Riding the Colombian Andes

We ride a total of 410 km over 9 cycling days. Except for a transfer on Day 2 to the cycling start location outside of Bogota and on Day 12 from Barichara to Bucaramanga, all of our rides are point-to-point. We ride on a mix of gravel roads and paved secondary roads in the highlands of Central Colombia. This is a challenging but very enjoyable journey, ideal for intrepid mountain or gravel bikers looking to get off-the-beaten-path in one of Latin America’s most enchanting (and misunderstood!) travel destinations. Our ride takes us through the Andean foothills, with elevations ranging from 1,500 to over 3,000 metres above sea level. If you’re prone to altitude sickness, arriving in Bogotá a few days early is recommended to acclimatise. While the Colombian Andes are not as high as other Andean regions, some riders may experience mild symptoms. Staying hydrated and pacing yourself can also help ensure a comfortable journey. We spend our nights in character-rich and cosy accommodations, though keep in mind that in the more remote regions there may not be hot water or a consistent phone & Wi-Fi signal. In areas with a well-developed tourism infrastructure, such as Villa de Leyva and Barichara, you can expect to be more pampered. Besides enjoyable cycling routes everyday, you can also look forward to immersing yourself in the rich artisanal traditions of the Andes including, of course, local cuisine. Coffee lovers are in for a real treat as you are cycling in a region renowned for its high quality brews!

The trip is fully supported, and your guide’s expert knowledge of the area and terrain means that you always know what is coming up in terms of distance and difficulty. This makes a tremendous difference, as does the constant supply of water and refreshments along the way.

Suitability: The tour is suitable for cyclists possessing a good level of physical fitness. While the average distance is just around 46 km, the average climb per day is more than 1000 m. Fitness will be a huge asset on those challenging climbs. The downhills are just as prominent. You should be comfortable on a mountain or gravel bike and have experience navigating on rocky roads for extended periods. There are some challenging technical sections with particular care required on some steep downhill sections. There are no rest days, though we have the afternoons free to relax and recharge and our last day is spent exploring the beautiful town of Barichara on foot. Less experienced riders are welcome but should prepare themselves in advance to manage the climbs and technical sections comfortably. The tour is guided and fully supported, and a transfer is possible at certain points during each stage for any weary riders.

Biking Conditions: This route has been designed specifically for mountain and gravel bikers and so we ride on a mix of gravel and secondary asphalt roads. The conditions of the roads vary widely, ranging from hard-packed and level to loose and bumpy. Occasionally, we ride on main interprovincial roads which tend to be well-paved but potholes and debris are common. Throughout all days, the terrain is hilly and changeable with flat sections and a lot of climbs and descents. Some climbs can be gradual while others are short but steep. The same goes for the downhills. For the most part, you can expect very little traffic in the countryside but coming in and out towns, as well as near popular tourist attractions, we will share the roads with cars and buses and rules of traffic must be observed. While rainfall is uncommon during the months we schedule our tours, showers can occur at any time – we generally ride rain or shine though, based on the guide’s discretion or your level of comfort, modifications to the planned route can be made. When it rains, the roads can become muddy and when it's dry, dusty. It’s all part of the adventure!

Bikes

Because some people can't imagine going on a trip without their own beloved bicycle, we do not provide them as part of this tour. However, you can hire bikes locally for the price listed in the tour pricing section. We can provide well-serviced Specialized Rockhopper (2017) mountain bikes in S, M and L sizes.

If you bring your own bike, please make sure it is a mountain or gravel bike in good mechanical order. Gravel bikers, please be aware that the gravel roads in Colombia are far from smooth — you and your bike should expect rocky paths, loose surfaces in dry conditions, and muddy tracks if it rains. Potholes and uneven sections are common.

Bike Repairs

Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.

Safety

Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.

Guides

You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.

If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:

FLEXIBLE BOOKING CONDITIONS

CONFIRMING YOUR BOOKING

Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.

You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.

TRIP STATUS

There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.

BOOKING ONLINE

From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).

If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.

BOOKING OFFLINE

Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.

DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS

We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.

The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.

In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.

In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.

The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.

FULL FLEXIBILITY FOR TOUR CANCELATIONS

If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).

If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).

Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.

If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.

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The information in this document is given in good faith, and covers the average range of conditions likely to be found on this trip. Please note that the itinerary is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, however, we will always do our best to adhere to this original itinerary