It’s 2004 and I think I am hallucinating the biggest, most vibrantly blue butterfly I have ever seen. Its wingspan is so massive that the blue wings beat every 10 seconds … or longer.

“Wow! Look at that butterfly, beautiful!” this is grunted behind me and I mutter, “Thank God” under my heaving breath. It wasn’t a dream. I’m just dying of exhaustion!

This is one of my more lasting memories of La Ruta de Conquistadores. The “Ruta” as it is called is considered one of the hardest mountain bike races on the planet. Let me just say, “I can witness!!!”

The Ruta’s route in 2004 was a three-day stage race going west to east across Costa Rica, beginning in Jaco, on the Pacific coast ending at Playa Bonita near Limon, on the Caribbean side.

Some of my other great memories are of climbing up to near the top of Irazú (dormant volcano) while clenching my cheeks as I had to drop the deuce and could not find an appropriate spot until I was in the woods near the crest of the climb.

On the descent of about 20 miles I had four flats. Luckily, I had heard that the descent on Day Two was hairy and I carried four tubes with me that day, three tubes on the other two days. I will never forget on that first stage trying to clean the mud — which is clay-based “gumbo on steroids” — with jungle creek water along with about 20 other racers at the same time in muted jungle canopy light. Also during Day One after about an hour of racing I hiked –a- bike with about 200 of my closest “friends” (I had heard and found it to be true that it would be best to conserve energy) for an hour or so.

Then of course, the 16 or so miles of rail road track. Yup, you read right. On the last day racers follow and race on a decommissioned rail road track, I still think I have some loose fillings from going down those tracks. Oh, and did I mention that you are crossing the Reventazón and Pacuare rivers (both running Class 3) on decommissioned and unmaintained bridges that are missing pretty much every other trestle?

The bridges range 15 to 40 feet above the water.
Good times. …

La Ruta just finished for 2008 and is now a four stage event. Plans for next year and beyond are to make it five stages. All I know is that over three days, I spent close to 30 hours in the saddle and barely made the time cut on the second day.

I would recommend racing La Ruta to anyone who wants to test their limits in mountain biking. I have competed in 24 hour mountain bike races both solo and as a team. La Ruta make these races look like a weekend fun ride.

That’s why for my 50th (yes, I am on the downhill side of the 40’s) in 2011 I am going back to La Ruta with nine riders from Missoula to share the pain and … oh yeah, fun.

Jedzilla is married and a father of two who is trying to use his snowboard instructor background to potty train his eldest child. Stay tuned for a post on that subject. …