you settle into your breath and focus knowing that there is much distance ahead of you. The pain and suffering will be softened by the incredible views of the valleys below will surround you with each pedal stroke.
Any scheduled tour can be made private. Your group, your preferred dates.
Arrival to Bogotá. We will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. We will dine at a great local restaurant and go over the trip logistics.
We will pick you up early in the morning and transfer just outside the city. We will spend the day riding small country roads that will take us to the foot of the climb. There will be a couple of great short climbs to get the blood moving in our legs. There is also a great descent into the Magdalena River Valley. In the afternoon we will transfer to our hotel where we will get ready for the big climb the next day.
This is what you came for! The climb of all climbs! Imagine a 82 kilometres (50 miles) road that goes from the valley floor to the sky. This amazing ride is quickly becoming “must do” in the cycling world. Once we have reached the summit we can enjoy the 30 kilometres descent into Manizales which is incredibly enjoyable in its own right. That evening we will feast on a much deserved dinner.
After breakfast we will drive you back to Bogotá and be back just in time to have one last lunch before you catch your flight back home or to connect to your next Colombian adventure. If you prefer to stay in the area, Manizales is a great launching pad for exploring the Coffee Region.
Looking to ride in Colombia, but too much trouble to bring your own bike? Avoid the hassle! We can supply you with Argon 18 Krypton carbon road bikes during any of our tours.
In 4 days you will experience all the variety that Colombia has to offer from tropical valleys to the unique high altitude Andean Plateau. Combined with the small colonial towns, this tour will make you reach for your camera more than once.
Our seasoned guides know how to make your short stay with us simply the best. They are familiar with all the best local restaurants and where to find the quietest back roads to make your riding experience unforgettable.
Alto de Letras is quickly becoming a "must do" ride in the cycling world. Everyday locals and tourists come here to conquer this legendary ride.
This short tour is an ideal weekend getaway packed with great cycling. Climb more than 5000 meters (16,000 feet) in just two days.
Is it possible to do this trip in 2 days? We don’t think so. After the effort required to reach the summit of Letras heading straight back to Bogotá by car would be an extreme effort for either you or the team. Also flight times from Manizales aren’t precisely known for their reliability, and over the numerous times we have done this climb we know that measuring your final time can be really hard so panning around such a big uncertainty could pose a problem for you in the long run. Who will be guiding? We are experienced cyclist, with a deep local knowledge and many hours of training on and off the bike to provide you with a great experience and our main goal will be providing you a great customer service. Where will be staying? A great cycling experience is only possible staying at the right places. We have work a lot to stay in some fantastic places along this route. We will stay in some lovely countryside hotels, and also in some upscale hotels that will make our time well spent. If I’m renting, what are the bike options? As cyclist ourselves we appreciate a beautiful and efficient bicycle to tackle demanding stages. We rely on Argon’s 18 Krypton bikes to do the job of take you to the summit with relative ease, but we also appreciate their steady manners on the way down. Their geometry is a balanced act that we have come to appreciate a lot over time, and so have our customers. What’s the weather like? Perhaps the most difficult question we have to answer is how’s the weather like. Although there are rainy and sunny seasons in Colombia, mountain weather is extremely unpredictable, and can change in very few kilometers. We would suggest having a wide range of layers available. We can very well be riding at some point during this tour at 32ºC but some other sections the weather can also at 8ºC with rain. Your guides will tell in advance their best estimate of the situation, but even then, there’s not 100% accuracy. We will rely in the support to sort out these situations. What should I bring? Related to the previous answer, it’s going what to bring will depend on personal preferences. However, and trying to keeping it light, there’s a minimum of basic stuff you should plan to bring when it comes down to cycling, but for this trip we would suggest: • 2 bib shorts • 2 jerseys • Arm warmers • Base layer • 1 (rain)jacket • 1 helmet • 1 pair of sunglasses • 1 pair of riding shoes • 2 pairs of socks • (Full finger)Gloves • Sunblock • Bug repellent
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