Conquering Colombia’s legendary Alto De Letras

Ascending into the clouds, every pedal stroke - every breath - proved more difficult than the last. 100% humidity, serious altitude, and two days spent on the saddle, led Fernwee and the Ride Beyond Crew to reach new heights in Colombia.

As February turned to March, Martijn van Strien (AKA Fernwee), Mike Vlietstra, and Alberto Viciana landed on the coffee rich soil to tackle Alto de Letras: the 4th largest climb in the world. Spanning 80km with a vertical gain of 3220 meters (12,800 ft), the crew was ready for this bucket list quest with detailed CLIMBER visual data charting every meter.

Churning their pedals, the air thinned while the humidity continued to thicken. The crew had no choice but to activate Rain Lock on their devices due to the sheer amount of perspiration produced. However, suffering proved no match for beauty as Fernwee noted, 

“This is, by far, the most beautiful climb I’ve ever done. And it goes on, and on, and on…”

Six hours on and the finish in sight, vehicles honked with appreciation and encouragement. As temperatures rapidly cooled and condensation amassed, the group crested the summit, greeted by hot tea and warm hugs. Tomorrow, they would do it all again on the opposite side of the summit, cementing their place in the 4000m club.