A 12,000ft Descent in Bolivia | Mountain Biking "El Choro"
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- My deal- beacons.ai/nate...
And now for something completely different. #followcamfriday throwback to June 2016 in Bolivia.
There can be only one "best" descent. I get this question on the daily, and if I had to choose just one, El Choro in Bolivia would be my favorite. I am not sure that another 12K descent actually exists in the world. The magnitude is hard to compare, but this is basically 2 Whole Enchiladas stacked on top of each other, to put things into reference. This goes from a steep scrappy dirt road with huge exposure, to some classic inca cobbles, to high speed grass shenanigans, and then deep into some of the most technical jungle singletrack I have ever laid tires on. Some of the most varied and unique terrain that I have ever been fortunate enough to ride. Truly a once in a lifetime experience. This is a popular trekking route that takes many days on foot to complete.
In 2016, Joey Schusler, Carston Oliver, Thomas Woodson and myself traveled to Bolivia to attempt a self-supported, 8 day bikepacking traverse of the Cordillera Real, making for some of the fondest memories of my life. After that, and after getting food poisoning, we had the pleasure of riding El Choro. We may have been a bit tired, and a bit queasy, but this one had a way of making us forget all of that.
This one never saw the light of day for whatever reason, and as I was digging through some old hard drives, I went down a major rabbit hole and had to share this with the world. This is part one of two, as this was basically a 3 hour descent. Next week we head into the jungle. Huge thanks due to Gravity Bolivia and our amazing guide Jubert Guachalla. Jubi is an absolute legend! We are forever in his debt for this unreal tour.
6 years in the dust, amazing, bro come back to Bolivia 🤘🏼
Time flies! We are due for another visit.
I'm an injured mountain biker down here in New Mexico. I ride all that shit but have been off the bike due to an injured pudendal nerve and a hamstring tendon injury. I've been watching your vids since you started putting them out there and while I always loved them, I have a new appreciation for them. First off I hate riding in front. But mainly I now have this neurologic response where I feel as if I'm you. I can read the trail and flick the bike around as if I'm you. I never really looked at it that way per se, but now watching these vids keeps my skills up in my head and gets me out on the trails. Thanks for that.
Thanks for watching friend. Glad to hear you are getting some stimulation from my vids. Hope you can get back out on the trail soon! Heal up!!
An all time classic. You got it, man. It's all fresh footage. The Master Chef of POV.
There are a lot of great mountain bikers putting out really excellent content, but your POV footage is hands down the absolute best. Another EPIC video!
Thanks for that.
Unreal stuff. So glad you found this and decided to share!
Glad you enjoyed it!
The ride footage was fun and all, but this was nostalgic from watching your content from back in 2016 and seeing stable Mtb footage for the first time. Good stuff
Followcam history, lol
Holy crap! That descent looks absolutely amazing. Can't wait for the next episode! Great riding!
Best trail ever.
Dude you’re so close to the edge in the beginning, I’d probably have my bike carry me and as close to the left as possible 😂 incredible riding! Cheers.
Reasonable exposure at the top, haha
This is incredible. This is exactly what made me want to get into mountain biking, what an amazing way to see the world. Sidenote: is it just me or does a lot of this look like they're descending uphill?
Definitely a wonderful way to experience the world. The uphills don't slow you down as much when you enter them going 30 mph. Just coast right up those things and hold speed. So much fun!
One of the sickest trail I've ever seen. Amazing ride !
Agreed!!
One of the coolest videos and trails you’ve ever done!
My favorite.
Love trails with hella chunk that are wide enough to let you truck everything at wild speeds. Looks like such an awesome ride.
Line choice for days! Absolutely my favorite style of riding!
SO amazing! I've ridden down 3k feet in Park City, but this is in a completely different category! What gorgeous terrain to be haulin down!
Where did you do that at in park city? I’ll be going out there and it’d be nice to know what trails you did. Thanks in advance!
Wow just wow thank you for this awesome footage
Glad you enjoyed it
Welcome to Bolivia
I’m ready to quit my job and travel!! Haha, ya right. I’ll just keep living vicariously through you. Awesome ride!
Quit your job! haha
Amazing trip Nate! We appreciate these videos!!
Glad you enjoyed it! This one needed to see the light of day!
@@natehills9388 Yes I noticed the older style of video and of course the bike. Loved it!
Damn this looked like a blast! Probably also very rough on the tires. 😃
Rough as it gets. My happy place.
Wow what an adventure, thanks for sharing Nate fricking awesome 👌
Glad you enjoyed it!
I did the same trail back in 2015! Right after Andes Pacifico which we raced together haha... So sick, cheers Nate!
Man I miss Andes Pacifico. Best racer ever. Period.
I think the intro was the video that originally hooked me on your channel! I’ve done the hike to the peak of Chacaltaya (just outside La Paz) years ago so this really hit home with me…BTW…awesome video! Insane ripping decent!!
Nice, glad to hear you have experienced the magnitude of the Bolivian Andes. Nothing like it!
That would be one hell of a climb back up.
Putting mountain into mountain biking, looks epic 🤘
Quite impressed with the roads actually, hard to imagine them building such nice stone roads way out there!
These "roads" are hundreds of years old. An absolute masterpiece of construction for the period. We were in awe.
Great video, Nate, i can't wait for the jungle part!
Coming soon!
Nice to see you're able to do trips like these again. :)
This was 2016.
Love this. Awesome stuff .
Took me three days to walk "El Choro" backpacking with some high school friends about 25 years ago. Impressing to know it took you guys 3 hours. I used to race MTB in Bolivia, including many old school downhills. I now live in TX and race here. Thanks for the video and for visiting Bolivia! I found the video while searching for Leadville 100 MTB (which I am racing later this year).
Nice man, good luck in Leadville! That race is no joke.
Awesome video, absolutely epic looking ride, on buck list most def, + cushcore and DD casing 🤘🤘🤘
DD, no inserts. This was in 2016, before inserts were popular. I still don't run inserts, without issue haha.
@@natehills9388 you da man bro!👍
Ive done the CT 3 times, and this is off the chain! Gonzo epic!
The CT is amazing. This is a whole different can of worms.
My god.. around 9min whatever I just keep quietly saying to myself “there’s no way..” 🤯 haha sooo dam good!
It just kept giving.
What?! freaking awesome dude!
Good stuff! hope you had DH tires there:) the white mountains across owens valley from mammoth has a 10k descent (fireroads) that starts at >14000 feet, we have done that a few times.
Nah, no DH tires, just getting lucky.
Amazing ride! And to think, the bike you are riding is worth more than what most of those villagers make in a year... crazy.
Honestly, it's more than they will make in their lifetime. This perspective is something I always consider while traveling and makes me very humble and thankful for what I have in this world. I have always felt out of place as a "rich westerner" in these situations, but the perspective gained is amazing. I have been very fortunate to learn these things first hand. It is worth noting that everyone we encountered was completely happy and content in their surroundings. Further evidence that money and wealth have nothing to do with true happiness. So fortunate for these experiences!
@@natehills9388 absolutely! And they are some of the nicest, most helpful and inviting people too!
@@natehills9388 I totally agree, Bro!
wow this is amazing! you must revisit again!
i guess i win something so i send the number to your email ,i hope you get ! or i can write the winning number here
what a beautiful place
Hell yeah those are some wicked ass trails ❤️
Epic. Absolutely epic!
Left over Mexican food is always a win. Primo content.
Bolivians don't eat Mexican food.... haha.
New gloves! Atta-boy!
Sick ride!!
Old school👍
So good
Unreal experience!
Insane trails 🤘🏼🤘🏼
I hope to do this some day
exciting !!! 이것이 진짜 라이딩....
So amazing !!!! 👍⚡️
What a trail!
The best!
Bad ass boys! Kind of like the whole enchilada but quite a bit longer, and with sheep, lol. Would make a good training climb, hahaha.
It's basically 2 enchiladas. Double stack.
LOL! That's awesome. Brake pads and back would be toast!
wow,just found out your channel and its amazing! but but how u get up there?
So sick!
Awesome ride,heading to Bolivia next month. Any other trails you rode or recommend
Loma Loma is worth checking out. Enjoy your trip!
Awesome footage, as usual, Nate! It was a different world back in 2016, wasn't it?
Sure was a different world in 2016. Honestly though, this trail will be exactly the same as it was then. It's existed for hundreds of years despite the current chaos of the world we live in. At least there is that, ha.
Crazy!
So sick
that is one of the best videos that i've ever seen. how many hours and minutes did it take you to perform this whole descent?
It was maybe 5 or 6 hours with some stops for food and to take in the surroundings. Probably 3 hours of sustained descending.
look at all them cables!
Haha. Interestingly enough, we were testing some of the first Eagle drivetrain on this trip. If we had any issues, we would have been shit out of luck. Only Eagle in South America in 2016, lol. Guess it worked!
You lucky dog ridding the clouds of Bolivia. Call me jealous
Trip of a lifetime.
AWSOME, MAGNIFICENT AND WONDERFULL !!!
there is where YETI belongs !
Thanks nate !
hello i am jorge ariel villarreal from colombia i been writing you to recognize the wonders of your trip to bolivia and answering your requirement, so here i am and thanks for text me.
Did you have to air up your fork/shock a few times during descent?
Nah, we just ran it.
cool
Dang I thought you were here now. Any thoughts on a response ding backpack for your Skydio?
Response ding? Not sure what that is.
@@natehills9388 lol, sorry about that, riding backpack for your drone. Also, I've hooked up with Gravity a couple of times because of your vids. Thanks!
Had me leaning away from the edge...
SPEED is the Thriller here, INSANE! Great descent. Which tire pressure are you riding? Does it change with the descent?
I was likely running 25/27 at the top.
el chorro directors cut!!
Oh yes.
👍👍👍👍👍👌
Petrópolis Brasil, UCI MTB mundial!!! 😎👽👻👏👏👏
Yes, Brazil is nice too.
How many miles was this Nate?
I honestly have no idea. Maybe 30 if I am guessing.
A trip to the dentist is needed after this one with all that trail chatter rattling the bones for 12K ft."
Yeti offers good dental insurance, lol
nice. 10:15 "That ain't a bridge. That's goddamned pre-Columbian art!"
There had to be 10 of these sketchy bridge situations on the descent. Not sure how they are still standing!
Holly EFF
Your brakes must have been smoking by the time you were done.
Pretty much.
BOLIVIA. Where tire knobs come to die!
Truth!
Nope. The occasional rock garden is fun, but this is too much. That would shake the eyes out of my head. I'd end up walking. lmao
Mountain Biking.
Fun fact: Chorro in spanish means diarrhea. Gotta love our south american naming conventions.
Interestingly enough, we all got food poisoning and had diarrhea at some point on this trip.... lol. Gringo gut!
In Mexico it means diarrhea. In Bolivia Chorro means small stream or small amount of water falling.
Those poor pads and rotors…
Just a tad bit of a drop...
Just a wee.