Mexico · Sierra Norte, Oaxaca
Seven days in the Sierra Norte, based in cabins in the forest at Ixtepeji. Descents that don't end, and Oaxacan food.
The trip
The Sierra Norte of Oaxaca is real forest: lush, wet, dense. The trails that cross it are long in a way that isn't normal. On day two you drop 2,235 meters. On day three you drop another 2,017, and El Toro, the trail the day is named for, is one of the most memorable descents in the Sierra Norte and anywhere: endless, technical, natural, steep, with the city of Oaxaca wide open below.
You sleep in cabins in the forest at Ixtepeji, with a fireplace, all seven nights. Between rides you eat Oaxacan, and yes, tlayudas. And mid-week the trip stops on purpose: a traditional temazcal to let the tiredness go before the last days.
Day by day
We pick you up at Oaxaca de Juárez international airport and drive up to the cabins at Ixtepeji, an hour on the road. Settle in, build bikes, check gear. Welcome lunch, trip briefing, safety, logistics and timings. First night in the forest.
Breakfast between 7:00 and 8:00 and forty-five minutes up to the summit. You warm up on the best trails at Ixtepeji (Jabalí, Tierras Negras, Corralito and Ola Hawaiana): very long singletrack, flowing and technical sections, natural berms and perfect grip. Oaxacan lunch in the middle. The day closes at dusk on Llano Carreta, a descent that doesn't end. Dinner and the fireplace.
Longer, harder descents: Puma, Lince, Carbonera, Martínez, Herradura and El Toro. El Toro is the emblematic trail of Oaxaca: endless, technical, natural, steep, multi-track, with views of the mountains and the city. Halfway through you stop at a spot up in the sierra: cheeses, cold beers and a serious lunch. Back for dinner, the fireplace and wine.
Warm-up laps on new trails full of Oaxacan flow, and El Toro again, this time reading it better, flowing more, connecting more. Afterwards, transfer to a traditional temazcal ceremony: sweat, breathe, get the body back. Then rest, dinner and recovery.
This day isn't written yet: the operator's document jumps from day four to day six. As soon as he sends it, it goes up here.
Later breakfast. New descents, favourites repeated, and Peña Prieta, the other legendary descent at Ixtepeji: technical, long, natural and demanding, a descent that doesn't end and asks for presence, good line reading and respect for the mountain. A break for lunch and riding until dusk. Farewell dinner.
Last morning in the Sierra Norte. Depending on flights and how the group feels, an optional early ride to say goodbye to the forest. Then packing, breaking down bikes and the transfer back: to the airport, to wherever we agree in the city, or to the Oaxacan coast if you're staying on.
Who it's for
The operator grades the Ixtepeji trails as blue (Jabalí, Tierras Negras, Corralito, Ola Hawaiana) and closes each day with the blacks: Llano Carreta on day two, and Peña Prieta on day six, which they describe as technical, long, natural and demanding. El Toro is multi-track, so it can be read several ways.
These are two-thousand-meter descents, two days running. That isn't a problem of technique so much as of legs and brakes. If you're not sure about your level, message us and we'll tell you the truth. We'd rather lose a sale than ruin your trip.
Price
The itinerary is settled and the price isn't. As soon as the operator sends the table we'll publish it here, the same way as Peru and Mexico City: per person, dropping as the group fills. In the meantime, message us and we'll tell you the moment we have it.
Price and departure dates still with the operator.
