Even the jeep ride to where we start this biking journey is spectacular. Donning our gear near the top of still-active Guagua Pichincha Volcano we descend a steep and technical mountain side which is surely one of the premier downhills in the entire country. On a clear day we can see the sprawling metropolis of Quito, back-dropped by numerous snow-covered volcanoes. Look towards each of the other three compass points and you will be awed by great expanses of páramo, and, if lucky, a soaring condor. We trek to the edge of the crater to peer over the rim and into the heart of this active volcano after which we mount our bikes and race downward to Lloa on an abandoned dirt road. At Lloa we head west into the cloud forest where we enjoy a picnic boxed lunch. By late afternoon we return to Quito by jeep.