Cycle Trip to the Top of the World 🇪🇨. Everest se bhi UNCHA? Ep.54

Hello, Namaskar, Salaam, Sat Sri Akal and Ram Ram Ji! Once again, welcome back to my channel.

At the moment, I am in Alausí, a small town in Ecuador, where we arrived last night after getting completely drenched in the rain. Today, our destination is Riobamba. We have a 150-kilometre ride ahead of us, including some challenging climbs. There is also a good chance of rain today, as it is currently the rainy season in Ecuador and the country has been receiving heavy rainfall.

Right now, I am in Ecuador, country number 135 of my world journey. I got ready early in the morning. Behind me, you can see my hotel. This road is quite busy, and there will probably be traffic for the first 30 to 40 kilometres. After that, we will move onto a different route where most of the traffic diverts away.

Let’s get going and see what the day brings. Come on, Dhanno, let’s go super fast!

Look at this! Every city here seems to have a Plaza de Armas. We start the day with a climb — about 34 kilometres long, gaining around 400 to 500 metres in elevation. After that, it will mostly be downhill.

The scenery is absolutely stunning. It fills my heart with joy. But the climb is brutal. Should I start crying already? It is a seriously tough ascent.

Look back there — that’s where I came from. By 11 a.m., I had already covered 60 kilometres in four hours. There is still another 300 to 400 metres of climbing left before a 600-metre descent. At this point, I am walking the bike. I will probably have to walk another four or five kilometres.

Look at these sheep. People keep them at home here. I am currently at an altitude of around 3,400 to 3,500 metres above sea level. Look at the sweat pouring off me. I normally don’t sweat much, but today I am completely soaked. It’s cold outside, yet my body is overheating from the effort.

I have already walked four kilometres and still have another two to go.

Finally, a petrol station! Maybe I can get a coffee.

“Do you have a cappuccino?”
“No.”
“Okay, no problem. Gracias.”

Well, this is the coffee. They simply mix coffee into hot water and that’s it. And look at the shop — it’s very basic. Nothing like the large service stations you find in some countries.

And now, the rain has started again. Rain outside, sweat inside, cold weather all around.

Well, I have now completed 100 kilometres, but I honestly don’t know if I will reach my destination today. There are still another 50 to 60 kilometres remaining. It is already 4 p.m., so I may be a little late, but hopefully I’ll get there before nightfall.

Evening has arrived, and I still have around 30 kilometres to go. I have entered a small town now. It is raining heavily and I am completely soaked. The weather here is relentless. I can’t even stop for a day and wait for better weather because the forecast shows rain for the next ten days straight.

I had booked a hotel, but I ended up taking a different route. Fortunately, I found an apartment on Booking.com and decided to stay there. It cost me $25. It is a full apartment with two rooms. It is already 6 p.m., and the rain is getting heavier, so I’ll head to a nearby shop and buy something to cook.

I found a vegetable shop close by. I bought some fruit, onions, tomatoes and a zucchini. I still have tortillas with me, so I will make a simple meal.

The exhaustion is really catching up with me. I probably pushed myself too hard today.

I chopped the onions, tomatoes and zucchini. I also have some ghee and a special spice mix that I prepared earlier by blending various spices with olive oil.

First, I add a little ghee, then the spice mixture. I lower the heat so it doesn’t burn. These days, I have become quite the professional chef! Then I add the tomatoes, let them cook a bit, add the zucchini and a little water. Ten minutes later, the meal is ready.

And there we have it — dinner is served. Time to enjoy it.

Ram Ram Ji to everyone!

Once again, welcome to Ecuador, country number 135. Today we continue towards Riobamba. Yesterday I wasn’t able to reach the city. For the first time in three days, I finally got to see the sun this morning. It is 8:30 a.m., and I am setting off again.

Ahead of us is a volcanic mountain. If you remember San Pedro de Atacama, there was a volcanic mountain there too. We need to climb around this volcano and continue on the other side.

This was the apartment where I stayed last night. For $25, I got a two-bedroom apartment. One room was completely empty. Considering I arrived soaked from the rain, finding this place was pure luck. Otherwise, I would have had to continue all the way into the city.

Today I am not going into Riobamba itself. It would require descending 500 metres and then climbing back up again. Instead, I will bypass the city and rejoin the highway directly.

So, I have left the apartment and am riding around the outskirts of Riobamba. Ahead lies a beautiful mountain that I will show you soon. I am being careful with my camera today because I am close to the city and the risk of theft is higher. Most of the time, I keep my phone in my pocket.

Can you see that snow-capped mountain in the distance? We have to pass along its base. There is about 1,000 metres of climbing ahead, which will take three to four hours. Unfortunately, clouds are starting to gather again.

Have you seen clouds like these in India recently? It’s incredible.

I have stopped to repair my bicycle. Something is wrong with the chain. I have covered only 20 kilometres in three hours because the climb is so steep.

Somewhere down in that valley is a city. On one side is a volcanic mountain. Once I climb a little higher, I’ll show you the real view of the volcano.

Look at the farmland all around. Agriculture here is thriving. We are now at around 3,600 metres above sea level, and I can definitely feel the altitude. Even breathing is becoming harder.

I have been climbing for three straight hours. The summit is finally close. Once I reach the top, it will mostly be downhill. It’s tough, but I’m enjoying it. The weather is clear today, and all my clothes have finally dried after yesterday’s soaking.

I honestly expected Ecuador’s roads to be poor, but overall the road quality has been excellent. This is the Pan-American Highway, and I have been riding along it for thousands of kilometres.

Even the truck drivers seem to be struggling on these steep gradients. Look at those Mercedes trucks climbing slowly.

And there it is — Chimborazo. You are looking at the highest volcanic mountain in the world, located right on the Equator. Its elevation is over 6,200 metres.

Here’s an interesting fact. Mount Everest is much taller above sea level at over 8,800 metres, but because Chimborazo sits near the Earth’s equator, its summit is actually the point on Earth that is farthest from the planet’s centre. From the top, the curvature of the Earth becomes more apparent.

The soil here is incredibly fertile — among the most fertile lands in the world. The volcanic activity enriches the earth with minerals. The molten material beneath the Earth’s surface is called magma while it remains underground.

But when it comes out of the Earth, it becomes lava. In fact, all this land has been formed by lava. There isn’t just one volcano here. Ecuador has around 80 to 90 volcanoes in total, and volcanic activity is quite common in this country. There are frequent eruptions and geological activities.

The power of lava is incredible. Over time, it transforms the land into extremely fertile soil. This is why the region becomes so green and agriculturally productive. Of course, it takes centuries for lava to weather and turn into fertile land naturally.

Ecuador has around 80 to 90 volcanic mountains. Some of them are still active and continue to erupt from time to time. Just look at how beautiful this side of the landscape is. The farming here thrives because of these volcanic mountains and the rich soil they create.

We’ve now reached a place called Urbina. It’s a small settlement located very close to this volcano. This particular volcano is not currently active. It hasn’t erupted for nearly 2,000 years. Its last known eruption took place around 550 BC. It’s absolutely fascinating.

The weather here is pleasant, but just 20 kilometres away there is snowfall, even at this moment. Snow falls on this mountain throughout the year. Although it isn’t as cold as Mount Everest, snow still remains here permanently. You can never predict the conditions. Sometimes these volcanic mountains can be more dangerous than Everest because of the extremely strong winds.

Nature truly creates some amazing wonders. Just imagine if this volcano suddenly erupted—what would happen?

How beautiful they look.
Such magnificent roads.
Such wonderful views.
These are nature’s treasures.
These are our beloved lands.

Dhanno is flying today! Normally, I use the brakes quite a bit, but now the brakes and tyres are brand new, so I thought, “Let it go, let it go. I have to keep moving. A promise made is a promise kept.”

We’ve arrived at a place called Mocha. I left the highway for a while and came here to enjoy the view. Look at the scenery in front of us.

Our target destination is now only 20 kilometres away, but we plan to ride even further so that we can reach Quito comfortably tomorrow. Quito is around 140 kilometres away from here, so if we cover another 20–30 kilometres today, tomorrow’s ride will be much easier.

There used to be a railway line running through this area. You can see an old locomotive displayed here. The railway has been permanently closed for many years now.

I stopped at a shop hoping to buy something, but unfortunately it was closed. Well, nothing can be done. We’ll keep moving and perhaps find another place ahead.

The traffic is heavy. Sometimes I don’t even get a chance to move to the side of the road.

“Coffee! Coffee! Coffee!” There’s a coffee shop 500 metres ahead. Let’s stop there.

Look over here—peas are being grown. Farmers are harvesting them right now.

Wow! We’ve entered Ambato. Ambato is a huge city. Look at this valley, with mountains behind it. It almost looks like there’s volcanic smoke rising from the mountain.

Before continuing, I stopped for a coffee. Then I spent quite a long time chatting with my friend Rahul. After that, I thought I should try some local ice cream. The ice cream here is famous.

This café specialises in ice cream. They make it by hand, and it’s absolutely delicious. Now let’s continue our journey from this beautiful café.

The mountain ahead looks almost like Mount Fuji.

I wanted to continue towards Baños, but I think I’ll stay within the city today. The rainy weather is returning. Here, as soon as evening arrives, the rain starts again.

Look at this municipal office building. It’s impressive. Along the walls, there are incredible murals stretching for nearly a kilometre. My microphone stopped working, so I couldn’t record properly, but there are paintings and photographs of many historical figures displayed here.

We’re passing through the city centre. This is a massive city. I’ve already cycled nearly 10 kilometres through it. There’s a police station over there.

We’ve finally reached our stop for the night. I don’t even know the name of this town, but Quito is now only about 90 kilometres away. We’ll stay here tonight.

The rain has started again. It’s becoming quite frustrating because I can’t really do much while it’s pouring down.

This is my hotel. I asked the owner about the room. Thankfully, everything worked out.

Good morning, friends!

I’m setting off again. Today the goal is to reach Quito. It’s around 100 kilometres away. I’ve already booked an apartment there for three or four days.

I’m struggling with muscle cramps at the moment, which is making things difficult. Let’s see how the day goes. It’s already 8 a.m. The route is quite hilly, but we’ll take it slowly and keep moving forward.

This area has a reputation for theft. Last night, when I went out to buy a pizza, I noticed many people staring at me. Security guards and police officers were everywhere. I’m riding on the side roads because bicycles aren’t allowed on the highway here.

Honestly, some of the people here look a bit suspicious. There’s a barrier ahead, and poor Dhanno has been stopped again.

Time for some watermelon. The weather here is impossible to understand. One moment it’s raining, the next it’s sunny, then cloudy again. I’ve already been soaked three times this morning. I’ve never experienced such unpredictable weather anywhere else.

We’ve finally entered the city. My apartment is about 10 to 12 kilometres away. Look at that—Plaza República de la India.

Before heading to the apartment, I spotted an Indian restaurant. So I stopped for tea and ordered some samosas.

After such a long time, I finally got to eat an Indian samosa. It tasted amazing. Sometimes you just have to enjoy life. Who cares if we put on a little weight?

I’ve rented an apartment on the 13th floor. It costs around $30–35 per day. It’s expensive, but safety is the main concern. Staying in a hostel with all my equipment and luggage would be difficult. If you’re travelling with just one backpack, a hostel is fine. But when you’re carrying all your belongings, security becomes a major issue.

I’ve brought Dhanno all the way up to the 13th floor. This is the apartment where I’ll be spending the next three or four days. Dhanno will stay safely here, and all my luggage is inside as well.

The bathroom looks decent, which is always important!

I’ve already started cooking. I made some kidney beans, and I found some flatbread in the supermarket. They call it Arabic bread here—basically pita bread. I’ll have that with the rajma.

After eating, I’ll clean up, organise my gear and get some much-needed rest.

Tomorrow, I need to visit the Indian Embassy.

So, let’s end today’s video here.

Until next time, stay happy, stay busy, stay cheerful, stay healthy.

Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!