© Chris Murray
Six countries, 12,000 kilometres and over 100,000 metres of elevation gain - Chris Murray shares his fourth update from his mission to cycle across the South American continent.
16 April 2024 - 3rd leg complete
The third leg of the trip started with a descent from the hills around Arequipa, down towards the coastline. And it was the coastal route that I chose to follow to get across Peru - a stretch of approximately 2,000km that would take me across the entire length of the country.
Over the course of a two-week period, I was to battle with the heat, sand, winds (although these were thankfully usually in the form of cross-tailwinds!) and of course the notorious trucks that barrelled down the Pan-American highway.
It made for some seriously demanding cycling efforts, but the days were also filled with spectacular views of immense sand dunes, as well as the Pacific ocean which I hadn't seen since my time down in Chile.
Although much of the landscapes were often quite barren, and there were large distances between towns, every now and then I would come across oasis-like havens such as 'Huacachina' - providing me with a change of scenery and some much appreciated respite from the oppressive heat and sun.
Having chosen to cross Peru by the coast, I was able to encounter lots of towns that were 'off the beaten path'. And this is what I love about exploring places by bike - moving around at this pace and with the freedom the bike gives me, allows me to see the real and unfiltered lives of people in places the ‘typical tourist’ may not get to see.
My mediocre Spanish also allowed me to have some interesting conversations with locals along the way - which were often the highlights of my days.
Taking some days off in Lima, Peru's capital, I was able to explore the city and also try my hand at some surfing (which I will happily give another shot at some time in the future!). And before I knew it, it was back onto the road - Ecuador bound.
Cycling in the Northern part of Peru often felt like riding right into a hairdryer blowing in your face set on the hottest setting…and this was even before I reached the town of Piura (known as the 'City of Eternal Heat'), where temperatures in the sun approached 50 degrees.
I was often overheating and unable to really cool down or quench my thirst. Drinking hot water all day didn't help matters either. But this only fuelled my desire to get to the coastline and the beautiful beaches around Mancora and Punta Sal, where I could take some dips in the ocean and feel a cooler sea-breeze.
After some final long days in the saddle while the roads were still flat in Peru, I crossed the border into Ecuador, where my days would be just as long to start with. This however, was due to the amount of climbing (10,000m of elevation gain in the first 4 days in Ecuador).
Thankfully, being back above 2,000m or even 3,000m though, meant that the temperatures were more reasonable.
And I have actually had to dig out my thermals and rain jacket on a couple of occasions which I have been quite happy about. Being up at altitude again also made for some beautiful views, which I am very much looking forward to continuing to see as I push on into the North of the country and across into Colombia.
Arriving in Quito, I was able to properly rest up for a few days thanks to the team at 'Casa El Edén'. Thank you for the amazing stay, and for anyone reading that is thinking of visiting Quito, you should definitely check out this beautiful hotel which feels just like a home away from home!
Having a very comfortable base for a few days also allowed me to plan for the final leg that will conclude this adventure. I can't quite believe it is nearing its conclusion, but I am still very much aware that we are not quite there yet.
I will keep my focus and continue to push on, with the goal to reach the Northern-most point of the continent in 80 days.
To date, in very brief figures, the trip looks something like this:
- 64 days on the bike
- 448 cycling hours
- 9,241km in total distance
The final leg of the trip will take me into the Northern hemisphere, across my final border to Colombia and up to my finish line - Punta Gallinas. So my next update will hopefully include a photo of me with a cocktail in my hand overlooking the Caribbean Sea!
As ever, for more regular updates, feel free to follow me on Instagram under the handle 'chopsticknovice'. I am also more than happy to be contacted if you have any questions or feedback, and I will make sure to respond to any questions I get.
And if you would like to support my project - I have a 'Buy Me a Coffee' page set up for those that are interested!
Caffeine will be needed for this final push if I want to make it in the 80-day target, and what better place to enjoy some coffee than in Colombia! ☕️
