Armenia to Turbo

Armenia was a great place to recharge and plan for the upcoming mountain section. We tried to rest as much as we could before heading into the mountains. After Armenia, we walked up to the small tourist town of Salento, at the edge of the Parque Nacional Los Nevados. We felt ready and excited, though unsure about the route we were looking at. The trailhead at Valle del Cocora had at least three trails heading into the mountains with no maps showing which went where, and we weren’t able to find a physical map for the area. Fidgit and I had spoken with a couple of guides and had digital information, we hoped that’d be enough.

 As we ascended from Valle del Cocora, Fidgit and I were excited to be off roads and back on trail. We kept following the trail as it ascended then descended and the elevation wore on us. Mid-afternoon, Fidgit asked a woman going the other way how far away the Finca/shelter we were aiming for was, and we discovered that we were on the wrong trail. Looking at our digital sources (GPS, phone app map), we still couldn’t figure out where we were supposed to be, so we decided to continue to a different Finca and figure it out from there. The trail became more rutted and muddy as we continued our ascent. Every step forward, we slid back. Unable to make it to the Finca before sunset we found a flat-ish spot next to the trail, set up our tents, and dejectedly crawled into them as the clouds descended around us.

The next morning dawned rainy and cold. We trudged on after packing up our damp tents, wind whipping around us. Mid-morning, we made it to the Finca. They didn’t have any extra food, though did give us ‘agua panela’, or sweetened water, to warm us up. The people at the finca were kind, and gave us directions to where we were trying to go. Fidgit and I clambered our way up a drainage to the lesser-used trail that would take us the direction we wanted to go. Up and over a pass followed by an immediate steep descent into the next valley, and we were ready for lunch. While eating in a wind-protected area, we discussed our options going forward. Looking at our our map sources, looking at our food supply (we had already eaten two lunches that weren’t planned for because of missing the finca meals) and looking at the current time, we knew we would have to camp at high elevation another night if we chose to continue deeper into the mountains. In the end, we opted to walk out down the valley. It was a tough blow to the ego, as well as sad to leave the mountains. Dejectedly we descended along a trail that led us out.

The next couple days for me were spent going through the many emotions I had about deciding to retreat from the peaks of Parque Nacional Los Nevados as well as the part I played in what I saw as our failure to make it through them. It’s tough to process what was going on for me during that time- I would say there was a lot of turmoil and sadness to muddle through even as we physically moved forward along a different route. I think it also helped my psyche that we weren’t completely out of the mountains- we were now walking along them to the city of Pereira.

Pereira was a dusty city with people hard staring as we walked through, though it had its benefits as well. I had plans to make the most of our slight change of direction; I was looking at getting corrective eye surgery in Medellin, and had been in contact with a doctor there who requested I have a Pentacam procedure before my consultation with him. So while in Pereira, I made an appointment with a local optician and was able to get the Pentacam procedure taken care of.

From Pereira, we walked on, and descended along a river valley to the heat and added humidity of the Colombian lowlands before ascending once more. In this area we passed through many small towns and villages, seemingly places the rest of the world zooms through without noticing. Fidgit and I also made quick work of it (as quick as one can while walking) as we made our way toward the city of Medellin.

As Fidgit and I closed in on Medellin, I once again fell ill. Thankfully this was a shorter burst of everything evacuating my body and I only felt like crap for a day or so. Then we made it over the last pass and into the city for a longer rest. After a day or so of resting, I went into the eye surgeon for a consultation and he said I was a great candidate for the corrective procedure. So I made an appointment, got PRK to correct my eyesight, and Fidgit became my caretaker for a few days after the procedure as I slept and healed. It was an odd feeling to be mostly blind and helpless for a few days, though it was nice to be in a semi-stupor and sleep a lot. After a few days I was ready to get up and move again, though my sight didn’t fully clear for another few weeks as my eyes healed. Over the next week, we rested, walked through Medellin, went to the dentist, caught up on work, and I went in to the eye doctor for my post-op appointment and was approved to continue moving.

Time in the city passed too quickly and our rest in Medellin came to a close. Fidgit and I packed up then made our way out of our last city in South America. We walked on, descending out of the mountains and back into the hot humidity of the Colombian jungle. Thankfully it took us about a week to fully descend, so we had plenty of time to enjoy the last we’d be seeing of the Andes on this trip. We even got to do some bush-bashing to shortcut a long switchback. As we crept closer to the Caribbean, the humidity soared in the morning, and we would usually get an afternoon drenching storm to cool off. I use the term ‘cool off’ loosely, as the temperatures never dropped below the mid-70s, even at night. We walked from town to town. Most evenings I felt like a puddle of my former self from sweating so much, the oppressive humidity preventing it from cooling me much.

A week and a half after leaving Medellin, Fidgit and I made it to the port town of Turbo. We met up with a guide who said he’d help us get into Panama from Colombia and we made our plans to leave the continent of South America. We had to wait a bit, so we tried to keep a low profile in the heavily Afro-Caribbean influenced town while passing the time. A day or so after arriving, we walked our last steps on the continent of South America and boarded a boat to Panama.

Ibarra, Ecuador to Pasto, Colombia(!)

We stayed in Ibarra for a week. Our route in, through, and out of the city was along roads so we were able to chip away at those kilometers while having a home-base to work from. During our time in Ibarra, we got a ton of work done including (but not limited to) catching up on writing, updating and adding to our different social networks, walking over 60 kilometers, planning routes through Colombia, and I had the opportunity to cook and bake - a happy place of mine.

We also had opportunities in northern Ecuador to meet some other adventurers who were passing through at the same time as Fidgit and I. Brad of @bikehikesafari was on his way south by bike when he met up with us in Ibarra, and we made plans to see Onna (@redheadednomad) and George Voellmer in the border town of Tulcan. After our working rest stop in Ibarra, we made our way up to Tulcan and met the pair, AKA the other Neon and his partner, and shared many a story over dinner. When we parted ways, Fidgit and I knew we’d likely run into these kindred souls again some day.

Our nerves were on edge not knowing what to expect at the border. Walking there was uneventful - we followed a road that took us along the river valley separating Ecuador from Colombia. At the bridge/border crossing, we walked around the Ecuadorian Aduanas, not seeing a labelled entrance. Fidgit asked a guard where to get stamped out, and we were pointed in the right direction. Thankfully the line was short when we arrived, so we got up to the window in a timely manner. Standing at the Aduanas window, the border employee informed us that we had come into Ecuador at such a small border station that we weren’t ‘officially’ in their system. So they had to put us into the system to take us out of the system. We waited for about thirty minutes for the employee to process our information, then he was able to stamp us out of Ecuador, and we walked north across the bridge . . . into COLOMBIA!

Upon reaching the Colombian side of the bridge/border, we walked up to a long line outside of their Aduanas building. Looking for alternatives (Brad told us there may be alternatives) we walked around the building hoping we could avoid the line. I spotted an empty filing area that looked like an alternate line next to the people all lined up and we went there. Fidgit and I must have walked up purposefully because a few others followed our lead. Thankfully my hunch worked out and we were quickly allowed into the building to get stamped into Colombia. We later learned that the longer line was specifically for Venezuelans and the line we went to/created was for everyone else.

As Fidgit and I walked away from the Colombian Aduanas building, I worked on my observational skills. I found myself looking around and trying to see what differentiated this country from its neighbors to the south. The border town of Ipiales wasn’t a far walk, so I didn’t get to practice much that evening, though I did notice some immediate differences - the presence of more semi trucks and billboards. Many things also stayed the same across the border, such as the amount of fried chicken and the honking of passing vehicles.

We spent the night in Ipiales, running some errands and planning for the next few days into Pasto. When we spoke with Onna and George in Tulcan, they suggested we go off our original route to check out a beautiful church built on a bridge nearby. Leaving Ipiales, we headed toward the church. Nestled at the bottom of a ‘quebrada,' or gorge, the Sanctuario de Las Lajas was definitely worth the side trip to check out, and helped make our first full day in Colombia a memorable one.

After day one, we were walking along roads to Pasto. It wasn’t very eventful, though it was an adjustment to the dirt tracks and trails we had become accustomed to. Semi-trucks hurtled past belching black smoke, and motorcycles seemed to have their own set of rules that I couldn’t quite figure out. Each night Fidgit and I would look over our route for the next day and discuss if there was a possibility of getting onto side roads. The risks versus the rewards were discussed, and we usually stayed on the highway. Fortunately, on the day we walked into Pasto, we were able to spend the afternoon walking along a small dirt road that led across the countryside into the city. The risk was low and the reward was high as we crested the last hill to descend into Pasto. The city sprawled across the valley below as we made our way in.

Riobamba to Ibarra

Riobamba is situated in a valley surrounded by volcanoes. The cloud cover prevented us from seeing the tops of the peaks most of the time but we definitely felt their presence. 

Leaving the city, the day began cloudy and spritzed rain on us as we ascended out of the valley to a pass between mountains. We climbed along older or abandoned dirt roads to a tiny town two-thirds of the way to the pass where we stopped for lunch. Men in the corner of the shop had a rousing discussion about the most recent soccer game while all we ate our almuerzo- a pile of rice and lentils with a small piece of meat atop it. Leaving our lunch stop, we noticed the clouds clearing. I hoped we'd be able to get a view. Fidgit and I ascended to the pass over the next couple hours and unfortunately the clouds were still covering the peaks. We began our descent, twisting down along another valley edge. As we turned once again towards the clouded peaks, they decided to come out for a moment and Volcan Chimborazo snuck out along one side of the valley while Cotopaxi peeked out in the distance. Seeing that natural beauty put a pep in our step and we oohed and ahhhed while attempting to photograph the peaks. After such a show, Fidgit and I breezed through into the evening before stopping for the night.

The next day, we walked through the valley into the city of Ambato. Mostly along dirt and paved roads, we passed through the many small towns and along the farm fields that took up the spaces between. Ambato is a bustling city. I was stressed walking along the streets with a full pack on, though once we got to where we were staying and settled in, I felt much better. Eating something also helped. After a hot shower and a good night's sleep, I was ready to take on the climb out of Ambato.

All of the cities we've passed through in Ecuador are in valleys, so I knew the climb was coming. This one was a bit steeper than the rest, especially since we tried a shortcut that went straight up into someone's yard. They allowed us passage while scolding us for taking a 'private path'. After a quick lunch of leftovers and ice cream, we continued up and along a side road, which was also an Inca Trail, according to the signs. The low cloud cover continued to impede our mountain views, though the walking climate was pleasant, and after a couple of days we found ourselves at the other end of the valley in the city of Latacunga.  We then prepared for our trip around Cotopaxi and into the Quito valley.

Leaving Latacunga, we made our way to the small town of Mulalo. From there, we walked along a dirt road to a two track to an abandoned road. Though short-lived, hopping fences and doing some route finding when the 'road' disappeared reminded me once again about the joys of adventuring. It can be fun to get off the beaten path and find your own way. At the end of the day, however, the ascent took its toll and I was ready to rest. As twilight descended, we found a campsite and set up away from the noisy campers. The clouds rolled in as I ate some cold leftovers and attempted to get some rest.

The chill in the air kept me from sleeping much, so I tossed and turned trying to keep warm through the night into the morning. Fidgit didn't fare much better and we  groggily packed up and set off to warm up as soon as it was light enough. The frozen hands and feet had me in a bad mood, and the wind and cold wasn't helping. We walked down the road for a while in the continued cloud. As we were about to meet another route to descend, the clouds being blown past us began thinning and we got another view of the amazing mountain we'd been walking along.

My spirits lifted with the cloud cover, and we continued on in the windy sunshine. Descending along a two-track that took us across a boulder field then along a river valley. Dirt tracks turned into cobblestone for the second half of the day and my body did not approve of the harsh change. My feet all the way up to my hips was in pain by kilometer 35 and I had to stop for the day. Shivering in pain, I forced myself to eat and drink something before the sweet respite of sleep overcame me.

Thankfully a good nights’ sleep improved the situation, and I was merely stiff and sore the next morning. We walked further into the Quito Valley, and had our first experience walking along the Pan-American Highway. I won’t say it was enjoyable, but it did get us where we wanted to go in a timely manner. I was glad we only had to walk along the highway for a few hours before we could turn off down a side road to finish our day.

We  walked through the rest of the Quito valley the next day, mostly on an abandoned railroad. The gradient and lack of traffic was a great respite from the previous day and we were able to let our minds wander as our feet did the same. I was so grateful for the bikepackers who had come before us to find this route and share it.

At the north end of the Quito valley, Fidgit and I had to follow the highway for a bit, though were able to turn off on a dirt road near the equator. We then crossed the equator, which was a mix of emotions for me: excitement to be in the northern hemisphere and counting up when we crossed latitude lines, at the same time sad to be getting further away from dear friends in the southern hemisphere. The emotions continued to mingle as we ascended to the Cochasqui ruins, and settled into the campground nearby.

Fidgit and I continued our  ascent the next morning, arriving at the highest point just after lunch and descending past a few large lakes. The route was ours alone until Laguna de Mojanda, a high-altitude lake along the edge of the old volcano we’d been walking across. From the Laguna, we continued our descent and found a trail that had all kinds of tracks on it- bike, foot, horse, cow, etc. It was steep though beautiful and took us to the edge of Otavalo. Fidgit and I then found our way into the small city for the night, sleeping soundly after such an exciting couple days.

The next morning, Fidgit slept in while I got some work done, then we headed off toward Ibarra. Otavalo sits at one end of the valley, and Ibarra is at the other end, so the walking was uneventful. We planned to take some time in Ibarra to get more work done and prepare for our time in Colombia, reserving an AirBnB to stay at for the week. We made our way through Ibarra to meet Jose at the AirBnB and get settled in.

x