Ride for Climate Latin America

The original "Ride for Climate," this journey began in 2005 when David Kroodsma left his climate research job at Stanford and bicycled solo to Tierra del Fuego. As he traveled, he gave presentations on climate change, appeared in media in 16 countries, and wrote about what climate change means for the places he biked through. This trip is the subject of a book, The Bicycle Diaries, available to buy or download for free.


Photos

Blog Summaries




Blog Entries on Climate Change




Route




California
Date Miles From To Notes
11/5 44 Palo Alto Coralitos  
11/6 50 Coralitos Monterey  
11/7 10 Monterey Monterey Around town
11/8 38 Monterey Salinas Valley  
11/9 72 Salinas Valley Panoche Valley Last 25 miles after dark
11/10 90 Panoche Valley Fresno Easier to bike flats
11/11 30 Fresno Almond Orchard Started at 3:30pm
11/12 82 Almond Orchard Blackwells Corner Tailwind
11/13 68 Blackwells Corner Ventucopa Big climb at end
11/14 70 Ventucopa Ventura Big climb, bigdown hill
11/15 11 Ventura Ventura Around town
11/16 73 Ventura West Los Angeles Along the Coast
11/17 30 W. Los Angeles W. Los Angeles To Hollywood and back
11/18 0 Visiting Family for the Thanksgiving week
11/29 30 West Los Angeles Long Beach Cars
11/30 90 Long Beach Encinitas  
12/1 37 Encinitas San Diego To DMV and back
12/2 43 San Diego San Diego To school, DMV
12/10 35 San Diego 7 miles north of border  

Total Miles in California: 853

Mexico
Date Miles From To Notes
12/11 69 Border Villa de Juarez  
12/12 27 Villa de Juarez Ensendada  
12/13 6 Ensenada Ensendada  
12/14 51 Ensenada Near Heroes de la Independencia uphill
12/15 84 Near Heroes 15 miles north of San Felipe downhill
12/16 51 Near San Felipe Between S. Felipe and Puertocitos  
12/17 46 Between S. Felipe and Puertocitos Just south of Puertocitos road deteriorates
12/18 33 Just south of Puertocitos Near Gonzaga Dirt road, bumpy
12/19 37 Near Gonzaga Near Chapala Dirt road, uphill
12/20 87 Near Chapala Near Jesus Maria Ahhh...pavement, tailwind
12/21 43 Near Jesus Maria Guerrero Negro  
12/22 104 Guerrero Negro A.V. Bonfil ¡andale!
12/23 33 A.V. Bonfil Santa Rosalia  
12/24 53 Santa Rosalia Baia de Concepcion  
12/25 78 Baia de Concepcion Loreto Merry Christmas
12/27 25 Loreto A beach  
12/28 71 A beach C. de Constitucion  
12/29 69 C. de Constitucion El Cien  
12/30 69 El Cien La Paz Canel 10 Noticias
1/10 10 Marina de Mazatlán Bomberos (firemen) de Mazatlán Stomache Ouch
1/11 30 Bomberos (firemen) de Mazatlán Concordia  
1/13 16 Concordia Copala All uphill, ok?
1/16 31 Copala El Palmito 4,500 ft climb
1/17 47 El Palmito Roadside Espinazo del Diablo
1/18 35 Roadside Llano Grande road at 9,000+ ft
1/19 50 Llano Grande Durango  
1/21 83 Durango Sombrerete With Gregg and Brooks
1/22 68 Sombrerete Fresnillo  
1/23 39 Fresnillo Zacatecas  
1/25 60 Zacatecas Salinas Cold, Headwind
1/26 63 Salinas San Luis Potosi  
1/28 67 San Luis Potosi San Felipe  
1/29 60 San Felipe San Miguel de Allende San Miguel is gringolandia (gringo land)
1/30 43 San Miguel de Allende Queretero  
2/2 22 Queretero Presa de Bravo Slept next to the chickens
2/3 71 Presa de Bravo Maravatio Back with the bomberos
2/4 42 Maravatio Sierra Chincua 5,000+ft climb
2/5 19 Sierra Chincua Minita del Cedro All day with butterflies
2/6 51 Minita del Cedro Toluca  
2/7 64 Toluca Mexico City  
2/8-13 102 Mexico City Mexico City Biking around town, dodging taxis
2/14 51 Mexico City Near Amecameca  
2/15 42 Near Amecameca Cholula Over Pass of Cortez, between the volcanos
2/18 84 Cholula (near Puebla) Roadside  
2/19 71 Roadside Santa Maria Tutla  
2/20 64 Santa Maria Tutla Monte Frio got to play soccer with kids in Monte Frio
2/21 39 Monte Frio Oaxaca  
2/23 53 Oaxaca San Pedro Totolapa  
2/24 71 San Pedro Totolapa La Mojada  
2/25 54 La Mojada Juchitan de Zaragoza  
2/26 62 Juchitan de Zaragoza Shrimp fishermen camp Lots of wind near the Gulf of Tehuantepec
2/27 28 Shrimp fishermen camp San Francisco Ixhuatan The Pacific is a pretty ocean
2/28 78 San Francisco Ixhuatan Cintalapa  
3/1 59 Cintalapa Tuxtla Gutierrez Riding with Gregg and Brooks again
3/2 54 Tuxtla Gutierrez San Cristobal de las Casas 7,500+ feet of climbing
3/3 61 San Cristobal de las Casas Ocosingo  
3/4 74 Ocosingo Palenque  

Total Miles in Mexico 3052
Guatemala
Date Miles From To Notes
3/6 34 Guatemala Border Jose Fino Much Safer across the border
3/7 65 Jose Fino El Remate  
3/10 31 El Remate Polvora  

Total Miles in Guatemala: 130
Belize
Date Miles From To Notes
3/12 105 Polvera Belize City Pick up Dennis at the airport
3/14 56 Belize City Near San Ignacio  
3/15 19 Near San Ignacio Jaguar Creek  
3/16 52 Jaguar Creek Maya Center  
3/17 37 Maya Center Placencia  
3/21 41 Placencia Lim Li Punit  
3/22 29 Lim Li Punit Puerto Barrios boat ride to Guatemala

Total Miles in Belize: 339
Honduras and El Salvador
Date Miles From To Notes
3/23 60 Puerto Barrios, Guatemala Omoa, Honduras Ok, the first half was in Guatemala
3/25 47 Omoa San Pedro Sula All Day Rain
3/26 19 San Pedro Sula San Pedro Sula Biked Dennis to Airport; turned 27 years old
3/28 70 San Pedro Sula La Entrada  
3/29 29 La Entrada Santa Rosa de Copan  
3/30 52 Santa Rosa de Copan Near Nueva Octopeque 6,000 ft of climbing
3/31 40 Near Nueva Octopeque Chalatenango into El Savlador
4/1 6 Chalatenango Guarjila  
4/3 40 Guarjila San Salvador  
4/5 90 San Salvador San Miguel  
4/6 26 San Miguel San Francisco Gotera  
4/7 30 San Francisco Gotera Perquin 4,000 ft of climbing
4/8 30 Perquin, El Salvador Near Marcala, Honduras 5,000 ft of climbing
4/9 31 Near Marcala La Paz Just because the locals drink the water, doesn't mean you can
4/10 59 La Paz Tegucigalpa Penecilin: 1, Stomache Bug: 0
4/12 60 Tegucigalpa Near Danli  

Total Miles in Honduras and El Salvador: 688
 
Nicaragua
Date Miles From To Notes
4/13 65 Near Danli, Honduras Condega, Nicaragua  
4/14 58 Condega roadside  
4/15 65 roadside Managua Meet pops at the airport
4/16 29 Managua Granada  
4/17 56 Granada Ometepe Island  
4/18 25 Ometepe Island Ometepe Island Looped around the volcano

Total Miles in Nicaragua: 299

 
Costa Rica
Date Miles From To Notes
4/21 33 Los Chiles Santa Rosa  
4/22 40 Santa Rosa Lago Arenal  
4/23 34 Lago Arenal Santa Elena 5,000 feet of climbing, dirt
4/26 43 Santa Elena Puerto Caldera  
4/27 62 Puerto Caldera San Jose 6,000+ feet of climbing
4/30 36 San Jose Tres de Junio Say goodbye to pops, 5,000+ feet of climbing
5/1 70 Tres de Junio Dominical from 10,000 ft pass to sea level
5/2 85 Dominical Neily It is hot at sea level

Total Miles in Costa Rica: 404

 
Panama
Date Miles From To Notes
5/3 54 Neily, Costa Rica David, Panama  
5/4 57 David Playa de Las Lajas  
5/5 81 Playa de Las Lajas Santiago Less hot when it rains
5/6 84 Santiago Farallon  
5/7 69 Farallon Panama City  

Total Miles in Panama: 344
 
Colombia
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
5/28 20 Cartagena Arjona 190 708  
5/29 86 Arjona Sincilejo 656 1837  
5/30 69 Sincilejo Ciudad Nuevo 466 1712  
5/31 55 Ciudad Nuevo Caucasia 210 1135  
6/1 43 Caucasia Taraza 394 1007  
6/2 62 Taraza Yarumal 6944 8305 At least 500 feet of climbing was accomplished by grabbing onto the back of slow moving trucks
6/3 69 Yarumal Copacobana 4372 4648 Rain is cold at 8,000 ft
6/4 25 Copacobana Into and around Medellin 4644 745 Viva la Ciclovia!
6/7 39 Medellin Sanctuario 6576 3411  
6/8 89 Sanctuario hotel just beyond P. Triunfino 659 5320  
6/9 68 Hotel Guaduas 3070 4536  
6/11 48 Guaduas Just beyond San Francisco 6400 7500 Up
6/12 43 Just beyond San Francisco Bogota 8050 2450  
6/20 44 Bogota Servientrega 8800 1500  
6/21 74 Servientrega Barbosa 4900 2000  
6/22 74 Barbosa roadside 5100 4000 5 hours of biking, 2 hours of futbol
6/23 64 roadside roadside 3600 6050  
6/24 20 roadside Bucaramanga 3300 1600  
6/27 42 Bucaramanga Berlin 10250 7800 up
7/2 41 Berlin Pamplona 7050 2750  
7/3 47 Pamplona Cucuta 900 600 down

Total Miles in Colombia: 1123

 
Venezuela
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
7/5 35 Cucuta San Cristobal 2863 5018 headwind, uphill
7/6 21+ hh San Cristobal Gallanazo 46 - hitch biking begins
7/7 53+ hh Gallanazo Curarire 0 -  
7/8 40 Curarire Maracaibo 13 -  
7/9 45 Maracaibo Ciudad Ojeda -20 - lots of oil rigs along the lake Maracaibo
7/10 13+hh Ciudad Ojeda Coro 98 -  
7/11 49+hh Coro Valencia 1719 - Biked to Punto Fijo
7/12 12+hh Valencia Caracas 3060 -  
7/16 80 Caracas El Guapo 49 2132 Now biking with Tom
7/17 84 El Guapo Puerto Piruto 0 1237  
7/18 62 Puerto Piruto Santa Fe 0 2132  
7/20 27 Santa Fe Cumana 0 1417  
7/21 57 Cumana roadside 1414 3142  
7/22 66 roadside Maturin 102 2099  
7/23 36 Maturin Large Antena 102 134 I get sick, Tom carrys everything
7/24 70 Large Antena roadside 102 656  
7/25 24 roadside Ciudad Guyana/Puerto Ordaz 167 748 The Orinoco is a big river.
7/27 66 Ciudad Guyana/Puerto Ordaz roadside 722 2188  
7/28 76 roadside Tumeremo 492 2040  
7/29 62 Tumeremo roadside 377 1096  
7/30 60 roadside roadside 3385 4231  
7/31 54 roadside Salta Kama 2991 2722  
8/1 33 Salta Kama roadside 3605 2270 La Gran Sabana is amazing
8/2 26 roadside roadside 2798 1515  
8/3 36 roadside Santa Elena 2608 1109  

Total Miles in Venezuela: 1188

 
Brazil
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
8/4 62 Santa Elena roadside 300 1250  
8/5 84 roadside Boa Vista 200 650 They speak Portuges in Brazil. I speak Spanish.
8/8 87 Boa Vista Caracarai 150 650  
8/9 76 Caracari   150 650  
8/10 47   roadside 150 650  
8/11 73 roadside Colima 150 650  
8/12 77 Colima roadside 150 1450 through the indian reseravtion, don't stop!
8/13 65 roadside Presidente Fig 200 2550  
8/14 80 Presidente Fig Manaus 200 4100 up and down all day

Total Miles in Brazil: 651

 
Peru
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
9/6 38 Yurimaguas Bonilla 450 600 Dirt roads are hard
9/7 48 Bonilla Tarapota 950 4,100  
9/8 39 Tarapota Pacota 700 1,150  
9/9 45 Pacota Juanjui 800 1,100  
9/11 37 Juanjui Caserio Santa Fe 1,500 1,950  
9/12 44 Caserio Santa Fe Buenos Aires 1,350 3,650  
9/13 32 Buenos Aires Tocache 1,450 1,300  
9/14 41 Tocache San Antonio 2,650 1,450  
9/15 - San Antonio Oso 4900 - Walking with bike on back of horse
9/16 - Oso San Pedro 7500 - Walking with bike on back of horse
9/17 40 San Pedro Huacrachuco 9,000 7,100 12,000 ft pass
9/20 42 Huacrachuco roadside 6,700 2,100 Deep river canyon
9/21 25 roadside roadside 11,350 5,050 up
9/22 52 roadside Llumpa 9,150 3,500  
9/23 35 Llumpa Chacas 10,550 4,200 Thanks to Padre Hugo
9/24 14 Chacas roadside 13,300 3,000  
9/26 35 roadside Carhuaz 8,200 2,950 16,000 ft pass, wow.
9/27 26 Carhuaz Huaraz 9,650 1,900 First continuously paved road in Peru
10/1 33 Huaraz Chiqui 11,550 3,100  
10/2 98 Chiqui Tunan 300 1,750 13,000ft descent
10/3 62 Tunan roadside 200 1,400 headwinds and fog on coast
10/4 88 roadside Lima 300 4,100  
10/13 71 Lima Asia 0 1,400  
10/14 63 Asia Chinca 100 2,100  
10/15 30 Chinca Independencia 500 800  
10/16 48 Independencia roadside 4,600 4,600  
10/17 28 roadside roadside 10,950 6,500  
10/18 58 roadside Licapa 13,100 5,250 slept with the llamas
10/19 72 Licapa Ayacucho 8,750 3,650 15,000 ft pass
10/23 37 Ayacucho Ccollpahuacycco 10,300 3,950 back to dirt roads
10/24 35 Ccollpahuacycco roadside 9,300 3,000  
10/25 34 roadside roadside 9,300 2,700  
10/26 6 roadside Uripa 10,100 1,800  
10/27 29 Uripa near Nueva Esperanza 11,200 3,400  
10/28 18 near Nueva Esperanza Poltoccsa 10,250 1,850  
10/29 44 Poltoccsa Huancarama 9,250 4,900  
10/30 43 Huancarma Albancay 7,500 3,750 End of dirt roads
10/31 39 Albancay roadside 9,450 5,100  
11/1 88 roadside Cusco 10,500 7,450 A hard day: a special thanks to the coca leaf
11/8 18 Cusco roadside 9,850 700  
11/9 83 roadside roadside 12,200 3,850  
11/10 54 roadside   12,100 1,600 start biking with Wouter
11/11 92   Puno 11,750 1,000 Wouter bikes fast
11/12 60 Puno roadside 12,000 1,200  
11/13 39 roadside Isla del Sol, Bolivia 12,650 1,850 We learned that Isla del Sol had no roads after we arrived there with our bikes

Total Miles in Peru: 1964

 
Bolivia
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
11/15 105 Copacobana La Paz 10,300 3,850  
11/23 37 El Alto Ajoya 12,350 850  
11/24 103 Ajoya Oruro 11,550 1,400  
11/25 53 Oruro Hot springs on roadside 11,500 550  
11/26 61 Hot springs on roadside roadside 11,500 600 dirt roads begin
11/27 57 roadside Salinas de Garcia Mendoza 11,650 1,350  
11/28 46 Salinas de Garcia Mendoza Isla del Pescado 11,350 550 Across the Salar de Uyuni. Wow.
11/29 43 Isla del Pescado roadside 11,400 50 Moon-light biking begins. Glad there is no traffic here.
11/30 43 roadside roadside 11,500 900  

Total Miles in Bolivia: 547

 
Chile
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
12/1 74 roadside roadside 10,700 1,300  
12/2 68 roadside Calama 7,050 450 Paved roads begin
12/3 62 Calama San Pedro de Atacama 7,650 3,600  
12/4 19 San Pedro de Atacama roadside 11,950 4,450 Carrying 30lbs of food and water uphill - no services for the next 260 km!
12/5 37 roadside roadside 14,400 3,450  
12/6 83 roadside roadside 12,250 1,400  

Total Miles in Chile: 343

 
Argentina
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
12/7 128 roadside Pumamarca 4,600 7,650 Caught up with Gregg and Brooks
12/8 43 Pumamarca Termas de Reyes 5,800 1,650  
12/9 68 Termas de Reyes Salta 3,950 2,150 Bike fork breaks. Hitch into Salta, look for welders.
12/12 12 Salta small town I forgot name of 3,950 150 Yes. Salta has a welder.
12/13 105 small town Cafayate 4,900 1,300 Odometer battery dies. I am now guessing the feet of climbing and using mile markers for distance.
12/15 78 Cafayate roadside 7,250 2,300  
12/15 81 roadside Belen 4,250 500 45 miles of dirt
12/17 62 Belen roadside 3,300 350 enter Dave Johnson
12/18 99 roadside La Rioja 2,050 2,300  
12/19 61 La Rioja km 21 2,550 900 Get new odometer battery, you can trust me now.
12/20 76 km 21 Talampaya National Park 4,150 2,900  
12/21 56 Talampaya roadside 3,400 800  
12/22 67 roadside San Jose de Jachal 4,050 2,200  
12/24 58 San Jose de Jachal roadside 8,650 5,600  
12/25 26 roadside roadside 13,800 4,800 Uphill, dirt road, very very strong headwind, Merry Christmas

Total Miles in Argentina: 1020

 
Chile II
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
12/26 57 roadside Juntas del Toro 6,600 2,300 15,500ft pass
12/27 96 Juntas del Toro La Serena 350 700  
12/29 9 La Serena Coquimbo 50 450  
12/30 68 Coquimbo roadside 1,650 3,750  
12/31 65 roadside a beach 0 3,300  
1/1 61 a beach Quebradilla 550 3,200 Happy New Year
1/16 90 Santiago Rengo 1,000 2,300  
1/17 92 Rengo Talca 500 1,250  
1/19 79 Talca roadside 700 2,800  
1/20 80 roadside Concepcion 50 4,400  
1/22 26 Concepcion Lota 0 250  
1/23 58 Lota near cañete 350 2,900  
1/24 55 near cañete roadside 950 2,950  
1/25 43 roadside roadside 100 2,450 hilly dirt road
1/26 36 roadside Temuco 250 850  
1/30 66 Temuco roadside 100 2,050  
1/31 94 roadside Osorno 0 2,050  
2/1 48 Osorno Frutillar 150 1,000  
2/2 54 Frutillar roadside 250 1,650  
2/3 27 roadside puerto frias 2,550 3,300 boat trips across lakes, expensive

Total Miles in Chile II: 1205

 
Argentina II
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
2/4 23 Puerto Frias Bariloche 2,800 1,250 boat trips across lakes, expensive
2/6 84 Bariloche El Bolson 900 3,850 Meet up with my friend Denali
2/14 21 El Bolson near Epuyen 1,100 1,500  
2/15 58 near Epuyen roadside 3,150 3,450  
2/16 74 roadside Tecka 2,300 1,450 windy, mostly crosswind
2/17 79 Tecka roadside 2,100 1,450 annoying crosswind
2/18 30 roadside roadside 1,850 400 heinous headwind, I catch a cold, dirt road
2/19 48 roadside south of Alto Rio Senguer 2,550 800 Nice day, little wind.
2/20 24 south of Alto Rio Senguer Paso Coyte 2,800 1,100 Demoralizing headwind, dificult dirt road, cold.

Total Miles in Argentina II: 442

 
Chile III
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
2/21 56 Paso Coyte Coyhaique 0 0 Odometer breaks...don't know elevations anymore
2/23 37 Coyhaique Campground 3,300 2,950 Odometer starts working again
2/24 61 Campground roadside 1,950 3,400 begin dirt
2/25 55 roadside roadside, overlooking lago General Carrera 950 3,800  
2/26 42 roadside, eoverlooking lago General Carrera roadside, on banks of Rio Baker 450 2,700 biggest turquoise river I have ever seen
2/27 47 roadside roadside 1,650 4,750  
2/28 40 roadside roadside 250 1,400  
3/1 36 roadside roadside 250 3,050  
3/2 41 roadside Villa O'Higgins 700 2,900  
3/3 15 Villa O'Higgins border with Argentina 2,550 2,450  

Total Miles in Chile III: 430

 
Argentina III
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
3/4 26 Border El Chalten 1,800 1,000  
3/8 69 El Chalten La Leon 900 950  
3/9 68 La Leon Roadside 2,750 3,550  
3/10 79 roadside roadside 2,050 1,750 I don't think my altimeter is right - I should be at a lower elevation.
3/11 47 roadside Puerto Natales, Chile 50 2,250  

Total Miles in Argentina III: 288

 
Chile IV
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
3/12 81 Puerto Natales roadside 550 2,500  
3/13 74 roadside Punta Arenas 50 1,400  
3/17 43 Punta Arenas roadside 500 2,600 Cross straight of Magellan, enter Tierra del Fuego

Total Miles in Chile IV: 199

 
Argentina IV
Date Miles From To Destination
Elevation		 Feet of
Climbing		 Notes
3/18 106 roadside Rio Grande 250 1,600 Awesome tailwinds in Tierra Del Fuego
3/19 59 Rio Grande roadside 650 1,700  
3/20 47 roadside roadside 1,350 2,300 now headwinds
3/21 60 roadside Ushuaia, via Tierra del Fuego national park 200 2,700 not yet done...still one road further south
3/22 35 Ushuaia roadside 400 2,050 following route j
3/23 49 roadside End of Route J 50 2,900 The furthest south you can bike in the Americas

Total Miles in Argentina IV: 356

Total Miles biked: 15865

Note: total miles biked includes miles biked around towns, not just 'on route' miles.