Join us for the Adventure of a Lifetime
Want to use your fitness and passion for cycling to help make a difference in the world?
Then join Health Bridges International in the beautiful Sacred Valley of Cusco, Perú for our fourth annual Gravel Cycling Adventure!
Trip Dates: November 2 – 8, 2025
The Gravel Cycling Adventure trip will combine health and social outreach activities with gravel cycling in the beautiful Sacred Valley of Perú. Our goal is to meld our love for adventure cycling and our passion for service. We plan to have amazing experiences riding on some of the best gravel roads and trails in Latin America – and do some great service-learning work with formerly homeless boys.
This is the adventure of a lifetime. We will be riding on the ancient roads and trails of the Inca Empire in one of the most beautiful destinations in the world. Your whole trip will be under the watchful eye of seasoned team of cyclists and Perú travel experts. We will be helping with several social outreach projects at a home for abandoned boys run by Health Bridges International.
We are only taking a maximum of 15 riders and a minimum of 10. PLEASE NOTE: if we do not meet the minimum number of participants, the trip will not take place. The earlier you reserve your spot – the better! More information available at [email protected]
Basic Trip: $US 2,975 (does not include airfare)
Trip Donation Cost Includes: A guided adventure trip and outreach experience with room & board, in-country transportation and airport transfers, meals, guided gravel and trail rides, training foods, assortment of drinks and training supplies, and all organizational fees. The cost of the trip does not include international airfare.
Incidentals: $100 – $200
Incidental costs are variable by person, but you can expect to spend a few dollars on snacks, trinkets, tourist activities and any sundries you require.
Excursion Trip: Varies
Optional: Excursion trip to tourist and travel destinations in Perú or around Latin America. HBI has a long-term partnership with a well-established travel agency (Happy Tours). Happy Tours can help to arrange a number of different travel and tour options. Excursion and tourism trips are additional cost and not covered by HBI. For more information on excursion tourism, please contact Srta. Shirley Moreno at [email protected]
Other Potential Expenses:
Passport: $100-165
Contact your local Postal Office for more information or go on-line at USPS Passport www.usps.com/international/passports.htm
Immunizations: Varies
Immunizations – COVID vaccination and booster is required. Consult your primary care physician or a travel clinic for recommendations on any other immunization. Visit the CDC Travel Pages for more information: wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/peru
Travel Insurance: $75-100
Travel Insurance is not required but is highly recommended. It can cover theft, emergency medical flights home, lost luggage, trip cancellation, etc. You can get travel insurance from http://www.travelguard.com
Health Insurance: Varies
Health Insurance is required for participation in an HBI and Team Peru Outreach Trip
Deposit – A deposit of $1,000 is required by May 16, 2025.
This deposit is non-refundable after September 5th, as per project planning and funds disbursement.
Important Dates and Information
- Application and deposit deadline – May 16, 2025
- Last date for refundable deposit – September 5, 2025
- Virtual organizational meeting – October 12, 2025 (web-based meeting)
- Arrival in Perú (Lima) – November 2, 2025 (subject to change)
- Departure for the Province of Cusco – November 3, 2025 (subject to change)
- Return to Lima from Cusco – November 8, 2025 (subject to strange)
- Return home of depart for an excursion trip – November 9, 2025 (subject to change)
The Sacred Valley of Cusco
So much is written about the tourist destinations of Perú. From the beautiful city of Cusco to the wonder-ous ruins of Machu Picchu – Perú is one of the most traveled destinations in the world. There is, however, a part of Perú where few tourists venture – the small mountain towns and communities of the high Andean region of Cusco. We will base our experiences in the Sacred Valley – a rich area for adventure and gravel riding. We will take advantage of the sun and warm weather of the high mountains to explore some of the most “off-the-beaten-track” destinations in all Perú.
Accommodations:
Our base will be two beautiful AirBnB homes in the small town of Urquillos – a few kilometers from the Casa Girasoles. The lodging is amazing – with stunning views, modern amenities, and a secure location.
Gravel Riding:
The Sacred Valley of Perú offers some of the most unique riding in Latin America… perhaps the world. The gravel roads are endless. We will plan daily rides – with optional afternoon short hikes. The rides will range from 2 to 6 hours – our longest bike adventure happening at the end of the week. Our goal is to explore the surroundings, have fun, and enjoy some great service work. The daily rides are not competitive. A guide will always be with the riders. No one will ever be left on their own. In fact, our hope is that we ride together each day. In addition to the cyclists joining the trip from the U.S., we will be joined on every ride by members of the Girasoles Sanos Cycling Team. Members of the team are formerly abandoned or homeless young men who use cycling as a healing outlet from trauma and adverse childhood experiences. The boys joining us on the daily rides are strong and extremely knowledgeable about the local terrain.
Social Outreach:
We will have a daily social outreach project occurring at the HBI’s Casa Girasoles home for abandoned boys. The outreach projects will include helping train formerly homeless boys in bicycle maintenance and repair, as well as a wide assortment of garden projects (consulted with the boys), small construction work, and mini-health clinics with the boys and staff of the Casa Girasoles. One opportunity will be for each cyclist to fund raise a budget to support a mini project at the Casa Girasoles. The budget will help to purchase supplies to implement a project as requested by the administration of the orphanage.
Our daily plan will include morning rides, transportation to the Casa Girasoles, activities with the boys and staff, transportation back to the hotel, and fantastic evening meals with great stories and new friends. Throughout our week-long adventure, the HBI staff will help you to learn more about Perú, cycling in Latin America, global outreach, and our efforts to meld a love for adventure with a passion for social outreach.
Tentative Trip Itinerary
November 2 Arrival Day: Plan to arrive in Lima no later than Monday, October 28. Many of the flights into Lima are redeyes and land early in the morning. We will have a van and driver at the airport to pick you up and transport you to your accommodations. Arrival Day is an easy day, and the only structured activity will be a welcome and orientation dinner.
November 3 Welcome and Grand Depart: We will be departing for the city of Cusco on a mid-morning flight. Upon arrival in Cusco, we will take a private vehicle to the town of Urubamba in the Sacred Valley. We will check in to the AirBnB and get set for a first day ride of around 2 hours. Expect the first day to be very comfortable – with a premium on acclimation. We will have our first group dinner and evening orientation at the Casa Girasoles.
November 4, 5, and 6 Daily Adventure Rides and Social Outreach: Each day will be slightly different, but plan for the morning to start with breakfast at the hotel and then a gravel ride in the range of 2-4 hours. We will follow the morning rides with lunch and then take a van to the Casa Girasoles for a social outreach project. The social outreach activities may include teaching bicycle maintenance and repair, providing a small health clinic, construction or maintenance work, and a community garden project. We will work alongside the Girasoles boys at the orphanage. Evenings will be relaxing times back at the AirBnB with craft beer, decent wine, and pisco sours.
November 7 Epic Adventure Ride: This is truly the ride of a lifetime. We will ride from the city of Cusco past the great Inca fortresses that that punctuate the Cusco area. We will meander through some of the best countryside in Perú on some truly epic gravel roads, with 4,000-5,000-feet of altitude gain and a maximum of fun. We will plan a big, early evening barbecue with the staff and boys at the Casa Girasoles.
November 8 Transfer Day: Our final day in Urubamba will include an optional 1 hour “walk the dog” ride before breakfast at the hotel, packing, and a transfer back to the city of Cusco and flight to Lima. We will celebrate with a final night out on the town in Lima at one of our favorite restaurants. Accommodations for the final night will again be in a small hotel, and all guests will have a private room with en-suite bathroom.
November 9 Departure Day: For those heading back to the U.S. or those headed off for adventure travel, this is the last day of the camp. We can store any baggage or bikes at our Lima office, and help with airport transportation, sightseeing options, and reasonable cost accommodations.
Additional Information
Adventure cyclists participating in the event should consider the physical demands of running at high altitude and rough terrain. Participants should have experience with 3+ hour endurance events. The gravel riding in this area of the Andes could aptly be described adventure cycling – with diverse terrain and wide variations in distance.
Epic Ride: The culmination of the week of social outreach and adventure cycling, will be highlighted by an epic event. This ride will be fully supported with mobile aid stations and support staff. Expectations for finishing this epic ride are purely personal. HBI will ensure support and a sag wagon is available for any cyclists who chooses to end their ride before the designated completion. We anticipate an effort in the range of 6-8 hours. Participants should plan to have a hydration system of their choice (i.e., water bottles, hydration pack, etc.) and any equipment they need to ride for up to 6 hours (e.g., small pack with snack foods, etc.). HBI will supply hydration and nutrition supplies throughout the course.
Bikes: You can certainly travel with your own bike, but we have bikes available for you to use. We will have everything you’ll need to wrench your bike. Many airlines are now treating bikes like any other checked luggage. Check the carrier before you fly. If you prefer not to travel with a bike, we have a limited number of hardtail mountain bikes for use. Please contact us before booking your trip if you plan to use an HBI bike.
A Word About the Roads: We will be riding in the gravel roads of the Sacred Valley of Cusco – the altitude is high and the sun strong. Our daily rides will take us through agricultural communities, Incan ruins, and a number of off-the-beaten track small villages in and around the Sacred Valley. Much of the riding will be on hardpacked gravel and clay roads – with some single track and the occasional tarmac connectors. We will have a ride guide and a sag vehicle for every ride.
Participation: There are a limited number of spaces available to participate. We are only accepting 15 cyclists for this adventure. Gravel cyclists interested in joining the adventure should contact Wayne Centrone ([email protected]) as soon as possible.
Trip Costs: Trip costs include room and board, in-country transportation (excludes international airfare), riding supplies and nutrition, water, drinks, food, gels, electrolytes, etc., daily meals and snacks, bilingual trip guides with over 30-years of travel experience in Perú, and ongoing access to a U.S. licensed and trained primary care physician in the event of any minor injuries, travel illness and minor physical set-backs.
Please Note: The Gravel Cycling Adventure experience is designed to be flexible and work with the needs of all the participants of the trip. Cyclists and adventurers will not be asked to push themselves beyond their comfort. Gravel rides, adventure hikes, and walks, all can be modified in intensity and duration to meet the needs of every participant.
Learn more at the Website for this Trip Experience