Yesterday I rode with Daniel Zuñiga’s team, Moteros CR.
I was delighted to see Fidel and Carlos and to get to know a new friend, Javier Miranda, a bit more.
We went to Orosi, where we had breakfast, before riding up to La Estrella de Guarco from there.
Daniel put Waze on so we took a few dead-end routes, which I enjoyed because we went to unexpected areas and the routes were lovely.
One route ended at a gate that prevented entrance to a private easement. But it sure was a nice gravel road to ride in the meantime!
We eventually found our way to Navarro. Though I have crossed Navarro river on my Honda Tornado, Storm, I did not want to cross it on Sahara, my Honda CB 500X. 🙂 I have dropped her hitting rocks more than once. She is too heavy for me to hold up at times. So Daniel crossed her for me. (Not too proud to beg! Hahaha!)
Once in Navarro, we came to the entrance to “El Vidrio.” I truly did not want to go. I had heard of it and knew it was steep. A friend once told me that a group had to lay their motorcycles down and slide them down on their side. However, my other choice was to leave the team (towards Lourdes, a route which I had done once and liked). Soooo, I just said “F… it. I’ll try it.” 🙂 Glad I did. It was a wild ride and fun ride!
After dropping the bike at the very beginning due to it stalling (I was in the wrong gear and hit a big rock), I started over and made it up to the first resting point, sitting! Hahaha!
Here is a video of me beginning the ascent up.
Click to see VIDEO of me reaching the top.
I don’t know why I sometimes stand and other times choose to sit. (For dirt, I think I have more traction on the back tire. Not sure if it is true. My poor Sensei Felix Franco from Clever Rider must cringe watching me sometimes! LOLSure am grateful to have Motoz Tractionator Adventure tires though!)
El Vidrio is a steep, uphill, red dirt trail. Fortunately, it was dry. With any bit of rain, it would be too slippery to ride. Ditches had been cut across it so that the water would run across it rather than create vertical ditches. These made for a bumpy ride at times. Plus there was a semi-rocky curve that was challenging. It took a long while for everyone to make it up to the first resting spot, about 400 (?) meters from the start. Plus, those who had walked down to help others had to rest a while before going again.
The rest of the trip up was also quite exciting, with lots of deep ditches. I was certainly not poetry in motion! Hahaha. Zero grace or dignity. But, I did not fall, and I made it out. That is what most matters.
We made it to La Estrella de Guarco, a lovely, quaint mountain village. We had a nice lunch at Magnolia Restaurant a few kilometers further up a gravel road.
Heading outI lost the group — as seems to happen to me (smirk). I thought we were heading back through Estrella, so I went ahead to take photos. But they took a different route. LOL Wish I had gone with them because I like that other route. I was on it not long ago (click here). I was happy to get some nice photos of Estrella, however, so I was OK.
I waited up at Route 2, and eventually Carlos, Javier, and Randall showed up, so I rode with them much of the way home. (And with my new friend Javier all the way to the exit to Ciudad Colon. Yay!)
Mission accomplished! We made it up and through the famous “El Vidrio.” Together! Another fun adventure with Moteros CR. In a few weeks, you can see the YouTube video on Aventuras de un Motero.
Such FUN TIMES…
RIDING IN COSTA RICA: KNOW THE LOVE. LIVE THE POWER.
Song (cause it’s OK to ask for help and company on the road): Ain’t too proud to beg.
Date of Ride: Saturday, August 20, 2022
Wikiloc: Orosi Estrella
Thanks to Fidel and Daniel for some of the photos.
Riding in Costa Rica 
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