We were cycling up to Cotopaxi National Park on a rough cobblestone road for a couple of days. It had been raining and the small dirt patches of our road had turned to thick, foot-deep mud. We had to ride off the trail just to find solid ground. After a particularly difficult push, an abandoned building gave us the oppotunity to hang our tent and ground fly to dry. We camped on a big grassy field, overlooking Quito in the distance – where we had just cycled from a few days prior. This view of Cotacachi Volcano in the distance was extraordinary in the morning, as the clouds had settled in the valley below. It’s challenging cycling and pushing your bike through rain and mud, but these moments make it all more than worth it.