Peru Mountain Bike Vacation 7 days
Experience the beauty of Cusco and the Sacred Valley on this epic 7-day Peru mountain bike vacation
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Our 7-day Peru mountain bike vacation is the total package: epic riding on Cusco’s best trails, stunning scenery, cultural immersion, ancient history, and more! Get your adrenaline pumping as you downhill more than 25,000 ft/7,620 m of downhill riding, some of it by and through ancient Inca ruins with expert local guides. Four days are dedicated to shuttle-assisted downhill ride days; two days are used for arrival and departure, rest, bike maintenance, and one day is reserved for exploring cultural sites such as Machu Picchu.
If you are looking for a longer mountain bike vacation while in Peru check out our Epic 12-Day MTB Adventure Tour in the Andes with Ausangate.
Ride description:
Since this Cusco mountain bike trip is an intermediate tech- to advanced-level, you’ll be riding all kinds of terrain, from stunning single track to Incan stairs to rock gardens. There will be a lot of enduro-style riding as well as some all-mountain type terrain and all days are shuttle assisted. Check out our itinerary below for more detailed descriptions of what each ride has in store. This is a breathtaking (literally) and unforgettable mountain bike vacation in Peru.
Day by Day
Welcome to the Imperial City! Your Peru mountain bike vacation will begin as we pick you and your gear up at the airport. Cusco is waiting! Today, you’ll be preparing for an intense week of high-adrenaline mountain biking. After loading the van we will take you to exchange money and do any necessary things in Cusco before heading to the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
If the group arrives at different times you can head out and start exploring the Imperial Incan City while waiting for the rest of the crew to show up.
The Plaza de Armas now exists over what was once Haukaypata, the Great Inca Square. Now, it is dominated by the towering Spanish architecture of the Cusco Cathedral as well as a charming collection of cafes and bars. Breathe in the history, acquaint yourself with Peruvian cuisine, and drink a cold Pilsen Callao or Pisco Sour as you mentally prepare for the mountain bike trip of a lifetime!
At night in your hotel we will come and give a short briefing about the upcoming week’s adventure!
We need to be clear that the following itinerary is an example itinerary, we will ride all or most of the trails listed but sometimes due to weather, logging, road closures, festivals, we may juggle the order or change trails out for new trails or trails that fit the groups riding style and dynamics. What we do promise is an epic trip with lots of downhill, super fun riding.
Lodging: Hotel in Sacred Valley AMAK
Meals not included
Lares. A Cusco Classic!
Today we hit the scree fields — check out pro MTBer Geoff Gulevich’s gnarly GoPro video from Peru during his Haku Expeditions mountain bike vacation. The shuttle will take us up to the Lares pass where we’ll hike our bikes up to 14,600 ft/4,462 m. From there, we’ll rip free ride lines through the scree and verdant mountainside down until we hit an ancient Inca single track trail. As we descend, we’ll pass alpaca herds, locals working the fields, and eventually arrive at the town of Calca and it’s beautiful main square. If we find we still have time to ride we’ll bomb another trail or ride a section of Lares again. Today includes a delicious lunch at a local Peruvian spot!
Lamay: A Mountain Biker’s Paradise!
The valley of Lamay is a mountain biker’s paradise! This gorgeous and fertile valley is literally filled with tons of incredible MTB trails. One of our favorite mountain bike routes will start at 4337m/14,229 ft above seal level and takes you down through 17 km of the most amazing single track. This high alpine trail has Incan rock gardens and tech spots mixed with fast flow sections. You’ll definitely feel the burn with some burly Inca stairs before finally dropping into the village of Lamay where we can stop at a nice local spot and enjoy cold beers!
After we ride Lamay, we’ll decide if we want to ride it again or ride a new trail in this beautiful valley. On the way back to Cusco, we’ll possibly a sweet urban downhill with a nice little single track route that leads to the city stairs of Cusco. We’ll end up at the shop where we can clean up and service the bikes to prepare them for tomorrow’s shred session.
Peru Mountain Bike Vacation Trail Stats:
Lares MTB route with the scree field and waterway:
Distance: 20 km/12.5 mi
Max elevation: 4446, m/14,587 ft
Ascent: 184 m/603 ft
Descent: 1482 m/4862 ft
Lares MTB Inca Trail section:
Distance: 7.56 km/4.7 mi
Max elevation: 4,227 m/13,868 ft
Ascent: 55 m/180 ft
Descent: 566 m/1,857 ft
Lamay 1:
Distance: 16.78 km/10.42 mi
Max elevation: 4334 m/14219 ft
Elevation descent: 1386 m/4547 ft
Ascent: 71m/233ft
Ankashmarca-Cortes-Calca (Optional)
Distance 13.44 km/8.35 mi
Max elevation: 4,013 m/13,166 ft
Descent: 1113 m/3651 ft
Lodging: Hotel in Sacred Valley AMAK
Meals included: B, L, snacks
Epic trails in the Sacred Valley
Today we will choose between some brilliant options that the Sacred Valley offers.
We’ll either hit Patacancha or Chincheros with second ride in the afternoon.
Patacancha, which is famous for being one of the highest-altitude enduro races in the world, at a whopping 4,420 m/14,500 feet, with rock gardens and narrow dirt switchbacks. The course is split up into five stages, with tons of freeride lines and cross-country type terrain. There are multiple trails you can ride here — we’ll ride the section from the top all the way down past Patacancha and into Huilloc. There, we’ll have a home cooked lunch with a local family. After that, we’ll ride a trail exclusive to Haku Expeditions down to Pumamarca, which will take you all the way back down to Ollantaytambo to finish off the day!
The infamous Chincheros route, which passes rarely-seen ruins or techy Racchi trails is super fun, full of forests, amazing views, and Inca ruins (all to yourself). It ends with some full on dh with loose sections, curves, and Popeye forearms, marking on the boxes of an excellent trail! Don’t worry — the whole day is unforgettable!
Patacancha Enduro:
Distance: 27.9 km/17.3 mi
Max elevation: 4,435 m/14,552 ft
Ascent: 138 m/452 ft
Descent: 1,551 m/5,089 ft
Chincheros:
Distance: 8 km/5 mi
Max elevation: 3,860 m/12,664 ft; descend to 2,873 m/9,426 ft
Ascent : 19 m/62 ft
Descent: 987 m/3,238 ft
Lodging: Lizzy Wasi , Intitierra , Tunupa hotel , Roca Fuerte Hotel , in the Sacred Valley
Meals included: B, L, Snacks
Today take some time to maintain your bike, eat, sleep and visit the Sacred Valley. Riding at high elevation actually burns twice the amount of calories than biking at lower elevation, so load up on Peruvian superfoods like maca, tarwi, quinoa, and chia.
The town of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley is only 20 minutes away. This living Inca village was once the royal estate of Incan Emperor Pachacuti and later served as a stronghold for the Incan resistance during the Spanish conquest of Peru. Now, Ollantaytambo is a relaxing and charming place. The entire town is made of gorgeous, giant Incan stones and enclosures. You can visit this town or just relax today.
Also, make sure to take care of your bike. We’ve got a lot of shredding still to come!
Today would also be a great day to visit Machu Picchu; explore that option in our optional add-ons section. If you do that, don’t worry — we can let you sleep in a little later the next morning!
Lodging: Lizzy Wasi o Intitierra Sacred Valley
Meals Included: B
Hopefully you slept well on night 4 — today is, in a word, amazing! Today will be our last day in the Sacred Valley. After riding today we will head back to the city of Cusco where you can enjoy the night life and get to know the capital of the Incas!
Our routes today will depend on the riding abilities of the group or the style of trails that is preferred.
We can ride La Maxima a seemingly endless enduro trail that takes us through 15 km of Andean single track. This highly demanding Enduro trail has punchy climbs, long beautiful traverses with stunning views, loose rocky switchbacks, and loose baby head sections that will give you Popeye forearms.
La Maxima MTB Route
Distance: 15 km/9.3 mi
Max elevation: 4407 m/ 14,456 ft
Ascent: 65 m/213 ft
Descent: 1,537 m/ 5,042 ft
Another option is to ride Pumamarca twice and Maras 2 twice before heading back to Cusco.
Maras 2 is a totally different style of terrain than we have seen so far. It has desert style dry trails that take you along cliff sides and down to the Urubamba river. This is a local favorite and can be ridden more than once today. Be ready for loose and steep!
Edge of the world Pumamarca ride. This ride begins at the Pumamarca ruins and passes over sequences of ancient Incan terraces — it’s always a highlight, with fast fluid sections interspersed with techy rock sections.
Cold beers are a must after this long and intense ride!
A shuttle will then take us back to Cusco and your new lodging.
Peru Mountain Bike Vacation Trail Stats:
Maras 2:
From top to Pinchingoto
Distance: 10.23 km/6.35 mi
Max elevation: 3697 m/12,129 ft
Descent: 863 m/2831 ft
Maras 2 from the church
Distance: 6.48 km/4 mi
Max Elevation: 3360 m/ 11,023 ft
Descent: 521 m/ 1709 ft
Pumamarca:
Distance: 5.11 km/ 3.17 mi
Max Elevation: 3336 m/10,944 ft
Descent: 462 m/ 1515 ft
Lodging: Centenario Inn Cusco or local airbnb
Meals included: B, L
Radar: The Secrets of the South Valley – The Haku Original
Today, we’ll take you down a Haku original — the Radar MTB trail in the South Valley. Haku owners Bill and Nic were actually the first to lay mountain biking tracks on the bottom half of Radar, and from the moment they did it, they knew they’d have to find a way to share this incredible MTB trail with other mountain bikers. Now, it’s one of the most coveted bike routes in the Cusco region. You’ll ride along a breathtaking, towering ridge at over 4,468 m/14,000 ft before dropping into the South Valley on 18 km/11 mi of high-speed singletrack.
After Radar, we’ll take you to the Switchbacks of Chipta, a secret trail nearby that ends at a local’s house. If we’re lucky, we might be able to grab a quick, delicious, organic lunch with one of our local farming friends in the valley before we head back to Cusco.
Peru Mountain Bike Vacation Trail Stats:
Radar:
Distance: 18.8 km/11.7 mi
Max elevation: 4,468 m/14,658 ft
Ascent: 94 m/309 ft
Descent: 1367 m/4,487 ft
Switchbacks of Chipta:
Distance: 5.7 miles/9.2 km
Max elevation: 12,992 ft/3,960 m
Ascent: 137m/450m
Descent: 830 m/2,723 ft
Urban DH also known as Postre (“The Dessert”):
Distance: 6.52 km/4 mi
Max elevation: 3,770 m/12,368 ft
Ascent: 21 m/69 ft
Descent: 399 m/1,309 ft
Lodging: Centenario Hotel or local Airbnb
Meals included: B, L, Snacks
Today, we’ll say our tearful goodbyes and take you to the airport for your departing flight as your bucket-list Peru mountain bike vacation draws to a close.
If your flight isn’t until later in the evening, there’s tons to do in Cusco. Visit the stunning ruins of Sacsayhuaman or experience the colorful authenticity of the San Pedro Market, just a quick 8-minute walk from La Plaza de Armas. There, you’ll find ladies in traditional dress at tiendas selling nectarines, nuts, and plantains, and other kiosks selling alpaca jumpers and pachamama dolls. Try foods like lomo saltado (stir-fried beef) and anticuchos (beef hearts) and local fruits like lucuma, granadilla, and chirimoya. Or, if you have a soft spot for the arts, check out the contemporary tapestries at El Museo Maximo Laura or the ancient artifacts in El Museo de Arte Precolombino. If the possibilities for today feel overwhelming, come by the shop, and any of our guides can give you tips on how to make the most of your day in Cusco!
Meals included: B
General Information
What’s the price of this 7 day Peru Mountain Bike Vacation? And what’s included?
The price is $1,695 per person when booking one of our set dates*.
The price includes:
The price does not include:
*When booking outside of the set tour dates ask for pricing.
Peru’s currency is called the Nuevo Sol. You’ll be able to exchange US currency for the Sol easily in Cusco. The exchange rate often fluctuates between 3.7 – 4 sol per US dollar.
We recommend you bring cash. Peru is still a cash society. Most people don’t have bank accounts as Peruvian banks charge up to $15 per month just to have the account open. So, services like Venmo, Pay-Pal, and Apple Pay aren’t used here. Most local stores, taxis, and local restaurants are cash only.
ATMS charge around $8 to take out $60-200. Banks only allow a small withdrawal daily. Thus, it’s probably a good idea to withdraw a good sum of cash before you come to Peru unless you have a bank that returns the ATM fees. You can also try the app called ATM hero and do a little research before you come to decide if an ATM card or cash is best for you.
The USD, EURO, CAD cash you bring should be non-ripped bills. Small rips or bills that are written on are not accepted for exchange.
Seeing as Peru is a cash society and it is difficult to withdraw large amounts of cash, we require your balance be brought in cash.
TIPPING: Local restaurants generally do not require a tip, however, leaving a few soles is a nice gesture. Tourist restaurants are generally a 10% tip.
Tipping your guide in Peru is generally 10-15% of the price you paid for the tour. Drivers are generally the same amount in soles. (If you tip a guide 200 USD the driver would get often 200 soles) Tips should always be based on performance and are never obligatory.
Each person is required to have a specific travel/trip insurance outside of your credit card or regular medical insurance.
You should get comprehensive coverage with trip interruption/cancellation and with personal liability. Mention all activities that you will be involved in such as mountain biking, hiking at high altitude and whatever other activities you may have planned.
We do not provide refunds. If you should get hurt or sick not only will travel insurance cover your medical expenses it will also cover the lost portion of the trip. Make sure you have trip interruption or trip cancellation included! South America is famous for people striking and shutting down all activities. If you miss your Machu Picchu trip, Galapagos or any other side trip, or even your flight due to strikes the insurance will cover the loss or additional costs that are incurred.
Check out our blog on travel insurance and why it is a must for any South America Vacation!
For this 7-day Peru Mountain Bike Vacation:
You should have a mountain biking level of Intermediate tech: You’ve got three plus years of riding on singletrack trails of all sorts with features such as rock gardens, steep sections, rolls and drops, roots, and small jumps. You are confident on the bike in most situations. You’re constantly looking to improve your riding skills and enjoy riding for extended periods of time climbing and descending in terrain of all sorts.
Your fitness level should be at least a 3.5: You will want to be in between these two levels
3:You exercise one to two times a week but do not have a normal schedule that keeps you biking or doing other activities weekly. You don’t go to the gym or train for any specific sports but you lead a relatively active lifestyle by biking, hiking, skiing, or whatever it may be. For biking: climbs and long descents give you some trouble and you tend to get tired after about 2-3 hours on the bike.
4 You exercise 3-4 times a week and enjoy physical activities such as biking, hiking, skiing. You are active. For biking: you enjoy climbs that are moderately long and being on a bike for 3-5 hours in one day doesn’t get you too tired or fatigued.
We include airport pick up and drop off with your mountain bike.
On this 7 day itinerary you can arrive on day one and leave on day 7 unless you would like to come early or stay longer.
A driver will be waiting at the Cusco airport for you with a sign with your name. He will not arrive early. If your flight arrives early please wait for him to arrive at the original scheduled time of arrival.
We offer to pick you up any date you arrive. Therefore, if you would like to arrive early we will pick you up and store your bicycle for you. We also offer to take you to the airport on any date you leave from Cusco. We do not offer this service from another area such as the Sacred Valley.
This trip begins and ends in Cusco, Peru. You will want to look for flights to Cusco (CUZ) which will always require a layover; layovers are often in Bogota or Lima. Layovers are often long and arrivals to Lima are generally around 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. If you choose a flight all the way to Cusco, then you only pay once for your mountain bike on the first flight you take.
You can also fly into Lima and spend a night there before flying out in the morning. If you choose that option let us know so we can help with your bicycle logistics. This requires that you pay a second time for your bike. Latam charges $35 on national flights.
Check if you need a visa for any of the countries you may pass though such as China. Some countries require it even when passing though, others will allow you to stay in the airport in a special area without leaving. Be sure of your layover countries visa requirements.
Before booking flights look into how much baggage you are allowed and how much an oversized bag will cost you. All bicycles are oversized. The price ranges so check this before booking the flight. We recommend you call the airline beforehand.
IMPORTANT: Generally, any time you land in another country, you need to get your luggage and rescan it or re-check it for security purposes. Every country is different so check once you arrive; don’t simply count on the person at the front desk who checked you in at your first airport. In Lima, you must re-check your bags/bike. Make sure you have enough time during your layover for migrations and the bag check.
Also, Cusco is at a very high altitude, so we suggest arriving early if possible to acclimatize.
We recommend you bring a full-suspension all-mountain, trail, or enduro bike.
These days, the trail bikes have become more like enduro bikes and the enduro bikes have become more like DH bikes. Therefore, what we recommend is a full-suspension mountain bike with 140mm or more of suspension in the front and rear.
We also recommend that you have a tubeless tire setup and tires such as Maxxis Minion, Highroller, or Assegai.
For the bike:
Our Peru mountain bike tours include breakfast from your hotel and lunch on ride days.
Our MTB rides include lunches at local restaurants and also in the homes of locals who live on the trail. All of the food we eat for lunch is produced locally and more often than not organic. Most meals are a large bowl of soup followed by a main meal. The main meals are generally meat, chicken or trout along with rice, potatoes, and vegetables. Most lunches do not contain flour. If you don’t eat meat, you can get a plate that has rice, eggs and fried plantain. All of our meat is free range, grass fed and produced by local farmers with small farms.
If you have dietary restrictions please let us know so we can help you plan for the trip accordingly.
We provide snacks for the ride days. However, Peru does not have the same high calorie snacks that most developed countries have. Feel free to bring extra energy bars for the trail if you think you may want snacks you already enjoy!
We provide water for the rides. You will need a bottle or camel pack to fill.
This Peru mountain bike trip does not provide dinner (except the farewell dinner of course!) We have chosen to do this so that you can explore Cusco’s amazing food scene on your own!
Although we do provide statistics as to the amount of miles/kilometers the rides are, vertical descent is a much more informative metric; for instance, a 9 mile ride that descends 800 feet is a lot different than a 9 mile ride that descends 8,000 feet.
Peru is one of the very few places where you can get more than 8,000 feet of descent per ride day. Many of the rides are between 8 miles to 18 miles long with most around 10 or 11. Many days we ride more than one. Our 7-day Peru mountain bike vacation will generally have about 25,000 feet of descent over the 4 ride days.
Reviews
"EPIC! it's the best word to describe our tour with Haku. Every day was better than the other offering technical routes for all the skill sets. From the average mtb rider to routes apt for hardcore enduro, downhill or even big mountain freeriders. Bill was an excellent knowledgeable guide, and even though he does not look like a local, he sure does move around like one. He knows those mountains like he has lived there his entire life! Andrés and Guido were also excellent guides with a great pace to follow down the tracks. I would take another tour with Haku in a heartbeat!!"
"I just arrived from Peru from the best mountain bike trip of my life, all the rides were outstanding (we did 7). The logistics and service from the Haku crew are beyond expectations. You have at your own disposal tools and service from the crew if you go with your own bike (or you can rent a high quality bike from them). Bill, Nicole and the Haku crew provided the best guidance and experience, they share an unmatched passion for mountain biking reflected in their work. Haku is by far the best agency to experience mountain bike in Cusco, from beginners to professional riders. This is a 100% recommended trip to consider if you want a mountain bike trip."
My friend and I did the 7-day Peru mountain bike vacation and had an amazing time. Nicole and Bill were fantastic guides, not only on the trails but also for restaurants recommendations and things-to-do in and around Cusco. They were incredibly accommodating and went well beyond our expectations. The riding itself was amazing. Most trails were downhill single track with little to no pedaling. Each were unique with memorable features. The Sacred Valley is beautiful and riding there is a real treat. For any intermediate+ rider, I highly recommend riding with Bill and Nicole, even if it's only for a day whilst visiting Cusco for other reasons.”
This was a once in a lifetime mountain biking experience - I can't overstate how incredible my experience was! I did the following trails over the course of 5 days: Radar, Chipta, Lares, Lamay, Huchuy Qosqo, El Brujo, and a few times we ended with an urban ride called Huallarcocha. We got in a ton of riding and got to really explore both the South and Sacred Valleys. Bill, Wilhen, and Javier are all excellent guides - they will select/adjust the rides to meet your riding ability and will be sure to take it up a notch when they see you can handle it, or take it down a notch if need be. They will also call out features on the trail ahead of your approach. When you have mechanical issues, they are prepared to fix them, though they have a top of the line fleet with their Kona 153s. In fact, this was one of the main reasons I chose Haku Expeditions - they had the best fleet of bikes in the Cusco area and for such rugged terrain, this was a HUGE advantage.
The three guides are bilingual in English and Spanish too, which is helpful. Haku Expeditions is also just a hands-down great group of people. From the aforementioned guides to their awesome driver (and rider!) César. I was also fortunate to have the company of Andrés, an incredible rider and mechanic, along with Gabo, who took gorgeous photos and great videos throughout our rides. I even got to ride with Simon, a wise young pup, who beat me down El Brujo. I can't say enough about this trip. They will customize the trip to meet your needs and I can't think of a better way to see one of the most beautiful regions of the world. Book it, you will not regret it!”
This Peru 7-day MTB bike vacation is designed for avid, intermediate to advanced mountain bikers who want to be challenged and thrilled but don’t have the holiday schedule for our full 11 day mountain biking tour. Given that this is a trip for even pro MTB riders to brag about, this isn’t a mtb tour for beginners.
Our 7-day Mountain Bike Vacation is Cusco is ideal for you if:
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What’s the price of this 7 day Peru Mountain Bike Vacation? And what’s included?
The price is $1,695 per person when booking one of our set dates*.
The price includes:
The price does not include:
*When booking outside of the set tour dates ask for pricing.
Our Cross Country MTB tours take you from one spectacular destination to the next. On these, you’ll cycle literally across whichever country you’re visiting. For instance, check out our Andes to the Amazon tour, where you travel from Cusco to the Peruvian Amazon.
Our current XC vacations are made up of long-distance rides on backcountry roads. If you are looking for XC singletrack, get in touch with us, and we’ll set up a one-of-a-kind MTB tour suited to your needs.
How we define XC: Anywhere from old logging or fire roads to rolling singletrack, Cross Country trails are generally long distances with both ascents and descents. While trails may be somewhat technical with rock gardens and tight switchbacks, they generally do not have intense steep rock gardens like those you might find in DH or Enduro racing.
An XC bike is often lighter with a slacker head tube angle for better climbing ability and tends to not have a dropper post although the trend is changing. Usually it will be a hardtail or a full suspension bike with a smaller amount of suspension — 100-130mm.
Most XC riders do not wear pads such as elbow or knee pads and wear a half-shell helmet.
Our MTB expeditions are multi-day trips that involve camping, hiking and/or local home stays in the mountains with cooks and porters. At the moment Haku Expeditions offers one complete mountain expedition and also two packages that combine an MTB vacation with a smaller expedition nestled in it.
The front travel for DH bikes is usually somewhere around 200mm with the rear measuring slightly less. Because they generally aren’t pedalled uphill, these bikes are rugged and heavy and usually have less gears. DH riders wear full-face helmets, goggles, and body armor.
At the moment we do not offer a 100% DH trip. Contact us and we can make a custom trip for you! Below, you’ll find our Enduro MTB tours listed that are mostly all downhill and can be done either with a DH bike or an Enduro bike.
How we define DH: DH riding – or Downhill riding — is regarded as an intense, extreme kind of cycling, made for advanced riders who love to navigate roots and rocks and huge drops with furious downhill speed. It requires a stellar sense of balance and technique and a bike with slacker geometry.
The front travel for DH bikes is usually somewhere around 200mm with the rear measuring slightly less. Because they generally aren’t pedalled uphill, these bikes are rugged and heavy and usually have less gears. DH riders wear full-face helmets, goggles, and body armor.
Our Enduro/All-Mountain MTB tours are by far our most popular trips to date. While some of them focus more on descent like Ecuador and Peru, others include plenty of pedaling such as those in Colombia and Nepal.
How we define Enduro/All Mountain: Enduro mountain biking, also known as All-Mountain biking, emphasizes technical ability. If you’re looking for a more adventurous ride, this is the kind of ride for you; usually, an Enduro/All-Mountain trail will involve adrenaline-pumping downhill mountain biking along with sustained climbs.
Enduro riders need bikes that can take burly drops and rugged technical obstacles efficiently while still being light enough to climb with; they almost always use full-suspension bikes with wide tires and longer rear and front suspension travel. Dropper post is a necessity and standard. The front suspension can be anywhere from 140mm to 170mm. Full-face enduro helmets and body amour are a must for Enduro racing.
1 – The Haku Christmas Drive, which includes yearly clothing giveaways, shoe drives, and a public hot chocolate panettone lunch.
2 – School supply giveaway for children of the High Andes.
3 – Bringing bread and fruit to kids living at elevations where none is available.
4 – Facilitating connections between local organic farmers and local restaurants.
5 – Affordable MTB classes for locals taught by professional coaches.
6 – Sustained commitment to hiring out locals to work as drivers, office workers, etc., allowing a great amount of flexibility for family commitments, and paying them fair, livable wages.
7 – Donating 1% of all profits to help educate children in a technical field such as carpentry.
8 – Helping young adults begin a small business working in their technical field or purchasing products from them to help them get started after high school.
1 – Getting your heart rate up isn’t really your thing, and you rarely (if ever) exercise. Your idea of a perfect vacation is total relaxation: sitting on a beach, sipping a mojito, and just generally vegging out.
2 – You don’t necessarily work out regularly but you aren’t averse to the idea of doing something active. Although you don’t exercise that often, you don’t necessarily consider yourself out of shape.
3 – You exercise one to two times a week but do not have a normal schedule that keeps you biking or doing other activities weekly. You don’t go to the gym or train for any specific sports but you lead a relatively active lifestyle by biking, hiking, skiing, or whatever it may be. For biking: climbs and long descents give you some trouble and you tend to get tired after about 2-3 hours on the bike.
4 – You exercise 3-4 times a week and enjoy physical activities such as biking, hiking, skiing. You are active. For biking: you enjoy climbs that are are moderately long and being on a bike for 3-5 hours in one day doesn’t get you too tired or fatigued.
5 – You exercise at least 4 times a week and are an avid athlete that is consistently in good shape. You’re more or less game for any kind of adventure. For biking: you’re comfortable with being on your bike for 5-7 hours a day.
6 – You live and die for exercise, sweat, and suffering. You only want to climb higher, go farther, and prove how much of an animal you are. Steep climbs, long descents and big days are something you are looking to do more of and you can’t wait for your next adventure.
Beginner:
You’ve been riding a mountain bike for a couple of years or less and you’re most comfortable on smooth single-track and wider, forgiving doubletrack. You like rides with scenic views; you like both ascending and descending on well-maintained, safe trails. You’re looking for an active but relaxing mountain bike vacation; you’re not into jumps, drops, super steep trails, rock gardens, roots or taking big risks on your bike.
Intermediate:
You’ve got two plus years of experience mountain biking on single-track trails under your belt; you’ve gotten pretty confident behind the handlebars and are beginning to expand your mountain bike abilities. You like riding most types of terrain, and you’re comfortable both climbing and descending on single-track trails with smaller technical features such as rocky sections, small drops, and small steep sections. You aren’t trying to walk on most of the trail and are looking to take small risks with things like speed, jumps, rock gardens, and stair sets to improve your skills as a mountain biker.
Intermediate Tech:
You’ve got three plus years of riding on singletrack trails of all sorts with features such as rock gardens, steep sections, rolls and drops, roots, and small jumps. You are confident on the bike in most situations. You’re constantly looking to improve your riding skills and enjoy riding for extended periods of time climbing and descending in terrain of all sorts.
Advanced:
Ten plus years of experience riding single-track, freerides and biking of all sorts. You live for steeps, jumps, rock gardens, techy trails, long descents, big ascents and discovering new terrain. Mountain biking is one of your passions and you are ready and confident to do what you love in a new and challenging place. You can handle anything we throw at you — jumps, rock gardens, steps, technical descents, tough ascents, etc. Biking is a central part of your life. For you, the bigger the challenge, the more excited you get.
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This has been another trip of a lifetime. I feel I’m the luckiest mountain biker on the planet because I have been on five continents in the last six years. Peru was completely incredible, shuttle rides every day for a week taking us To some of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet. Biking at 15,000 feet looking up at peaks 20,000 feet high covered in snow. After many emails and WhatsApp messages, I finally landed in Cusco. Met up with Nicole and Bill and their five kids. The house was a perfect set up for our headquarters. There was a courtyard where we brought our bikes back every day to wash and clean them, and a full service mechanic room with all the equipment for repairs and tuneups on our bikes.
My hotel was about 100 feet away from their house, we would meet every morning after breakfast about 9:30 and our bikes were already being lifted up on the vans for our day's adventure. Nicole and Bill happen to be incredible mountain bikers also, originally from the USA. Tony, one of our guides, is from Sun Valley Idaho, my new best friend and I think I’m actually older than his father. I arrived the day before most of the group and the first person I met was this very solid looking guy, bald with tattoos everywhere. I was a little intimidated at first and then he helped me put my bike together, adjust the gears etc. It was Jordie Lunn, DH raver early Red Bull rampage competitor and Just an all-around wonderful guy. It Was an honour to spend two weeks with him. The next day the group started to arrive and my favourite mountain biker in the world showed up and kept us laughing for the entire two weeks with his great dad jokes, amazing stories and great conversation….None other than Brett Tippie! What a treat to spend 2 weeks with Tippie. Our group came from Canada, United States, Australia and Europe.
Every day for eight days I would say the same thing, this is the best day ever! The shuttle rides never seemed long as we would drive out of Cusco looking at all the street life, and then into the mountains to scenery that looked like we were on the moon. We were all getting to know each other so there were lots of conversations and stories. Everybody rode at their own pace with one guide in the front and one guide in the back, which is where I usually was! This was my present for my 65th birthday. Every night back in Cusco after having hours of Enduro riding, Bill and Nicole, Tony and our Peruvian guide would all go out for dinner to wonderful restaurants. No one ever got sick as they took us to great spots which had originally been a small worry for me There are a lot of people from around the world that ended up in Cusco to live that opened up cafés and restaurants so the food was amazing.
I have so many great memories, from eating lunches in a tiny village 15,000 feet up in the Andes in homes of locals with dirt floors and walls made of stones, to biking at 16,000 feet looking at 20,000 foot peaks covered in snow while passing hundreds of llamas just a couple of feet from us. Every day my skills would increase, the better riders gave me helpful hints on how to attack going down the mountain each day for hours on end. In the middle of our eight days we had a day off and our group went to Macha Picchu. A dream I had since I was a little boy, now experiencing it with all my new friends from around the world. One of the days we did a local Cusco ride just outside the city and met all the local mountain bike Enduro racers, it didn’t take long till Tippie had them all cracking up! He didn’t speak Spanish and they didn’t speak English but we all shared the same passion, mountain biking. Other days on the shuttle rides we would stop in tiny villages, walk around and meet the local kids and adults, take colorful pictures as they were dressed in traditional Peruvian clothing.
Haku Expeditions has Peru nailed. Nicole and Bill have lived there for many years and are well respected by the local community.