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Published: June 27th 2010
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Mountain biking around Sorata
The main reason we went to Sorata was to join a bike and boat trip with Andean Epics. I met Travis who runs this company when I was travellling in South America two years ago, and I did the full trip from Sorata to Rurrenabaque (http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Beni-Department/Madidi/blog-275141.html).
This time we only had time to do half of it and go back to La Paz from Guanay. Because of a traditional fiesta for the locals in Bolivia on monday, the trip didn´t start before tuesday this week. We chose to warm up for the trip with some biking around Sorata on monday. The area is perfect for long downhill rides with starting point at 4800 meters and plenty of dirt roads and singeltracks to choose from. We started off with a valley stretching down in the opposide direction of Sorata. We biked along Incatrails and remote villages and ended up were the road went over in a path. From there it was three days of walking to next village with road connection...
After a delicious lunch in scenery landscape we drove back up and headed down towards Sorats. Here we could try some of the singeltracks Travis
had made down the steep hillsides. This was a bit more challenging and made me quite nervous at times. I also ended up on the head one time, but luckily without any broken bones!
A few barking dogs and curious kids later we were back in Sorata rolling trough the little town. We were covered in dust and shit and it must have been quite of a view but they are probably used to it since Travis has been running the company a few years now.
The next day we joined the group of six more people and started the three day trip to Guanay. Kate, Cameron, Brendan and Tony from New Zealand, Jose from Chile, Ben from Canada and Alejandro and Travis as guides made a good company for the trip.
We started off a little bit further from the spot on monday and headed down towards Consata some 3500 meters below! The last 15 kilometers is a far from downhill and only Jose, Ben and I plus Travis and Alejandro took the challenge of biking this distance. It was really goo to feel that the body was working again after beeing a bit sick the week before.
After an hour up and down I could ride into Consata and jump into the waterfalls at the entrance of the village.
When the gold mining was at the top Consata was crowded. The vlllage was mostly build up of wooden shacks but you could get rolex watches at the street! Now it´s concrete and brick houses and much more relaxed. It´s also hard to find tourists here except for the bikers.
Next day was hot and with less downhill... not a the best combination... But we had a great ride this day as well and could ride into Mapiri all pretty much in good shape except for some sore bums and muscles.
From Mapiri the trip continiued at the river with Zains longboat. With low waterlevel in the river it was a few interesting passages we passed and one time we ended up into the rock. But handmade woodenboats do the job and we got to Guanay without swimming.
From Guanay we were probably the closest so far on the trip to end up in an accident. I think the driver was practicing for or dreaming about joining the next round in World Rally Championship! Luckily
we got a far better driver from Caranavi to La Paz. This road is almost constantly with at least a few hundred meters steep on the side, and 50 % of the time not broad enough for two cars to pass eachother.
Safe back in La Paz we met Torbjoern, Bjoern, Hilde, and Oeyvind at the airport on Friday. The plan is to head for the mountians on Monday.
Magnus
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cecilie
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Hurra for dere
Hei på deg. Så utrolig flott det ser og høres ut på tur..her sitter vi i nordnorge og regner vekk i dunjakke og selbuvotter. Ai ai, feil ferieplan med andre ord. Altfor varmt og flott det der fjelllivet, se å komme dere hjem så vi kan ta en klatretur..:) Nyt livet, jeg heier på dere i i de høye fjellene. Hils masse til din reisekompanjong. Sjarkeklæm fra iskalde nord, 4,5 grader for øyeblikket.