June 4, 2006 Friday
Besao Ride
It's been 10 days since I arrived in Sagada and apart from my bike commute from Antadao to Poblacion, I haven't really done any kind of serious riding. When Aklay invited me to join the pack (Steve and Joey), all I said was where and when?
Trail Up Ahead
We all met in front of the hospital and proceeded by doing an uphill climb going to
Lake Danom - first of a few
rest stops. We took the road going to Besao. What was once a road gradually deteriorated until it totally disappeared and turned into single-track. We came upon a few very technical section that was essential off-limits to us but fair game to Joey. I simply call those trails
Joey-prescribed.
We passed by a few villages within Besao and
biked on narrow footpaths, some of which we had to
dismount. Of course, no bike ride is not without its
mechanical issues - all part of the game.
Nice View
It almost sounds monotonous to say that we passed sections that gave us a
stunning view of the landscape. In Sagada, every corner is a stunning view. On one section, we even passed by a
waterfall...like it was no biggie.
The Last Climb
This was a fitting finale to the ride. From the village of Sukib, we went up a long continuous climb reminiscent of one I did from Tuel, Tublai to the main road. By the time we reached the peak, we were all spent. It was an excellent place to chill out and shoot the breeze as we recovered for the way back.
Ending Thoughts
With these guys around, I see an almost limitless mountain biking horizon. They know the trails and we have critical mass to call for help if anything should happen. This ride would seem a precedent of other rides to come - hidden trails, single-tracks and of course, there's always exploratory rides.
--- TheLoneRider
Comments? Email webmaster@thelonerider.com
»» next story
»» back to Mountain Biking
»» back to Homepage
|
