I have officially reached the highest altitude in my life (4800 meters) and biked the way down. Certainly the feat was no comparison to my climb up Mount Fuji at 3776 meters a few years back. But the thrill of a 30 km downhill bike-ride was awesome. The bumpy ride down the dirt road opened up to majestic views including a 3/4 view of Cotopaxi which opened up from the clouds for a few minutes. The mountain is reminiscent of Fuji, both of which are "stratovolcanoes" with perfectly snow-capped symmetrically cones. At 5897 meters it is the highest active volcano in Ecuador (though Chimborazo at 6310 meters is the highest mountain).
The last eruption was in 1904. Based on historical frequency the next eruption would be expected 2024. This was a test ride to see if I should take my bro and dad there by bike when they arrive in a few weeks, but the conclusion is that it's too strenuous, too high and potentially dangerous to cap-off the tour of Quito, Galapagos and Machu Pichu. I will look into other plans including the Black Eyed Peas concert on the last night in Quito!
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