May 22, 2017
We had a tailwind all day as we start cycling through Canon del Pato towards Huaraz.
Cycling Stats
Start Point: Chuquicara, Ancash, Peru
Destination: Yuracmarca, Ancash, Peru
55.11 km trip, 5:02 time, 48.2 km/h maximum speed, 10.9 km/h average speed
2199 meters climbed, 1317 meters descended, highest elevation 1420 meters
Route Description:
You start your day in Chuquicara at 515 meters. It is a gradual climb along the river for most of the day. After 14.3 km our elevation was 670 meters. At this junction stay straight. After 43K of cycling there is a restaurant and stores. At the 50K mark you start switchbacks for steeper climbing and at about the 53K mark you hit the border of Yuracmarca. The town centre is up the hill but we heard the hostel is not there so we didn’t go up. At the 54K mark we reached the turn to the town and 1424 meters. The next little area has a hospedeje. While we stopped here I highly recommend riding the additional 12K to the next town of Huallanca which is the town where the dam is and there are many restaurants and 7 hostels!.
Accommodations:
We stayed at Hospedaje Villarreal for 15 soles. Shared washroom with bucket toilet and shower. The room was pretty basic. If you have the energy ride another 12K to the town of Huallanca where you will find restaurants, stores and 7 hostels. It is a town where the dam operates out of and there is a lot more going on there. The additional 12K is partly downhill so not too hard.
What happened…
Andrew writes: I keep running out of gas and I don’t know why. Today was mostly flat with the wind at our back, and then all of a sudden we had a 5km climb and I didn’t want to go anywhere once that was done. Maybe I should’ve rested and found the energy to continue on to Huallanca, as Amanda didn’t seem to keen on the “value-packed” hospedaje available in Yuracmarca. There’s good cell coverage in the town so I’ll be able to teach in the morning. Heck, we spent the evening listening to the Yankees baseball game. What more could a wife want?? (flushing toilets?)
Amanda writes: After yesterday’s descent and amazing canyons we were ready for a harder ride. The ride ended up being likely the most climbing we’ve ever done in a single day but it didn’t feel that bad to me. It was very gradual except for the end. Maybe it didn’t seem that bad because yesterdays head wind turned into a tailwind today. We also road through a big canyon today but the mountains around us and the rock formations we’re as spectacular. There was more greenery and trees and it seemed a bit more populated. Yesterdays canyon was just rocks.
As we neared the end of the day I wanted to push on a little further but Andrew seemed to be done so we pulled the plug in the little town of Yuacmarca. The only hospedeje in town left a little to be desired but we made do. There was no window in the room, no flushing toilet or running water. And while it wasn’t a great room it was nice to end the day with Andrew and I even got to call my Mom and my sister and niece and speak to them for a bit. I didn’t end up having any service on my Mom’s birthday so it was great to hear her voice.