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Colombia video

In July 2017 after I finished my world cycle ride I moved to Bogota, Colombia to live and work.  Here are the videos from my time cycling through Colombia.

Please scroll down to watch the videos from Colombia or visit my Youtube channel where you will find all of the videos from my cycle around the world.

Cycling Colombia Day 15 (birthday ride compilation) 110km Rivera to Neiva via Tatacoa Desert 

This would be my last day of cycling through Colombia. What better was to spend my 49th birthday than cycling and dancing my way from the mountain village of Rivera, through Colombia’s Tatacoa Desert and onto the city of Neiva for a spot of dancing.

All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

Cycling Colombia Day 14 Garzon to Rivera, 120km

Today’s cycle would give you a great snapshot of cycling in Colombia. I would continue my journey north following the Magdalena River and spend the morning touching the clouds, cycling past beautiful lakes and passing through mountain villages. After stopping for lunch at the village of Gigante, which seems to have taken it’s name literally, in the afternoon I finally descended out of the mountains to a stunning vista. I would then finish the day by climbing back into the mountains and as it was my birthday the following day my destination that night was a thermale, an outdoor natural hot spa straight from the belly of the earth.

All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

Cycling Colombia Day 13 San Agustin to Garzon, 110km

The day started up in the clouds in the village of San Agustin which is at the headwaters of Colombia’s longest river – the Magdelana. All day the Magdelena would be my guide as it snaked its way north through the lower mountains that separates the towering Andean subranges of the Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental. As seems to be the pattern on this trip by the end of the day I would have climbed nearly as much as I descended.

All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

Cycling Colombia Day Day 12 Popayan to San Agustin 140km

Another brilliant day to be alive, and just one more reason why you should add Colombia to your cycling bucket list!!!

A 140km ride on mainly off road tracks which included my final high mountain pass – a stunningly beautiful 3200m effort.

Without doubt this was one of my favourite rides so far in Colombia. As most of the route was on very rough tracks it meant that there was only the odd motorbike for company.

Just before the summit of the final pass I crossed a Paramo – a unique ecological area whose flora and fauna are influenced by the humid equatorial air masses that push rain, clouds and fog up over this section of the Andes mountains.

Once across the Paramo I had a 50km descent on the same rough tracks in the pouring rain, which by the end of the day gave my wrists a brutal workout. However, given the chance I would ride this route every weekend as it is one of the standout rides I have ever ridden.

All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

Cycling Colombia Day 10 Cali to Popayan 140km

After a fantastic night out in Cali it was time to leave the sugar cane plantations of the pancake flat Valle de Cauca and head back into the mountains. By the end of the day I would have climbed nearly 2000m as I cycled the 140km to the beautiful city of Popayan.

All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

Cycling Colombia Day8 & 9 Buga to Cali 110km

The day started with a completely flat cycle from Buga to Cali through the millions of acres of sugar cane plantations that seem to cover the entire Valle de Cauca. Once in Cali I stayed with 2 colleagues from the school that we work at in Bogota and that night we went dancing until 5am. Needless to say the next day was not very productive.

All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

Cycling Colombia Day 7 Tapedo to Buga 110km

Today saw me continue my descent out of the mountains as I cycled towards the city of Cali which is located in the Valle del Cauca. It would take me 2 days cycling to get to Cali from the coffee region, and so when it went dark I found myself in the town of Buga. The town is home to the beautiful Basilica del Señor de los Milagros which receives a staggering 3 million pilgrims per year.

All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

Cycling Colombia Day 6 Salento to Tapado, 100km

After a brilliant rest day eating nice food and drinking great coffee it was now time to leave Salento and the coffee region. Today, would see me descend all day down a river valley into the department of Cali. The only issue was a misunderstanding with a farmer just before I descended into a gorge. I thought he had told me that the track out on the other side was bad, but had in fact in hindsight told me that there was no track out. This left me to haul my bike 2km up the sheer slopes on the other side !!!!

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All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

Cycling Colombia Day 4 Cajamarca to Salento 80km

This was one of the hardest days cycling I’ve ever had on a bike – 70km of off road adventuring. The track took me over 3 mountains with the highest pass, Alto La Linea, at 3300m. Without doubt this was some of the most stunning scenery that I have cycled through. Another amazing day to be alive.

All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

Cycling Colombia Day 3 Ibague to Cajamarca 60km

Today saw me climbing all day and the mountains sure are big around here !!! The plan had been to take an off road dirt track to the village of Toche but landslides had blocked the route. Instead I would battle the trucks heading up La Linea mountian pass (3300m) to the town of Cajamarca where I could pick up another off road track the following day.

All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

Cycling Colombia Day 2 – La Mesa to Ibague 100km

My cycle was perfect symmetry. It started with a 1000m descent into the tropics before a 1000m climb up the next mountain. On the way I met Jan, a 13 year old lad who each day cycles over the mountain to school and back. He left me for dead on the steeper sections !!! The day ended at a love hotel in the middle of nowhere. No restaurant, no drinks but one of the other ‘guests’ gave me a lift to the nearest town to get food.

All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

Cycling Colombia Day 1 – Bogota to La Mesa 80km

This was the first day of my Colombian cycling adventure – Bogota to La Mesa. An 80km off road adventure from the Colombian capital, though the clouds and into the tropics below.

All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

Cycling Colombia – Alto de Letras, Colombia

This weekend I attempted to cycle what is regarded as the worlds largest elevation gain – a massive 3600m climb to the top of Alto de Letras in Colombia over just 80km. The climb starts in the town of Maraquita at 500m and finishes in the town of Letras at a lofty height of 3600m. I started at 5.30am in the tropics where the temperature reaches around 35 degrees. On the way up I climbed over 3600m of total elevation gain, through 3 layers of cloud, and an average speed of 11.4 kmph.

After nearly 7 hours of climbing I reached the top where it was a chilly 5 degrees. After a couple of photos there was only one thing left to do – descend the 80km back down (including another 700m of climbing on the descent) I had started the climb in the dark and by the time I had descended back to Maraquita night had fallen and I finished the ride in the dark. An exhausting but amazing day on the bike, and with over 4000m of elevation gain for the day my biggest ever ride.

All of the videos from my cycle around the world are available on my YouTube channel by clicking here

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Take care and if you are out cycling – ride safe.

Cheers

Stewart