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.