Y con la lluvia... / And with the rain...

Mas Honguitos... More mushrooms...

-- Piel Roja Palugueño. Cruzpunguito, Ecuador.

-- Gateado. La Virgen, Ecuador.

-- Explorer / Explorador. Tauroa, NZ

-- Familia. Tauroa, NZ

-- Gemelos / Twins. Tauroa, NZ

-- Cupula / Dome. La Virgen, Ecuador

-- Secos / Dry

-- Solitario / Lonely. Tauroa, NZ

a school semester...

Este es el octavo año que tenemos el gusto de operar el Kroka / Nahual Ecuador Semester. Un programa de 4 meses enfocado en los valores de la vida sencilla, la permacultura, y los deportes de aventura como una forma de vida. Entre las muchas actividades que hacen los estudiantes a lo largo del programa y que meticulosamente describen en su propio blog, hay dos expediciones de un mes de largo cada una. Este año les acompañe en una corta sección en su cruce en bicicleta desde Ibarra, en el valle interandino hasta Cando, en la selva ecuatoriana, donde dejaran de lado las bicis para continuar en botes por el rio Jatunyacu hasta Shiwacocha. Un semestre de colegio que inspira.
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For 8 years we have been running the Kroka / Nahual Ecuador Semester. A 4 month long outdoor academic program that focuses on simple living, permaculture and adventure sports as a way of life. Among many activities that happen throughout  the whole length of the program, which students carefully document at their own blog, there are two 'month' long expeditions.  This year I just joined the group on a short section of their journey from the Andes to the Amazon basin, where they will switch the bikes for boats and continue by river. An inspiring school semester.

-- Campamento en los bosques de eucalipto de Angla en Imbabura.
-- Camp on Angla's eucalyptus forest. Imbabura province

-- 14 Specialized Rockhoppers esperan la salida / 14 Specialized Rockhoppers resting before the start.

-- We fitted the 26ers with racks, home made handlebar bags and frame bags

-- the 29ers where trying our latest version of home made seat harnesses which
our friend Romi carefully put together.

-- First day. Along the inter andean valley.

-- Morning clean up. A daily ritual that every student performs before we start biking.

-- Some color seasoning as we climb up towards Oyacachi

-- Mathias (who is teaching this section) wisely exchanged his bike for a horse with a local kid...

-- ...the crew observed incredulously as the exchange of vehicles happened. 

-- Gajes del oficio / Occupational hazards

-- Picking a campsite for day 2 / Buscando un campamento para el segundo dia.

-- Up, and up higher on the third day.

-- until we reached 4000 meters to start traversing towards Papallacta on the other side of the Andes.

-- 4th day. Oyacachi to Papallacta.

-- Finallly heading down to reach the hot springs.

-- Parking at Jamanco thermal springs.

-- the results of intense bare-footing, farm work, morning runs, biking and expedition life

-- A deserved hot shower before they keep biking down to the Amazon. I head back to the farm.

A Pata / By foot

A pata salimos a recorrer chaquiñanes, quebradas y cerros para tejer la ruta del Non Stop de Proyecto Aventura. Es interesante armar mapas, calcular tiempos y buscar el balance para que una carrera de aventura tenga todos sus componentes "aventurescos" y que al mismo tiempo sea manejable como evento deportivo. El Non Stop es una carrera de 24 horas que como su nombre lo indica no tiene paradas. El recorrido se lo cubre en bicicleta de montaña y "a pata". Los corredores, en equipos de cuatro, a punta de brújula y mapa van tejiendo puntos de control hasta llegar a la meta. Esta carrera es un clasificatorio para el Mundial de Carreras de Aventura AR 2014 a realizarse en Ecuador, lo que atrae a muchos equipos de elite a probar suerte en busca de un cupo. Para el equipo de rescate de Nahual sera una ultima prueba de equipos y logísticas antes  de recibir a 240 corredores en un Mundial que se nos viene encima.

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By foot we set out to explore trails, ravines and mountains as we weave together the route for the Non Stop Adventure race organized by Proyecto Aventura. It's always interesting putting maps together and calculating time and distances to make an adventure race "adventurous" but manageable in terms of safety. The Non Stop is a continuos 24 hours race that involves hiking and mountain biking. The four person teams have to navigate the course with map and compass linking together the mandatory checkpoints along the way. The race counts as a official qualifier for the Adventure Race World Cup to be held in Ecuador on 2014, which brings together a bunch of professional teams who are looking forward to join this major event. For our Nahual rescue team, this will be the last warm up event before we receive 240 racers from all over the world on the World Cup.

-- El "carpintero andino" marca nuestra salida. / The andean wood-pecker gives us the "go" signal.

-- Entre aristas y mogotes de roca a 3800 m. / Among ridges and rocky outcrops at 3800 meters

-- Como no vamos de carrera me entretengo con las flores...
-- Since we are not racing I take time to enjoy the flowers...

--...hasta las mas pequeñas / ... even the tiny ones

--... o las cubiertas de liquenes / ... or the liquen covered ones.

-- Una alfombra de musgo cubre hasta los picos mas altos / A moss carpet covers even the highest peaks

-- Encillada / 4200m / -- The Col

-- Uno toro solitario, de cuidado! / A lonely bull, something to watch out for

-- Steep walls and huge ravines make navigation interesting
-- Enormes paredones y ondas quebradas hacen que la
navegación se ponga interesante.

-- Ecuadorian weather at 4:00 pm...

-- Ecuadorian weather at 4:25 pm

-- Lo que dejo la tormenta / Peace after the storm