Ruta Chingaza film – Bikepacking for Conservation

In February, legendary ultra-endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox, Joe Cruz, and the filmmaker Rugile Kaladyte traveled to the Colombian capital of Bogota, in partnership with Conservation International, Wahoo, and Bikepacking.com, to launch the Bikepacking for Conservation Program.

The project was designed to explore and scout a bikepacking route that would connect the bustling metropolis of Bogota with rural communities and the Chingaza National Park. The resulting route – Ruta Chingaza – will help cyclists connect to nature and better understand the ecosystems upon which life and livelihoods in this area depend. The 261-mile route boasts 31,000 feet of elevation gain while traversing through the critical paramos ecosystems that provide and regulate the water for nearly eight million people in the city of Bogota.