Cartago to Santa Maria - Donny goes Down - 58 km, - Up - 5,907 - Down - 5,341

The ride today has been sold as one of the four toughest of the trip and it lived up to the billing in every way. We drive to our starting point in South Cartago where we see quite a few group rides going by as we get ready and as we head out of town. We are also able to see an Easter procession on our way to the climb.

Todays route takes us over 3 really good climbs with plenty of sections with over 22% grade and fast downhills. The first climb is the steepest and on the back side Donny loses the rear end and ends up going down and ending up in the gutter on the side of the road. Road rash seems to be the only injury but it is on both knees, one hip, an elbow and a hand. The fall makes the rest of us stay cautious the rest of the ride.

Donny gets cleaned up and takes a ride in the van for the rest of the day while the rest of the group starts the second climb to lunch close to the top of the summit. We stop in a little bar/restaurant that made us a great lunch. From there we climb a small ways to the top all of us feeling the lunch stop in our legs for a bit. We then descend another fast downhill to the base of the last climb of the day which is not as steep as the other two (close) but the longest of the day at 17 km. We reach the top that is blanketed in clouds and raining a small bit and the moisture makes the descent dangerous.

We enter the town of San Carlo which has a beautiful church, maybe the nicest of the trip. From there it is a small distance to the place we are staying in Santa Maria which is a nice place that we will have all to our own tonight.


More to come