La Ruta de los Conquistadores - Part II

Part II of my article about my experience riding La Ruta in Costa Rica was published this January in BikePanel. After translating Part I and posting it here, I am translating Part II to English (again with some changes and add-ons of sections that were editorially cut). Photos that were not taken by me are the same photos that were used in my article and were provided by La Rute and Fotica. I have added to this version some videos that I took and some other pictures.

Tod Welsh, Day II Start Line (photo Fotica)

Plan B - If I Wanted to Walk I Would Have Signed Up for a Hiking Trip

or

La Ruta Day II

About one week before our flight to Costa Rica we heard that the Turrialba volcano, the same volcano that the second day course passes through, has become active after 180 year of inactivity. Unfortunate for us; as this day was supposed to be THE DAY when it comes to breathtaking views and was supposed to provide us with the rare opportunity to ride through 2 volcanos. Now it was obvious that this day will be different.  How different, we did not know, but having heard of the La Ruta reputation we were sure it would be hard.

Day II Start - Drone View (Photo La Ruta)

"Yes, we ride here often, but never in the rainy season"

Day II started colder than expected (with temps in the upper 40s). After a fast start (that included dodging San Jose's rush hour traffic) we got to Angelina Mountainbiking Park, the San Jose's MTB park, and a heaven to technical singletrek lovers. When I heard about this change in Day II's route and that the loop in the park will be 15K (approx 9 miles) of single track, I was happy.  This will be a great opportunity to sample the local world of singles. An unexpected experience.  Soon enough I realized that my excitement was way premature.  The excitement shortly after entering the park turned into frustration.  The single was too narrow for the 500 riders that attacked it and long traffic jams started. In addition, the technical single that included steep uphills, downhills and sharp switchbacks, became even more technical due to mud (the rainy season - right), and all that was left for us to do was dismount and yes, you got it, hike-a-bike. Add to that, a nasty fall, due to a traffic jam, into poison ivy (my first even encounter with it), and I was no happy camper.

Many sections of this 15K trail looked more like a mud sliding race than an MTB race. At least the funny falls made me smile.  A local couple that was walking next to me answered when I asked "we ride here all the time, but nobody rides here in the rainy season". Well, nobody is us now. Frustrated I though to myself, whoever thought it was a good idea to go through the park must be a real sadistic person ;-)          

Mudslides and Narrow Trails - Typical Day II MTB Park Section (photo Fotica)

Momentary View in the MTB Park

My mood was as grey as the day and not even the beautiful view that opened up to us in a rare moment when the fog cleared helped me feel better about the day.

Here is a video of one of the only rideable section of the MTB park:

Once the 15K section ended, the long and steep climb started (not that we were not climbing before as you can see from the profile below). This long climb basically took me most of the day.  Most of it was paved, but with crazy grades that makes the Golani climb (north of Israel - grades of 20% +) or for you my NYC friends Devils Kitchen a joke.  Now I understand what the local guy riding next to me meant when he said (in reaction to the really steep section), "this is the spirit of La Ruta."

Day II Elevation Profile From My Garmin

The only thing that kept me going uphill that day were the hundreds of locals who came to cheer, from kids that just finished their school day still wearing their uniform to old people who put chairs outside their houses and just sat there all day. At each small village we were met by dozens of cheerleaders cheering on us.

Steep Uphills on and off Road (Photo Fotica)

The all were yelling at us Vamos, vamos.  Load music playing from passing and parked cars, all to cheer us to keep going. Even the drivers that are passing us uphill or coming from the opposite direction , yell at us - Vamos La Ruta; Conquestadores. Drivers are being so patient and giving us space to zigzap up the road while waiting to pass. The cheering became even loader when they noticed it's a woman riding slowly towards them. Someone will yell "chika", and the entire group goes into some kit of a trance and with excitement they call "forca, forca". This enthusiasm from the locals is what encouraged us not to succumb to this endless climb, to the rain that started and the unexpected cold weather.    

School Kids are There to Cheer (photo Fotica)

Another group that encouraged us were the aid station volunteers. Yes, it is true that the aid station did not have the normal stuff that we would expect to find in the US, but they did include the basic necessities - fruit, bars (sweet and salty), water and Gatorade. Most importantly, they included enthusiastic volunteers that did not stop cheering and encouraging us from the first minute we stopped there until we were on our way.

Vamos, Vamos, Forca (Photo Fotica)

Mud slides, Fog and Rain

The endless climb ended (or so I though), but after a very short downhill we turned into a narrow, steep and of course full of mud dirt road. Again I was forced to hike. After about another hour of switching between biking and hiking, I finally got to the top. From here on rumor said it's all downhill. Meanwhile the rain resumed and with it came the fog.

The downhill naturally is very technical, and in sections included giant muddy and unrideable stairs. I waa trying to stay positive, despite the cold and the rain. At this point I was all alone and started wondering if I made the wrong turn somewhere, as this cannot possibly be the course. The road becomes one big steep mud slide and I cannot see the bottom of it (imagine the giant Wisconsin Dell water slides, but made of slippery mud). My eyes become teary, how do I go down this thing without sliding to my death? Slowly I start walking, finding a new use for my mountainbike - a walking cane. Yes, in La Ruta this is one of the many uses of the bike. Finally I made it down in one piece, the road, although still technical, now is rideable. I hop on my bike and speed towards the finish line.

The second day was significantly shorter than the original plan. Approximately 43 km (~27 miles), with over 8,000 feet of climbing took me 9 hours to finish.  I hated every minute of the second day and all I could think of while crossing Day II finish line was "I will never do this race again."  On the bus back to the hotel I found out that the original plan for the day was to have us do another loop at the MTB park at the end of the day. Thankfully for me, when the Elite riders finished the first lap there, they complained about the conditions and the difficulty, and the race organizers decided to shorten the race and cut the end loop. I am 100% sure that no one was sad about this decision, I for sure wasn't. After the second day, I understood that the race organizers didn't really have much choices about the second day plan B course, and they claimed that this is the best they could do in light of the volcano eruption and all the bureaucracy.

Here is a short Video of Day II

The Redemption - La Ruta Day III

On our way to the start line of Day III, we were told that the third day course is almost identical to previous years. A sigh of relief sounded through the bus. The third day is the longest in distance (over 85 miles), but hills end at mile 30 and after that the course flattens. This does not mean it was not challenging.

The Legendary Tinker Juarez at the Start of Day III (Photo Forica)

The third day started in the small town of Turrialba with a fast ride through the town's streets in a giant pelaton that looked more like a road race. A few miles into the race we start climbing (again), but this time the climbs are not as long or steep as in the first 2 days.  The heat and humidity now became a factor though.

More noticeable on this day were the support vehicles, which are something unique for this race.  Many riders, locals and foreigners as one, arrange for their own private support vehicles to follow them during the 3 days race (well at least on those sections that cars can reach). Some of the local riders went even further and had motorcycles assist them in sections that were not passable by cars. The race rules allow the non-elite riders to get assistance anywhere on the course and for the elite only in proximity to the official aid stations. This caused the narrow and congested roads to be even more congested with vehicles stopping at any given moment to assist their rider. Definitely testing other riders alertness and skills of avoiding them (just like riding in the city). On the positive side of all this, the support crews were more than happy to help us, the non-supported riders. During the 3rd day, such help was a nice and refreshing surprise in the form of small ice cold water balloons to pour over our heads. Most welcomed in the 90F hear and humidity.

Day III is not only spiced up with its own challenges but also with unique views. The course passes through coffee, rice and banana plantations and through dozens of small villages. All this gave us a sample of the other Costa Rica, the one not traveled by regular tourists.

Just keep Going (Photo Fotica)

At the end of the second and last climb of the day Jenna, Lauri and I were all together. We decided to ride the rest of the course together and work together on the flat sections.

When the road flattens, the next set of challenges started, the railroad tracks and bridges. Riding near, on and over them. While riding on the tracked I was happy to have a full suspension bike.

One of the many Railroad Bridges we crossed (Photo Fotica)

Some of the other Day III challanges

The bridges were even more challenging, for some more than to others. The spaces between the boards were uneven and the boards themselves were wobbly at times and some rotten from old age and neglect. Some of the bridges were high above ground, and in the water below us we could notice crocodiles were catching some sun. The race rules allow the races to get assistance in crossing the bridges, and some did use the help of the locals to cross. Some of the locals, who clearly were there to make some extra cash on a Sunday even had special carts that they used to pull the riders. One of the girls in my group who has a fear of heights used those carts and on the smaller bridges, she found some nice locals who gave her a hand.

Here is a short video that I took crossing once of the lower bridges:

First Class Cart for Hire (Photo Fotica)

When the 3 of us got to the railroad bridges section we decided to wait for the other 2 so we can all ride and cross the finish line together. We created a small group along with some local guys. After a short lesson in how to draft and rotate we were all flying on those non-railroad sections.

Enjoying the Draft (Photo: La Ruta)

The last 6 miles before we get to Limon, were riding on the sand, among the coconut trees and the Caribbean to our left. This was my first time seeing the Caribbean sea and it felt so good. The deep sand and giant puddles from the rain, made that section challenging but fun. Some very funny falls into the dirty water made us all laugh. The last 6 miles went by with laughing and chatting about the last 3 days, while planning the crossing of the finish line as a group.

Sand at the finish line - shocking, right? (Photo Fotica)

The 5 of us went down the 3 big stairs and into the deep sand where the finish line was located. Pushing our bikes we crossed the finish line. Just like we started with hike-a-bike. As you probably already realized, no free meals in this race and every minute is challenging.

Here is a short video of Day III:

And we are done. From L-R, Jenna, Lauri, Mary Ann, me and Beth (Photo Fotica)

Summary

So, 3 days that started on the Pacific side and ended on the Caribbean side, that included hard riding (and walking) came to an end with a plunge in the sea.

The third day of La Ruta completely changed how I felt about the race especially after the second day.  Feeling great about our achievement, we changed our muddy wet cloths and joined the other for dinner.

Urbina promised an adventure and he delivered. He promised a challenge and again he delivered. He promised a self discovery journey and delivered BIG TIME. La Ruta was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life and an unforgettable experience. This race required a lot more than just being fit and technical skills. I am proud to be one of the 500 riders who stood on the start line and even prouder being one of the 16 woman in the armature category who FINISHED.

I am sure that sometime in the next few years I will find myself on the start line again.

Thanks for reading!!!