I met up with friend and Mama Pacha Chocolate owner Antonio this morning, the plan being to follow dirt roads out to San Andrés de Huayapam, then ride Herrera, a trail that connects down from El Torro, one of the bigger and burlier descents out of Ixtepeji. After ceremoniously dispatching our glasses of jugo from the morning market, I locked up the Farfarer to a lamp post in the plaza – I really love how easy this trailer is to unhitch.
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Whilst it feels like the mountains are a mere arm’s length away from the village, it’s actually a hearty double-track climb to the trailhead, and it really ramps up steeply in places. But this juice is definitely worth the squeeze, because once you’re up there, at about 2000m in elevation, it’s the Land of Oaks, Bromeliads, Ferns, and Tobala. Mixed weather was in the forecast, and wispy mist and clingy clouds did a wonderful job at bringing out the greens in the low echelons of the Sierra Norte.
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The trail down is quick and flowy and rocky and exposed and tricky! It’s a bit of everything, until it opens up into a broad grassy bowl, before a quick splish-splash stream crossing, then a connecting path back into Huayapam.
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We stopped at the fantastic Luz de Luna for a round of memelas, coffee, and paleo tea. Huesos munched happily on tortillas con asiento, his trail snack of choice, so named because the pork grease settles in the pan. I wish, however, he would lie down and chill out a bit more, like I see other dogs do. He’s always standing 😆
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Thanks Antonio for the awesome family portrait! Huayapam is known for its tejate, a pre-Colombian energy drink, and it’s a tradition of mine to take a bike photo in front of its beautiful murals that depict and celebrate the making process.

The climb up. Steeper than it looks on the map… This is a great route for Huesos, as he can sniff and ‘n his way up, then open up the throttle on the descent.

Guardian of the Jones.

After one last incline, dirt gives way to trail, tobala maguay, bromeliads, and forest goodness. It’s never less than magical up there.

The trail is exposed and steep in places, so I didn’t really stop take photos… just grabbing a few snaps from more mellow moments.

You can see the trail in the background of the first image.

If I lived in Huayapam, this would be my local loop… I love how close to the mountains it feels here.

Luz de Luna refuel. A round of memelas, coffee, paleo tea… to the aroma of hojas de aguacate on the comal.

No trip to Huayapam is complete without a few photos along ‘tejate mural alley’. Thanks for the family photo, Antonio!

Don’t forget the Farfarer. I left it locked in the main plaza, so I didn’t have to haul it up and down the trail. From Huayapam, Huesos either ran or hitched a ride.

Here’s the route, as ridden, ie into Luz de Luna and along Tejate Mural Alley.