The border between Colombia and Ecuador crosses a gorge, and for centuries people have crossed it on a natural stone bridge. Rumichaca, from Quechua for stone bridge, spans the Carchi river a few kilometres from Ipiales, and it was an Inca route long before the modern frontier existed. Today it is a busy international crossing, with a customs complex on the Colombian side and the city of Tulcán waiting on the Ecuadorian side, and the old rock arch sits in a small park among the buildings, easy to miss amid the lorries.
The land here is high, cold and green. Ipiales sits near three thousand metres above the sea, in the Andean highlands of Nariño, a land of potato fields, potreros with dairy cows, and misty páramo above. Nights are chilly even in the dry season, and the weather can swing from sun to drizzle in an hour. A few kilometres from town, the Sanctuary of Las Lajas, a neo-Gothic basilica built across a river canyon in the twentieth century, is one of the most photographed churches in the country, and it should not be missed.
Riders heading south on the Pan-American Highway will pass through here, and the border formalities take planning. You will need your passport, vehicle papers and insurance, and possibly a temporary import permit, so allow several hours and check current rules in advance. Ipiales, three kilometres away, has fuel, restaurants and money changers, and it is the sensible place to prepare before crossing. Tulcán, in Ecuador, is known for its cemetery, where cypress hedges are clipped into archways and figures.
The road itself is a good paved highway with trucks, long curves and fast, mountainous scenery, though fog and rain make visibility poor in the afternoon. Wear layers, because the altitude chills you quickly, and take care on wet surfaces. Ipiales has cuy, roasted guinea pig, on some menus, and a hot canelazo, a cinnamon and aguardiente drink, goes down well after a cold ride.