Following the footsteps of Alexander Von Humboldt, we began our adventure at the highest point in the State of Mexico, in the enigmatic Nevado de Toluca or Xinantécatl volcano, where practicing the high mountain we ascended to its summit, the peak of Fraile, at 4 558 meters above sea level. , and we traveled by mountain bike the most beautiful paths of the entity.
Following the footsteps of Alexander Von Humboldt, we began our adventure at the highest point in the State of Mexico, in the enigmatic Nevado de Toluca or Xinantécatl volcano, where practicing the high mountain we ascended to its summit, the peak of Fraile, at 4 558 meters above sea level. , and we traveled by mountain bike the most beautiful paths of the entity.
ASCENT TO THE SNOWY OF TOLUCA
To start our expedition we go to the Deer Park, a beautiful place located on the slopes of the volcano, where we prepare the mountain bike and hiking equipment; We start pedaling along the dusty dirt road that leads to the lagoons of the Sun and the Moon. This first part (of 18 km) is somewhat demanding due to the continuous ascent, and it goes from the pine forests to the golden Zacatales where the wind and cold hit with more force. We arrive at the chain and the park rangers' hut, where we order our bikes and start the walk following the sharp ridges of the crater.
In the Nevado you can make different ascents and routes that go from 4 hours to the 12-hour ring road, ascending to its steep peaks, including those of El Fraile, Humboldt, Helprin, El Campanario and Pico del Águila (4 518 masl) The latter was promoted by Baron Humboldt on September 29, 1803. The volcano is ideal to acclimatize to the altitude and get used to walking on rocks, sandbanks and ridges, basic training to ascend the great volcanoes of our country.
El Nevado is located in the Nevado de Toluca National Park, which covers an area of 51,000 ha and is part of the neovolcanic axis; It is considered the fourth highest summit in the country. The climate is cold, with annual temperatures between 4 and 12ºC, on average; in winter temperatures are below zero and it is covered with snow.
One of the main attractions of Nevado de Toluca is the landscape offered by its two lagoons: La del Sol, 400 m long by 200 wide, located at 4,209 meters above sea level; and that of the Moon, 200 m long by 75 m wide, at 4,216 meters above sea level. Both were sites of religious cults in pre-Hispanic times, when the inhabitants of the Toluca valley carried out human sacrifices in honor of the god of water Tlaloc, and the lord of cold and ice Ixtlacoliuhqui.
FROM THE NEVADO TO THE BRAVO VALLEY
Continuing with our adventure, we joined the CEMAC mountain biking group, Toluca section.
We start in the magical lagoons mentioned; there we resume the bicycles and begin to pedal along the dirt road that descends to the Parque de los Venados until we reach the junction with the highway 18 km later. Passing the town of Raíces, we take the detour to the Loma Alta ranch, where we rest on the banks of the fish farm ponds.
Heading north, we continue pedaling 4 km of intense ascent to some plains where we must be very attentive to the roads, since several of them start from this point; we follow a downhill path that descends along the bottom of a ravine clearing stones, roots and ditches; One kilometer later we arrive at the Puerta del Monte ranch, where we head west and pedal 3 km until we connect with the road that goes to Temascaltepec until we reach El Mapa, at 3,200 m. (This site is named after a large map of the State of Mexico located on the side of the highway.) At this point the path begins to gradually ascend northward through some plains until it enters a thick coniferous forest; in some sections the path is so technical and steep that it is necessary to push or carry the bike. Finally, we reach the Puerto de las Cruces (3,600 m), the border site between the Toluca valley and the western part of the Temascaltepec valley; here many bridle paths meet. We turn west and descend 1.5 km until we reach the top of a hill where we continue pedaling along a stony path; further on, the path becomes very technical and steep, and leads us to an incredible valley surrounded by mountains.
Heading west, we went down a wide dirt road to the Corral de Piedra aquaculture ponds. You have to pay a lot of attention not to go down to the valley; a good reference is the junction at 2,900 m from another gap, which, heading southwest, takes you to Almanalco de Becerra. We continue towards the northwest where we cross the Hoyos stream and then ascend a hill to the Corral de Piedra settlement; passing this we take another dirt road and after 3 km we arrive at the Capilla Vieja settlement, located in a large valley with a lagoon, which we border. We come to another crossroads, the one that goes from Los Saucos to Almanalco de Becerra, descending precipitously from 2,800 m to 2,400 m heading south; We pedaled between Cerro Coporito and Cerro de los Reyes until we reached Ranchería del Temporal, already close to our final goal, tired, with numb and sore legs, and with mud even in the ears. We continue south until we reach the Cerro de la Cruz, where we connect with highway no. 861 at the height of the Avándaro entrance. Pedaling down the road, we finally reached Valle de Bravo, exhausted from the journey, but happy to have completed one of the most beautiful routes in the State of Mexico.
Source: Unknown Mexico No. 312 / February 2003
Photographer specialized in adventure sports. He has worked for MD for over 10 years!
