GIVI Magazine - Novembre 2016

Story: Pietro Ambrosioni, Giampaolo Meda Images: Pietro Ambrosioni 16 Givi Explorer Andes Tour COLOMBIA Paradise at the gateway to South America THE GIVI EXPLORER ANDES TOUR WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. COLOMBIA, A TRUE ELDORADO FOR MOTORCYCLES, HAS FINALLY OPENED ITS DOOR TO MASS TOURISM AND SECURED MOST AREAS OF THE COUNTRY. IN THESE PAGES WE TELL YOU HOW THE LUCKY PARTICIPANTS OF THE TOUR LIVED THEIR EXPERIENCE. DON’T FORGET TO CLICK ON THE EXTRA GALLERIES AND VIDEO CONTENT. 1st Day ! SUNDAY After a quick briefing and the delivery of the Hevik gear to all the riders - who arrived to Colombia the night before - the group of 24 motorcycles + 2 support vehicles starts the first stage on Sunday. The itinerary from Cali to Salento, of about 260Km in total, has been designed to familiarize with the motorcycles and “clean” the brand new tires, which in the next few days will be severely tested by the twisty Colom- bian paved and dirt roads. The weather does not collaborate in the afternoon, when the group has to face a heavy downpour which slows them down but also gives a good opportunity to test the waterproof gear. Besides the low visibility, the biggest challenge are the numerous lines, arrows and indications painted on the pavement: normally they are not a problem, but when it’s raining they become slippery as soap, making the ride extremely dangerous. The GIVI helmets get an unexpected floating test: while crossing the Cauca river one of the X.01 Tourer lids is knocked off board. Luckily a young guy standing on the levee witnesses the scene and di- ves into the river to recoup the floating helmet. The daily ride ends in Salento, the old capital of the coffee trade and today a hip tourist destination. The old part of town has been preserved intact from its glory days, also because the usual traffic of heavy trucks has since long moved to the modern highway at the bottom of the valley. 2nd Day ! MONDAY The second day of the GIVI Andes Tour takes the group from Salento to Honda, the northernmost point on the itinerary, for about 240 km. The day starts with a visit to a coffee farm (here called “finca”): Colombia is the third biggest exporter of coffee in the World behind Brazil and Vietnam, and the precious black beans are one of the most important national resources. After sipping a good cup of “first choice Arabica” coffee, the group is back in the saddle to cross the Andes, in the area of the Nevado del Ruiz glacier and volcano. After a couple hours spent on twisty but fast and perfectly paved ro- ads (any rider’s dream!), the rain shows up again. A first downpour slows the group down until they stop for lunch. But it gets worse, while ascending to the top of the mountain, at over 4000 meters of altitude. Heavy rain and very low temperatures quickly become a problem, and the thermometer reaches 4C right at the top of the pass. Luckily the descent is not as traumatic, but still stressful due to the backlog of heavy trucks, slowed down by the storm. The day ends in Honda, a small and very hot village (thermometer still showing 30C at 7pm!) Northwest of the capital Bogo- ta. Here is the Navarro bridge, over the Magdalena river: it’s the very first iron bridge in South America and it was bu- ilt by the same company that built the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco. Despite the bad weather, the balance for the day is still positive, thanks to the beauty of the itinerary and the fun, twisty roads: proof of it is that all the riders at dinner only seem to talk about lean angles and cornering speed. 3rd Day ! TUESDAY The third day of our trip is marked by high temperatures and long off-road stretches. The itinerari took the group from Honda to Neiva (to the South) for a total of almost 360 km riding along the Magdalena river. Off-road has been a defining factor for today’s ride: first was a long and dusty gravel road, which turned out to be quite a challenge for many participants, then it came a flowing but technical dirt section inside the famous Tatacoa desert. Early in the morning the local marshals suggest a stop in the village of Armero, in the Tolima province, to pay a tribute to the victims of the Ruiz volcano in 1985. The tragedy was caused by a sudden erup- tion which melted most of the glacier, resulting in a giant mudslide that wiped away the village and took the lives of 20.000 of the 29.000 people living there. The site of the tragedy was also visited by Saint Pope John Paul II. In the afternoon, after a hot and long ride, the group splits and only half of the riders head towards the Tatacoa desert, stretching the itinerary by an extra 70 km. The high temperatures and some small crashes convince the rest of the group to reach the hotel riding a shor- ter route, on paved road. 4th Day “ WEDNESDAY After the heat and the desert today the GIVI Andes Tour group has to deal with a challenging day of riding under the rain. The itinerary calls for a 225 km stage from Neiva to San Agustin, but it is a late start because of the very bad weather. The rain is still pouring when the group finally takes off at 11, after pounding the area all night. After about an hour intermission, the group find itself again riding through a cloud of water, that slows the pace reducing visibility and traction. In the meanwhile two long stretches of dirt road have tur- ned into mud pits because of the rain and need to be cut from the itinerary. Not a really positive day, unfortunately: the group reaches San Agustin late into the night, very tired and stressed by the ride in the dark. But a good meal and the knowledge that tomorrow is a rest day quickly cheer the general mood. 5th Day “ THURSDAY After the never ending ride in the rain of the previous day, the group enjoys a well deserved rest day. There are still nice things to do, though. San Agustin is renowned for its spectacular stone statues (reminiscent of those seen on Easter Island), carved by an ancient civilization that left nothing behind but these monoliths. All we know is that these people were long gone even before the Spanish Conquistadores came to Colombia in the 1500. In the morning, while most of the participants visit the archeological sites, some die- hard jumps back in the saddle for an off-road excursion in the wilderness of the Andes. The afternoon is slow paced, instead, with some of the guys opting for a hor- seback ride while others stroll through the village, ignoring the light rain. For dinner the group is treated to a traditional meal, with rabbit and “cury”, a tiny sort of Guinea pig. Everybody is excited to be back in the saddle tomorrow: destination Popayan, the white city. 6th Day “ FRIDAY The second-last stage of the GIVI Ex- plorer Andes Tour takes the group from COLOMBIA: RIDING AND TRAVELING TIPS Colombia delivers a wide variety of roads and sceneries to any rider: fromunbelievably traffic jammed city centers and villages to lonely roads across the Andes and the Tatacoa desert in the South. Be careful not to get too comfortable, though: if you feel you’re getting increasingly distracted looking at the beauties surrounding you, it’s probably time to stop and enjoy them from the side of the road. Being alert while riding is a priority everywhere and evenmore so in Colombia: danger comes in every form. From sudden giant potholes in the otherwise smooth roads (that invite you to speed) to gravel sections that appear in front of youwhile you are riding a perfectly paved road, plus any kind of vehicles, pedestrians and animals that can cross your path at any given time, night and day. Be aware of local motorcycle riders, too. They can be super slow or insanely fast, passing you form every side without any particular preference. A true thorn in the side are those big, heavy trucks: apparently there are more than 50.000 circulating in Colombia, where they carry the vast majority of goods throughout the Country. They are truly gigantic and they basically own the road, so passing them can be very sketchy, often times creating scary blind spots. There are very fewhighways, but even regular roads require a toll payment. Luckilymotorcycles don’t pay tolls and there is a reserved lane for them, the the far right of the toll booths. Basic gas averages at 0.60 Euros per liter, but Premiumgas, ideal for bigger motorcycles, is a littlemore expensive. Lodging is not a problem, with small and large hotels pretty much everywhere. Even the smaller villages offer at least a couple of “posada” (bed&breakfast), clean and safe. Just make sure you have a place where to shelter your motorcycle. Food is decent and cheap, with a few staple items like grilled beef, fried pork (“chicharron”), trout (thanks to themanymountain streams), “patacon” (fried plantain), rice and beans. Not to bemissed are the delightful “arepas”, small corn flour cakes that they serve grilled with cheese or eggs. There is one disappointing side to it all, though: service! Mass tourism in the backcountry of Colombia is a recent thing and local restaurants are not exactly tuned to it yet. They are used to serve small groups of 2 or 3 people and they get slammed by large groups like our. In some cases we had towait up to two hours before getting to eat anything at all! safety is usually a big concern for people who don’t know Colombia. Gone are the dark days of narcos and guerrilla, when FARCS used to terrorize villages and kidnap tourists. The government recently signed a peace treaty with themand the Country is now safe prettymuch everywhere. There are police and army checkpoints along anymajor road, but cops and soldiers are friendly and they cheer you when you’re riding by. WATCH THE VIDEOS SEE MORE PICTURES