High in the Andes of Chimborazo province, south of Alausí, a narrow path of fitted stone winds across the páramo, the cold grassland that covers the Ecuadorian highlands above about 3,500 metres. It is part of the Qhapaq Ñan, the Inca road system, and this stretch belongs to the route that links the Inca site of Ingapirca with the highlands to the north. Before the Spanish arrived, the Inca built paved paths, stairways and waystations across this country, and parts of them are still in use, walked by herders and, in recent decades, by trekkers following the well-known route from Achupallas to Ingapirca.
The setting is wild. The land is a mix of grass, bogs and glacial lakes, with low cloud sweeping over the ridges, and the weather is cold, windy and changeable, even in the dry months. The air smells of wet earth and grass. You may see llamas, which are kept by local communities, and with luck an Andean condor or a spectacled bear in the wilder areas of Sangay National Park, which lies to the north-east. Birdlife includes hummingbirds, which survive at this altitude.
Most of this segment is for walkers rather than for motorbikes, and the riding in the area is about getting close. Alausí, a town of about 14,000 people 14 km away, is the base for fuel, food and a bed, and it has a station for the railway that runs down the famous Nariz del Diablo, the Devil's Nose, a switchback track cut into the cliff face. Roads in the area are often steep and winding, with sections of cobble, gravel and mud in the wet season. Be ready for fog and heavy rain in the afternoon, and carry warm layers, as the temperature drops fast at altitude.
The best months for the highlands are generally June to September, though weather is never certain. Remember that the altitude is considerable, and tiredness and headaches can come quickly. Local communities, often indigenous Puruhá and Cañari people, live and farm here, so ask before wandering onto fields and treat the stones with respect. A bowl of hot soup and a cup of canelazo, a warm cinnamon and cane spirit drink, in a village is the usual reward after a day at 3,500 metres or more.