Chimborazo: dropping from 4,800 m to the valley

We get to the Chimborazo refuge at six in the morning. It's cold, the oxygen is thin and the whole group is quiet, looking downhill.

The drop-in

The first metres are volcanic sand. The bike floats before it bites.

The descent

Two thousand metres of continuous vertical. The landscape changes every twenty minutes.

The valley

We hit the valley with cooked legs and intact smiles. This is why we ride.