MEXICO

A High Point in Mexico

by David Pindar (Magazine 24, November 1981)

I was cycling from El Paso, Texas, to Guatemala as part of a plan to cycle from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in stages. Back in 1969 I had cycled in Mexico City and its outskirts and did not particularly want to do so again. Besides I had to avoid the toll-roads radiating out from the city. To avoid these problems I left the Inter-American Highway at Salamanca and cycled past the beautiful but mournful Lake Cuitzeo to Morelia. Continuing to Toluca I went over 2 passes but my maps did not give either their names or heights. (It is difficult to get large scale maps of Mexico but there did seem to be some sort of a road across the mountains to Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City.

In Toluca the people at the tourist office were very helpful - and in English. Yes there was a road to Cuernavaca. The route was to take the Tenango road, turn left at Mexicaltzingo to Santa Tianguistenco. Here I had to take the road to Chalma but turn left at Santa Martha.

Leaving Toluca, dominated by the 15,000 foot volcano, the Nevado de Toluca, I crossed the flat valley floor to Tianguistenco. From here the road climbed but not too drastically. Above Santa Martha the road continued to climb, now through pine forests and alpine meadows for about 3 miles to the summit. Again I could not find the name or height of the pass, but judging by the amount of climbing I had done from Toluca at 8600 feet (2600m) it must be 10,000 to 10,500 feet (3100m).

The really spectacular part of the trip now began as I dropped 5000 feet to Cuernavaca, with the road sometimes as steep as the Honister but going on for mile after mile. I was passing sheer mountain walls blanketed in pine forests. In the midst of all this there were the Zempoala lakes, small and beautiful with mountains towering high above them.

This would be a good route for long distance cyclists wishing to avoid Mexico City though I would strongly recommend anyone visiting Mexico for the first time to visit the capital and also the ancient ruins of Teotihuacan.

THE MOUNTAINS OF MEXICO

by Neville Chanin (OCD Magazine 32, June 1984)

This is a preliminary account of a tour by Neville Chanin. It has to be brief, because a full story will appear- later in "Cycling". Though few of us may get the chance to follow Neville, anyone can dream, or- even hope. And again, if that premium bond comes up, or if that rich uncle comes home from the diamond mines, it is a good idea to have projects ready prepared for the great day. So, as Neville gives it, here is the outline of a rare series of cols. Keith Barker, Ed.

Whilst all but about 200 of our 1700-mile circuit around Mexico was ridden on the central high plateau above 5000 feet, we occasionally climbed to over 10,000 feet. It was generally on very easy gradients and only on two climbs did I drop from 49 to my 42-inch bottom gear.

However, there were some really spectacular sections of road worth describing. John Haigh had sent me a short write-up by David Pindar, who had ventured into the region in late 1980. A glance at the map will show that we took the circuit anticlockwise, and our first report is of the Mil Cumbres Pass. This climbs eastwards from Morelia on Highway 15 towards Ciudad Hidalgo. Morelia is on a 6000 foot plateau, and the summit is at 9100 feet, in a distance of 33 miles.

When we revealed our plans to a Cuban American lady over a meal the previous evening, she discussed it with locals in response to our questions about the road. They solemnly explained the dangers of many steep bends and much traffic, and showed an alternative road, easier and quieter. This was disconcerting, as David Pindar's notes revealed that held had similar advice and he had yielded to it. Trish and I don't give in that easily; "What would John Haigh say if he heard we'd turned off at such a point?" I said to Trish. So we set off up the pass next morning, and my shirt was soon folded in the saddlebag.

At first the road took us over open, rolling hills, then winding through pine woods and along an open ledge with sheer mountains towering on our left, bright yellow, red and purple flowers at the roadside. There followed a magnificent climb to the summit at Puerto Garnica. Then came five hazardous miles of descent. Not the road, or traffic, or any other ordinary thing. It was the thousands of stinging wasp-like insects among the pine trees. The road was fine, well surfaced, dating from 1929-1932. Traffic was virtually non-existant by European standards - we saw about a dozen cars during the three hour climb. Thus to the restaurant at Mil Cumbres and the fine view of the thousand peaks which the name implies.

From Cuantla to Oaxaca we were on the Inter-American Highway, route 190. We took three and a half days to ride this section, on a fine mountain road rising and falling through grand scenery - a cyclist's delight.

Leaving Cuantla, there were long, gentle undulations, with views of Popocatepetl. (Remember: "Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Popocatepetl: they had stolen my heart away?") It is almost 18000 feet, high enough for snow this far south. There is a restaurant at Izucar cross-roads, then you are in the land of the sugar cane. Long climbs and falls through mountains follow, with incredibly tall cactus plants to admire. There are two passes to cross, the second, Puerto de Gato having a fine descent to Tehuitzingo with its Hotel Monica. And all this is in the 67 miles from Cuantla.

Undulations again follow, for this road is full of variety. Fifteen miles of good climbing took us through the gorge of a dry river bed to Acatlan, which has hotels. Thirty miles more of scenic climbing, full of winding descents and a final rise of 25 miles to Tamazulapam at 5700 feet brings a well placed halt with hotel. These long names keep cropping up, but they are easier to deal with than some Welsh tongue-testers one knows of.

We had six or seven miles of climbing in a long, straight valley, becoming steeper and winding through red sandstone country. From the summit, fifty miles of delight, dropping across a vast crater. Some 35 miles of this involved climbing and winding along a whole series of ridges, pine-clad, and crossing a mountain backbone. The finishing 27 mile stretch descends to Oaxaca at 5084 feet.

From Oaxaca through Ixtlan to Chiltepec one is on Highway 175. We found it the finest mountain road we had ridden for years. It climbs steeply for eleven miles, and this is where the bottom gear first came into use. This was to be expected, for here one crosses the continental divide, at about 9000 feet. After all, the Americas are a very bony continent from, the Rockies to the Andes, and the thin bit in the middle is as bony as the rest. Again we were winding through pines and along ledges before descending to Ixtlan with a small hotel, and still at 6500 feet.

There is a big rise from here, 28 miles of it with a few short drops winding among pines and colourful flowers. Perhaps a bit annoying sometimes, this sort of country - all that lovely accumulation of altitude leaking away on the dips. We were on the top after three and a half hours, at about 13,000feet. At that height, who cares about lost altitude? About twenty miles of descending, turning road on ledges and across ridges took us into rain forest, and the downhill lasted another 17 miles to Valle Nacional, with a hotel. Chiltepec came after a further eighteen miles gently down a river valley.

We have not much to say about the next few days to Fortin, after such a treat. So, starting from Fortin we had a super climb from that place, on Highway 150D. Orizaba, another volcano, 18701 feet high easily dominates the landscape, though it is rather lazy as volcanoes go, not having had anything to say for four and a half centuries. Ten kilometres of rise brought us to Orizaba town at 4000 feet, then a long valley led to wide curves and a final section along a ledge to the top at 8500 feet. This is the Cumbres de Maltrata, 37 miles on from Fortin. This marked an almost instant change from rain forest to dry, parched mountain plateau where cactus is king. From this height we made thirty miles of "evens" riding in the 65 miles to Puebla. This road has heavy traffic of Kenworth trucks, but they do not trouble one much, for there is a good shoulder and the drivers were all very courteous. We had got off Highway 150, and it is said to be quieter, but it takes longer and we were running out of time by now!

From Puela to Mexico City, we kept to Highway 150. It took us high again, back over the contintal divide at 10,486 feet, and we were again among the pines, dropping down to Mexico City at 7575 feet.