If you ever have the occasion to travel to Ecuador, make sure you have a life-time adventure winding through curves and tunnels on the once called “the most difficult railway in the world”. Enjoy unbelievable landscapes of valleys, pasturelands and picturesque towns along the way riding on this historical train line built between 1899 and 1908 and still considered a technical masterpiece. Starting from Riobamba and arriving to Alausí, the ride’s main objective and most spectacular point is a place known as the “Devil's Nose”.
The train departs from Riobamba city at 5:00am. It is still dark, but the station’s activity is at its peak. The first stop is at the Cajabamba Station. The weather is freezing cold, but the sight is wonderful. Next stop is the Guamote Station, located 50 kilometers (31 miles) away from Riobamba. It is a place full on enchantment, culture and tradition where tourists are given a 30-minute break to get a coffee or eat something, having the opportunity to be in contact with the friendly local population.
As the train goes further on up the track, the landscape changes and the layout become increasingly sinuous, making it hard to go through the mountains. Near the Palmira Station, at 3239m (10626 feet) above the sea level, the landscape becomes desolate: almost nothing grows in there, there’s only a few conifers and dry grass. Looking at the landscape, people would sometimes get the impression to be on the moon. However, as soon as the train starts going back down, a beautiful contrast can be perceived: the landscape becomes greener and nicer again.
The Alausí Station is almost the last stop. After having passed it, the train finds itself front to front with the astonishing Devil’s Nose: an impressive, almost vertical 600-meter (1968ft) cliff. The sound of the railway indicates a slight movement of the train, and this is where the spectacle begins, because the train must perform an adventurous, almost technically impossible zigzag movement in order to go down the abrupt precipice. To do this, the driver must turn the train to the right, move the railway track switch and then reverse it to go to the left, repeating this for several times while descending through this magnificent cliff.
Past the Devil’s Nose, this breathtaking ride gets to its end at the Simbambe Station, the train’s final destination. Once in the Alausí Village, the passengers can be transferred back to Quito. This trip is an extraordinary experience and definitely a must-see for travelers going to Ecuador.
Photo: andyinsouthamerica
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