In the footsteps of Ryan Leech
Words by Stefan Merchant.
It may be old, but Kranked III is still my favourite mountain biking video. I especially like the Peru segment. Sure, it is culturally insensitive, but there is something cool about riding on Incan ruins. I was in Cusco, Peru, where the Peru segment was filmed, so I thought I would try trashing some priceless Incan ruins myself. Loreto Tours organizes mountain bike tours to Las Salineras. If you have seen Kranked III, Las Salineras are the salt terraces where Ryan Leech works his trials magic.
Kranked 3.5 - Stefan does Peru
Apparently, mountain biking is not a popular activity in Cusco because Loreto Tours informed me that I would likely be the only one going. It turns out they were right. My guide Arturo and I were bused to the middle of nowhere (even the bus driver seemed to have no clue where we were) to start our ride. Arturo’s lovingly constructed his bike from whatever decent parts he could scrounge up in South America. Even though he is a pro racer and has competed in the South American championships he still cannot get decent parts. They just are not available. My bike was a mail order bike from the States. If you have read the American mountain biking magazines, you know the type of bike I mean. It was a "Jenson HT 1.5" - aluminum frame, low-end Shimano parts and a Manitou SX-R fork. Surprisingly, it worked quite well. Helmet and gloves were also provided.
The ride starts along a dirt road that's mostly flat or slightly uphill. Because you are at an altitude of 3800 m or 12,500 feet it is harder work than it should be. It is also kind of boring, but at least there are Andean mountains to look at. The first "technical" bit is not challenging for Shore riders but apparently most customers walk it. The section is a moderately steep and bumpy downhill. The kind of thing you don't even notice on a downhill rig, but is more fun on a cross-country bike with the seat up. This leads to Moray, a Pre-Incan and Incan agricultural experimental centre. It consists of concentric terraces all at different levels. It is one of the coolest and least visited ruins in the area. I especially admired Arturo’s skill at avoiding the guards so I didn't have to pay the entry fee of 5 soles (about $2.50 CDN). There is also a cool little skinny (okay it is not that skinny) you can ride just before the ruin. There is a pond on one side and an 8-foot drop on the other. The guide just about blew a gasket when I rode across it; I guess their typical customer doesn’t do that sort of thing.
Crop circles, Peruvian style
After Moray we arrived at a village called "Pueblo de Amas". Lunch (complete with Inca Cola) is provided in a typical Peruvian shack and afterwards there is a nice downhill. The descent starts at the church and doesn’t end until the tour is completed. This is the most technical portion of the ride, but it's well within the abilities of capable freeriders. Most customers walk this part, so I got constant warnings of the dangers involved in riding it. When you get to the Salineras you stop and take photos.
Our intrepid adventurer
At first I was unimpressed with the salt terraces, but once I removed my sunglasses I realized how blindingly white they are. The terraces are an amazing example of Inca engineering. They are constructed on a mountainside from which a single spring provides a constant flow of salt water. The stream of water is routed through gutters to feed every single saltpan on the mountainside. There are well over a thousand saltpans, so you can imagine the tortuous route taken by the water. When the water on a pan evaporates, the salt is collected, put into bags and then hauled up by burro to town. (Town being the metropolis of Pueblo de Amas)
|
If you want you can do your best Ryan Leech imitation and work your magic on the terraces. Be forewarned; Leech makes it look easy. When you get there in real life you realize that the ridges separating the terraces are not only narrow, but very irregular and difficult to ride. No matter how good you are, falling is a distinct possibility. The ridges are made of salt and they occasionally fall apart. If you fall, you can be sure it is going to hurt - it's 6 feet down to the next terrace and salt will be rubbed into your wounds. |
 A Radical Films stunt |
Another short and moderately technical downhill (the best part of the ride) leads to the highway where the bus picks you up. It took Arturo and me 30 minutes to complete the downhill portion of the ride. Normally, he says it takes about 90 minutes. He claimed his record is 12 minutes but he didn’t stop and take pictures along the way. Regardless, we finished the tour much earlier than anticipated so we were able to go visit some Inca tombs in a cliff-side and to see an abandoned pygmy village. We even got to see a bus that had driven over a cliff.
A 'technical' section
This is a fun ride, with some fantastic sights along the way. It is not very tricky - the level of difficulty would be appropriate for intermediate cross-country riders. If you go, try to go alone or with other skilled riders. If Arturo’s stories about the skill level of other riders, and the amount of walking are true, then going with the general public would be an exercise in frustration. Then again, going with the general public and wowing them with your technical expertise may be just the kind of ego boost you crave.
Stefan Merchant
Stef was back long enough to write a bike review and get his fix on the Shore. Now he's in Cuba - Bastardo!
