La Ruta de los Conquistadores
November 11-13; Costa Rica
Legend goes that it took Spanish conquistador Juan de Caballon
20 years to slog and machete his way through the thick Costa Rican jungle from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Mountain bike racers in La Ruta cover the same 300-mile, 30,000-vertical route in three days. And not much of their time is spent on well-maintained roads. La Ruta winds through the jungle, and the course has been known to change mid-race, flood out (Costa Rica averages 130 inches of rain per year), or just plain disappear. And if navigating jungle by bike sounds difficult, take note: The race climbs from sea level to 11,259 feet on Volcan Irazu. In this race, acting like a haughty conquistador (or Tour de France rider) is prohibited: Toss your used-up gel packet over your shoulder and you’ll be penalized or disqualified. 011-506-225-8186;
www.adventurerace.com.