EPIC ADVENTURES
Our adventures give travellers the opportunity to immerse themselves in new cultures and countries. From mountain biking through the sacred valley, to a yoga retreat in Oaxaca, our tours venture across Central & South America, and offer unique and diverse experiences.
As well as culture-rich experience, you can rest assured that from your travels, less privileged girls will be benefitting too. Womens Radical Pursuits contributes a portion of each trip's cost to local organizations that reside in the places where we venture to. These organizations support women and girls through education, micro-finance, and other resources that empower women to generate income, increase opportunity, achieve success, and improve quality of life.
All-Mountain Inca Mountain Bike and Yoga Adventure
- Type: All-Mountain/Enduro
- Dates: July 10-17
- Duration: 8 Days
- Group: CO-ED
- Level: Advanced – Expert (see skills assessment here)
Highlights
- Ride over 80+ miles of Peru’s best singletracks.
- Nearly 20,000 ft of descents.
- Experience Peruvian MTB trails with Peru’s best team of expert guides, on and off the bike.
- Secret alleyway descents to Cusco’s Main Square, La Plaza de Armas.
- Ride in Cusco’s Backyard, where locals go to let loose.
- Ride down into The Sacred Valley of the Incas.
- Ride along ancient Incan trails through mountain communities and farmlands.
- Visit Incan ruins on bike, no fireroads or boring roads, will get there bombing along amazing singletrack!
- Take in epic views of the Cordillera Urubamba
- Explore one of the Seven Wonders of the World; Machu Picchu!
GALLERY
ITINERARY
Welcome to Cusco, Peru! You’re on the brink of riding the most incredible singletrack trails on the planet! We’ll arrange pick-up at Cusco’s Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport and get you safely up into the Sacred Valley to your accomodation at the beautiful Lizzy Wasi in Urubamba. Furthermore, we’ll set your group up with a bike stand to get your bikes assembled or get your rental bike ready for the epic singletrack that awaits you! You’re guides will be around to lend a hand. In the evening, you’ll get together with guides and fellow riders for dinner and a brief orientation. Try to get some rest because tomorrow’s single tracks are beyond EPIC: rugged, remote, and like nothing you’ve ever known!We will be starting our ride at 14,000 feet, SHREDready!!
Rise and shine and get ready for a mind blowing experience of a lifetime! We will start the day early with an hour long Gentle Yoga Vinyasa Flow class to warm up your body and legs followed by a delicious traditional gourmet Peruvian breakfast. Departure will take off mid-morning and we will drive 2 hours up into the Andes, winding all the way up to the famous Lares Pass at 14,635 feet where Steep and Stoic snow covered peaks will surrounded us. This is where your MTB imagination and two wheels can do the rest. Lares is a wide Inca trail that gushes with flow. There are a couple of ways to do this one: 1) forget the brakes and let gravity do the work or 2) take it easy and enjoy the unreal scenery. Both are good options! We’ll ride on the Inca Trail rolling over the desolate highland landscapes passing through fields full of fuzzy Llamas and Alpacas, streams, wooden bridges, villages, and panoramic views of the snow covered Andes. The trail provides technical challenges with large rock features including steps and big drops! We’ll pass through the “Weeping Cancyon” of the Sacred Valley and finish along a trail that runs along an irrigation canal through the community of Parco. One of the highlights is getting to see views of Nevado Sahuasiray, the highest peak of the Cordillera Vilcanota Mountain Range. This descent ends in the Town of Calca at 9,676 ft. where we can cheers some Peruvian Beers to celebrate the incredible day! The evening will wrap up at Lizzy Wasi with a delicious dinner and relaxing evening to rest up for another day of gravity, adrenaline, and pure bliss riding through the Peruvian Andes!
We will start the day with an early morning Vinyasa Yoga Flow class to get our legs ready for another thrilling day of spectacular riding. After fueling up with a tasty breakfast at the lodge, we’ll depart into the The Valley of Lamay which features some of Cusco’s most addictive single tracks. The type of singletrack that, years after your trip to Peru has passed, will slip into your MTB dreams and whisper faintly, “When are you coming back? The ride begins at the Laguna de Poques, a pristine Lake nestled up against steep rock walls and snow covered mountains. We’ll rip three unforgettable singletracks that cut across farmlands, backyards, and riverbeds, where the only trail markings are the locals who steer you down their centuries-old trails. These singletracks are the perfect combination of flow, technicality, and Andean landscapes, a trio that oftentimes evokes uncontrolable tears of joy! Our second ride will start in the community of Sapaccto followed by Lamay, the guinea pig capitol of Peru which will conclude the riding for the day. Tired and giddy, we;ll finish the day once again with a delicious dinner at the lodge with plenty of time to rest up as tomorrow we are off to magical Machu Picchu bright and early!
Due to the early start to the day and adventure ahead for those traveling to Machu Pichhu, today will be a “Yoga rest day” also! At 8:30 AM we will be at the train station waiting to board the Peru Rail, “Expedition Train” to Aguas Calientes. The train will take you along the raging Urubamba River to the foot of a mountain where Machu Picchu rests atop. We will hop on the bus to get up to the ruins. Get ready for a wild windy ride! Once we arrive, we’ll hike up to the “Sun Gate,” a short 45 minute hike to observe the stunning ruins of Machu Pichhu below. This is a good option to let the crowds clear out a bit. There will be a guide to offer us a 2 hour tour through this site with free-time afterwards to wander at your will and take in the beautiful scenery, ancient ruins, and magic of this sacred place on the planet. At 6 PM, the train will bring us back to the charming town of Ollantaytambo where we will meet our driver to take us back to the lodge to rest our heads from a day filled of awe and inspiration!
Get ready for some serious SHRED! After the usual morning start with Yoga & Breaky, we’ll shuttle up to the Yanamayo Pass at 4,350 m (14,721 ft.) from where we’ll begin the Enduro Patacancha race course, which, according to International Cycling Magazines, is one of the gnarliest, most demanding race courses in the world for its elevation profile, distance, physical demand, and technicality. This course has it all! Epic landscapes. Razor-thin singletrack. Rock gardens. You name it! We’ll split the course with a visit to the local community of Willoc, where we’ll enjoy lunch. Afterwards, with legs fully charged, we’ll pedal up towards the community of Pumamarka to then finish the day in epic fashion: a singletrack ride down to the town of Ollantaytambo! There will be some beers’ cheers-ing for sure after this one!
Rise and shine to your last day of riding in the Sacred Valley! Our guides know how to plan and save the best for last as this ride defines EPIC! You want to climb? We’ve got you covered – this climb is absolutely epic! We take off from Cusco towards the village of Cuper Alto, from where we start our climb at 3,800 m (12,470 ft.). After 1-2 hours of calf-pumping climb, we max out at 4,320 m (14,160 ft.). Arriving at our summit, we’ll be able to take in all 360 degrees of breathtaking Andean landscape. After resting, we start a singletrack descent along an Inca Trail down towards the Sacred Valley. This trail can be unbelievably fast, super flowy and offers riders a once-in-a-lifetime chance to bike chiseled Inca steps. We’ll pause a bit to gaze down into the Sacred Valley from above before descending to the Huchuy Qosqo Inca Fortress, where we’ll pedal through the ruins and enjoy a lite lunch. Finally, we’ll carry on our descent towards the town of Calca down a technical singletrack. After today’s adventure we will head back to Lizzy Wasi in Urubamba for a bonfire and our last dinner at the beautiful lodge nestled in the Stunning and Magical Sacred Valley!
Today’s morning will be nice and relaxed as you will be able to sleep in a little bit before our last Vinyasa Yoga class and journey back to Cusco. Say good-bye to the Sacred Valley as we head back to the Incan capital of Cusco. We will ride the local Cusco single track stashes before packing up our bikes. Today’s riding will be a bit shorter in order to allow for some time explore and take in the sights of Cusco! We’ll finish riding around mid-day with a lovely Peruvian Picnic and then get settled into the hotel El Balcón. Tonight, we will venture out on the town of Cusco for one last night together. It has been an amazing week of incredible adventure and it’s time to cheers your new riding buddies and celebrate! Dinner will be out in the city with some dancing to follow if that’s your jam and you have the energy to shake it to some Peruvian Beats!
Description: We understand that many riders might want to extend their visit to Peru beyond the biking. After all, Peru has a wealth of natural, cultural, and culinary gems! However, if your plan is to go immediately to Cusco’s Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport, we’ll make sure you get there stress-free and on time via shuttle van. Ride on!
**We highly recommend finding later flights out of Cusco in order to have time to check out the the highlights and attractions of the beautiful Incan city!
Logistics and Bike Information
Womens Radical Pursuits provides this detailed travel guide to make your travel plans easier. Please note that details may vary depending on each destination so please feel free to email us at [email protected] if you have any further questions.
Even though we may have great rental bikes at our destinations, the majority of people prefer a Mountain Bike Adventure with their own bike and gear. Bike rental option – $70 per day.
Before booking your flights, we recommend checking to see how much the airline you are planning to fly will charge and also to make sure they will allow an oversize bike bag/bike box. The most common fees when flying your bike are between $100-$150 USD each way. Yes, it seems steep! But less expensive than renting a bike for 7 to 10 days.
Shipping your bike is a very convenient choice if you don’t want to deal with your bike in and around the airport. Also, if you have other traveling plans before or after your mountain bike trip, it will be easier to ship your bike. We will provide an address to ship your bike if you choose. When you arrive your bike will be ready to ride!
A mountain bike that will hold up for the entire trip, one in good repairs and recently tuned. We recommend a full suspension bike with more than 10 gears and tires in good conditions. Some of our trips will be ridden on advanced downhill trails depending on the description and fitness level of your trip. Bike rentals are available. Just be aware that the rental costs are high! (vary depending on location).
Some of the trips that Womens Radical Pursuits offer have pretty rudimentary bike shops where it’s often hard to find bike parts. We provide bike tools to fix and provide general maintenance during your trip. It is possible we may have some spare used parts to sell, but we highly recommend bringing:
- Spare derailleur hanger
- Spare tire
- 2 chain quick links
- Multitool
- Helmet
- Riding shoes
- Gloves
- Sunglasses
- Knee pads
- Mountain Bike Gloves
- Riding backpack with water reservoir
- 2 Tubes
- Sun block
- Personal use items such as tire plugs and chain lube
If you take any specific medicines or use any particular products, please ensure you are bringing those with you. Due to the remote locations of some of the tours, we may not have access to general stores for items such as shampoo, etc.
If you are willing to use your cell phone during your trip, please double check with your cell phone company that this is set up on your plan. Pre-paid sim cards and phones are available for purchase at the airports and at some of our destinations. For most trips, Internet is available near places of accommodation, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. Some trips have lodging and cabins in remote places where you may not be able to connect to cell service or WI-FI.
If you are traveling to a different country from your nationality please check to see if you need a visa or any other official document to be allowed in while you cross customs. Traveling rules and regulations are different for each nationality.
- Passport
- Copy of Passport
- Drivers License
- Travel visa (if needed)
- 2 Different types of identification
- Printed medical insurance policy
Having local currency as cash in hand is the most convenient choice. The best place to exchange money for local currency will be at the airport. Depending on your bank’s exchange rate simply using an ATM may be the easiest. Credit cards and debit cards can be used in most of the places, but when in tiny villages in the mountains, you won’t be able to use them at all. Call your bank and notify them you will be out of the country for a certain period of time and ask for transaction and ATM fees prior to your departure.
Personal requirements and special care
Where meals are included we provide excellent quality and healthy delicious meals are cooked with traditional ingredients and products from around the local area so that you can enjoy the culture and traditions from each different place. If you have any food preference such as being vegetarian, vegan, or allergic to any kind of seeds or products, please let us know so we can arrange different options for you.
In most of our trips the access to laundry is limited when we are up in the mountains. Please plan to bring enough clothes for your trip. When we get closer to towns or to any other city, your guide will help you to get laundry done in your hotel or in a laundry place.
We provide personal basic assistance with carrying your luggage, assembling your bike, loading shuttles and transportation if needed to solve any kind of unexpected circumstance. If you need any kind of specific assistance let us know with 3 weeks in advance before your arrival to be able to help with your inquiry.
You will be on your bikes by day but that doesn’t mean you won’t have free time to explore, walk around, and purchase souvenirs or get involved with another activity. Trips longer than 10 days will have a mandatory day off to rest and discover the area by any of our recommended activities or to get enrolled in anything else you want. Your guides can take and show you around if you feel more comfortable with a local who knows better the area and places to visit. *Extra activities have an extra cost in which you will find a special discount by traveling with Womens Radical Pursuits.
Even when we can identify the weather season and rainy months for each different area, sometimes this can be unpredictable, so please be prepared to have some rainy rides and bring warm clothes even if you don’t use them.
This guide was created with the main purpose to help you organize your trip, give you some traveling tips, and answer any questions you might have. For more detailed information, please email us at [email protected]. It is our pleasure to help you with any other questions you might have!