When you race, sometimes misery and pleasure are transcendent. This is the story of La Ruta. La Ruta de los Conquistadors combined 300 km with 30, 000 vertical feet of climbing, 40 degree weather with 90 % humidity, traverse 1 continent and numerous eco- systems and throw into the mix Tropical storm which has been setting record mud slides and tsunami rain conditions in the country side.
Arguably the toughest mountain bike race in the world, With torrential rain coming down, I have a funny feeling that we will be wading through waist deep mud and wondering “ why in the world any human would want to race in these conditions?”
La Ruta will climb from sea levels on the Pacific side up and over volcanoes, cross many different eco systems. This brutal three-day race will test the best riders in the world. 582 riders will start and only 260 riders will see the finish line this year.
Day One: The Total Mud Pit, 119 km, 15, 000 of climbing
A Waken at 3 am, for the 5 am start of La Ruta. The early morning air was humid, thick, heavy and lethargic. Great day for race, as we lined up for the start.
Marla Streb gave myself some last minute guidance, “ Drink lots of water and Don’t go out to hard! It’s a three-day race, Munny!”
Today we would confront relentless challenges, double track sections of thick red mud clay that would add 20 lbs to your bike, knee deep river crossings. One local rider wearing nothing but a jean cut offs with no shirt and spd’s screwed into his sandals. Looked like the late great “Rabbit”, with his gray flowing beard. Lots of hike a bike, crashes and even more clay mud. Riding 15, 000 ft total climbing and 11 hours in the saddle, many of riders were forced out of the race after finishing first day suffering from exhaustion, heat stoke, dehydration and some not making the cut off time. Can it get worse?
Day two: The Day of Attrition, 80 km, 9, 000 feet of climbing
Starting from downtown San Jose and if rush hour traffic wasn’t hard to contented with, we would have to avoid one major crash and potholes the size of a cars. As we made our slow and ever so painful climb up to the top of Volcano Irazu, which sits just under
12,000 feet.
On one of the few little descents, I managed to loose my chain, and cable housing on one of many grapefruit size rocks that littered the coarse. Forcing me to run the last 12 km up hill with my bike on my back, before the long and rock-strewn 2000-meter descent, before a couple small hills before the Finish line in Turriabla. Many broken bones on this day and lost gear, attrition was high today. One rider end up not only breaking his wrist, but add insult to his injury would have his bike stolen by the first aid crew.
Day three: The “Easy “ day? 124km 6, 000 feet of climbing
The race finally started 45 minute late, in the morning heat (32 degrees) after we were told a train derailment had taken out one of the bridges we were supposed to cross. The coarse had to be rerouted and add 45 km extra on the road to go around the broken bridge. Charlotte Klien, a naturally talented mountain biker, was excited to learn of change in the route. “I never thought I would be happy to hear that we would spent more time on the road.”
We started the climbing as soon as we left the start line. After many sheer steep hot gravel roads, the route changed downhill quickly for only 2 km, before climbing repeatedly for hours. It was very curling, with 20 km to go we rode on the bumpy railroad tracks, over rotted out railway bridges and then the Caribbean beach. The race end right on the beach. What a great race.
A true test of the human spirit and a true adventure by its definition, not only for the racers, but also for the volunteer and fans.
We are all the better for having participated in the La Ruta, Pura Vida my friends!!!
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