Cycling into the depths of a river gorge in southern Colombia, it felt like the final chapter of our long journey across the Americas had begun. Yet although only 10 days of cycling remained, we would still face challenges - not the least of which was a final crossing of the Andes on the infamous Trampoline of Death, a 50-mile (80 km) cliff-hanger of a route up in the clouds. After a brief brush with monkeys on the edge of the Amazon jungle, we climbed back into the mountains and returned to Pitalito, completing our four year, “flip-flop” adventure from Alaska to Patagonia.

Thanks to one of South America’s most unique suburban greenways, our departure from Quito by bicycle was much more enjoyable than other South America capital cities we have visited. Before long we cycled across the Equator, where a line on the ground marked our return to the northern hemisphere. Along the way we were awed by more volcanos as we rolled through Otavalo, the country’s most prosperous indigenous city, on the road to the ancient frontier of the Inca Empire, where Ecuador meets Colombia. The anticipation was building as we approached Colombia and the end of our trip connecting the southbound segment of our journey with the northbound, thereby completing the full Alaska to Patagonia adventure.

For anyone who loves birds, the Mindo Cloud Forest is a magical place. Routinely included among the top 10 birding locations in the world, the forest teems with glittering hummingbirds, dazzling tanagers, and toucans that look like they were splashed with a crazy pallete of contrasting colors. We had the good fortune to spend a day visiting several reserves just a couple hours drive from Quito, admiring some of nature’s most delicate and beautiful creations - the wonderful birds of the cloud forest.

Cycling northward from Cuenca, we entered Ecuador’s “Land of Eternal Spring”, surrounded by lush, green mountains. Dodging daily rainstorms, we encountered a series of low-key mountain towns home to hillside sanctuaries, vast valleys of farmland, and plenty of feisty dogs. After a snapped shifter cable forced a bike-repair layover, we cycled into the famous “Avenue of the Volcanoes”, where snow-capped peaks occasionally appeared through the mist, on our final run to Quito.

After a surprisingly quiet border crossing, we left Peru and rolled into Ecuador on our bicycles. From there we pedaled back into the Andes mountains. Hugging the walls of deep valleys high above rushing rivers, we dodged the rubble of dozens of landslides where unstable slopes had slumped into the roadway. Every few miles brought a new climate zone, from steamy, banana lowlands, to cocoa plantations that serve the world’s fines chocolatiers. Finally we reached the Ecuadorian highlands, just in time to celebrate Holy Week along Cuenca’s cobblestone streets.