Singletrack

Rise and shine!
Our two guides pick us up in the morning while it’s still dark.
As the sun’s first rays reach out over the eastern horizon we
stand 947m above sea level on Pico da Barrosa, the highest
point on the island. Below us there’s a beautiful display of
colours – light green illuminating a circular lake framed by a
white sandy beach. The darkening forest reveals its contours
and radiates surreal rich green tones that stand out against the
azure blue sky. We can’t take our eyes off the colours.
The guide waves past a bunch of local enduro riders who
want to ride the island’s longest trail before work. Then it’s
our turn. We leave the crater lake on our left and follow the
path along a ridge. Riding for a while with a view of the sea,
the trail suddenly plunges into dense vegetation. It’s a tunnel
of roots and lianas. To begin with, the blue sky shines through
the dense network and then the lush greenery takes over.
The trail turns into a roller coaster with no emergency exit.
Right turn, then left turn, our tyres grip down into a peat-like
soil from which a root protrudes every now and again. Each
time I think I’m falling I’m caught by a berm, then after the
bend comes a drop. And repeat…
All of a sudden an open meadow appears: time to apply
the brakes. I nearly ride into Andre and Julia who have just
let a pair of Azorean cows go past. There are 200,000 cows on
Sao Miguel – that’s one cow for every inhabitant. As we come
to a stop at the small port of Caloura, Andre One is waiting
for us with the shuttle. We drive halfway up to Pico da
Barrosa. At the bend a wooden sign points towards a popular
downhill course. “If the descent becomes too difficult, keep to
the left. That’s where we’ve installed Chickenways,” explains
our guide. ‘Chickenways’ somehow sounds more regimented
than mere chicken lines. And it’s not just at one spot that I’m
glad about them.
But first, the limbo competition!
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