Racing La Ruta Madre: A Journey of Teamwork, Terrain, and Top Gear

Vibrant, warm, welcoming, and full of life—those were my first impressions of Nuevo Leon, northern Mexico. After hearing about Jason and the team's experience from 2023, I knew I’d love La Ruta Madre. Towering mountains, deep canyons, and breathtaking views? Yes, please! By the morning of March 22, I was buzzing with excitement and nerves.

Our team consisted of Jason, myself, Arnaud (who raced in 2023), and Jason Gockel, Max and Revel’s former preschool teacher! For Arnaud and Gockel, this was their second expedition race. Jason and I? Well, we lost count years ago. After a few hours together in Mexico, I knew it was going to be a fun team full of different strengths and personality traits.

Leading up to the race, prep was overwhelming. We got our maps the day before, leaving us scrambling for 12–14 hours, packing bins and strategizing. Looking back, we could have been more efficient, but we made do and adapted - but that is usually always the case. Getting to a race like this with all of your gear and then dealing with the packing before hand is always the most stressful part for me. Below is a race recap with some highlights and then some crucial gear that helped us immensely. This race was truly one of the most beautiful races I have ever done, both culturally and landscape wise. Whether you are a climber, bike packer or hiker - put this place on your list!

Leg 1: The Race Begins The morning was crisp, but we knew we’d warm up fast. We started light, keeping shells handy for the wet ascent in El Salto Canyon—a swim to a rope followed by a climb alongside a waterfall. The first stage was intense: hiking to a cave, three rappels, a challenging 5.10 climb, then a cold-water ascent up three ropes totaling 80 meters. I was nervous for the swim to the ascent, but once there, I calmed down. The water was refreshing and the ascent was so gorgeous. The sun rose just as we reached our bikes back at the TA.

Strategically, we skipped a three-hour trek early on to ensure we reached the dark zone with a buffer. Hindsight suggests we could have made it, but our goal was clear: stay chill, avoid stress, and have fun.

Leg 2: A few bikes and some treks with some struggles The first bike leg took us through stunning canyons and relentless climbs. Arnaud suddenly fell ill, his stomach in turmoil. He powered through after a few stops to puke, but we kept the pace steady. We all stayed calm despite it being only 6 hours into the race. Arnaud (Arnie) was for sure nervous about his queezy stomach, but we stuck with him and by the time we got to the trek, he was feeling a bit better. Jason and Jason skillfully navigated us to the bike drop, where we left our bikes at a kind local’s house.

The trek had us searching for caves while Arnie recovered. I took his pack to let him get a break which seemed to help quite a bit. Back at the bikes, we refueled with cold coke, soaked our shirts in cold water, and pushed through the heat. The top of the pass revealed Yosemite-like views—pure magic. Riding down, I captured every moment I could while the guys navigated us to our next bike drop.

From there, we trekked over a mountain pass, reaching the next TA at sunset. We planned for sleep but first tackled a cave checkpoint, navigating via a translated route book—a bit nerve-racking, but we found it. Back at the TA, we bivied for the night, though actual sleep was elusive thanks to adrenaline and a chorus of dogs, donkeys, and roosters.

Leg 3: Canyons and Hunger Games

The next morning brought a dream section: rappelling down waterfalls, cliff jumping, and swimming through sheer canyon walls. A miscommunication left us with only six hours of food for a much longer stage, forcing us to ration. Before the rappels we all chugged 2 bottles of 4 Hour Fuel which helped keep us focused and going for the first 3 hours. Still, the experience was unforgettable—Chipitín Canyon was a highlight, with stunning rappels and expert guides. Hydrophobia Canyon was equally thrilling, with Arnie leading like an excited puppy- jumping off of everything with hoots and hollers.

Exhausted and starving, we hiked out, only to realize we had no pesos for food in town. The next 10km climb in the unrelenting heat became a test of endurance: we rationed our last water and 4Hour Fuel Expedition mashed potatoes, celebrated finding an open packet of sports beans on the road, and even scored a half-full bottle of flat Coke. It could have gone south, but our mindset turned it into one of our best memories.

Leg 4: The Long Push: At the next TA, we quickly resupplied and began the trek back to our bikes—uphill in blistering heat for another 3 hours. Three of us stripped down to our underwear just to cool off. Hours later, we were back on wheels, cruising through stunning scenery before another massive trek awaited. At this point, our strategy was to treat every bike leg like a recovery spin. Even if some were up hill, we all took it easy and focused on eating and drinking.

Leg 5: El Barro Night Navigation: Night trekking isn’t my favorite—I love seeing the views I’ve earned—but from 8:30 PM to 2:30 AM, we navigated tough terrain, swam to a waterfall checkpoint, and hiked back. We got a bit turned around for an hour, where the trails didn't match up to our maps and the terrain proved to be impassable in some spots. But once back at the TA, we finally crashed for a couple of hours, just as Team Rootstock was waking up. We exchanged some high fives and passed out on the concrete floor of a bathroom. Such is adventure racing—any warmish structure will do for a 2-hour sleep!

Leg 6: A 24-hour estimate with too many stages to count: Post-nap, we tackled one big mountain bike leg with two trekking sections in the middle of it. The first was a relentless 3000m climb. The heat hammered Arnie again who was still adjusting from -20°C to 25°C. I took his pack, Jason cranked the music, and teamwork pulled us through.

We made it up to the summit and down in 7 hours. It was either straight up or straight down for most of it, and by the time I got back and sat in a chair, I could tell that I was on the edge. Arnie asked me how his face looked, and all I could do was laugh. He replied, “Uh oh guys, Chelsey may be going down.” After a few bites of 4HF ramen mashed potatoes and a few cookies, I felt a little life coming back into me.

Back on the bike to the next TA, we saw goat farmers and the most beautiful sunset as we cruised along. The next trek had us getting a CP over a waterfall and then doing a long out-and-back up to a small pink house via a 7km canyon, where we were told a woman was making tacos for us. My brain was foggy—I was the walking zombie, collapsing for a few minutes of sleep whenever the team stopped to check the map. When we reached the house, the fire, the warmth of her welcome, and the bed were too good to refuse. For one of the only times in our AR career, we all squeezed into an actual bed with blankets. For four hours, we slept like warm sardines. It was amazing.

Waking up, we trekked back down the canyon in the dark, reaching our bikes in an hour and a half. Another a long 60km bike ride that took us up and over a pass, we reached our next summit - a 3700 meter summit.

Leg 7: La Viga For the first summit, La Viga, we were accompanied by a dog, whom we named Perra, or “Endurance Mama Dog.” She stayed with us the entire climb. The trail was hard to find for us, but once we did, it was a straight slog up and down in 6–7 hours.

Leg 8: Another summit and a ride Back at the TA, we replenished exchanged more high fives with teams and headed out on our bikes to the next little town and summit start where we were planning to sleep for the night. 5 minutes after leaving, Arnie looked down to see what was panting by his leg, and it was Perra! For the next 15ish km, we slowed down so she could run with us. At the town, we found Fabi and Marchela who had a church floor waiting for us. For 5 hours we slept and reveled in the warmth and quiet. The next morning, we summited another peak in freezing rain, hurried down, and were welcomed back with hot coffee. The next bike ride was pure joy—villages, mountains, and a long descent (with a tiny and steep up!) to our next TA.

Leg 9 and 10: Canyons, Rattle snakes and fun food:

Arriving at 12:30 PM, we pushed hard to complete the 9-hour estimated trek mostly in daylight, navigating washed-out trails and climbing steep canyons. We feasted on "fun food" like christmas light lollies and marshmellow icecream cones to keep our spirits high. I almost stepped on a giant rattle snake and Jason Magness kept us all in line and focused. We reached our bikes ahead of schedule and continued racing to the final TA.

Leg 11: The Final Trek The finish line was in sight, as in the final TA was at the finish line—but we still had a 34km loop trek around the finish. After a 2-hour nap, we tackled the last trek through a maze of trails in the dark. With navigation wizardry, team work and the lure of the finish line we made it back in 9.5 hours.

At the finish, we were greeted with cheers and one of the best meals ever—Machaca con Huevos, beans, and fresh tortillas. We ate enough for 12 people, celebrating the adventure we had conquered and celebrating our win! Huge thank you to Javiar, Fabi, Marchella, the ropes staff, the volunteers and the amazing media team. We will be back for sure!

Race Stats:

Miles Covered: 302 Miles

Total Elevation Climbed: 56, 394ft (44,000 ft on foot!)

Time slept: 20 hours

Total Time on Course: 125 hours

Total hours of 4HourFuel Drank: 170 hours

Number of dance parties: 3

Number of tacos eaten on course: 10

Number of Km hiked and biked in underwear: 180

Best Gear for La Ruta Madre:

La Ruta Madre is one of the most demanding adventure races, requiring top-tier gear to handle trail running, mountain biking, orienteering, climbing and extreme environmental conditions. Below is a carefully curated list of essential gear to optimize performance and endurance:

Fuel & Nutrition

4 Hour Fuel – A sustained energy source designed for endurance athletes, helping maintain energy levels throughout long race segments. Buy Here. Soon they will be posting the "Expedition Mash" which is an amazing , fast and nutritious "meal". We ate this every time before bed and during some BIG legs. It gave us all immediate energy and was so good.

Packs & Hydration

Sea to Summit Dry Pack - 50L – A waterproof, durable pack ideal for keeping essential gear dry during river crossings and wet conditions. Buy Here. We used two of these on the canyonering section. It kept our gear dry, was super light weight and comfortable.
USWE Ultra 30L Pack – A lightweight hydration pack with a bounce-free fit, perfect for extended sections requiring high mobility. Buy Here. Use "Ultra" to get % off. We love these packs. The mesh is not great if you plan to bushwhack, but the new ones that are coming out soon are super durable and amazing!
USWE PACE Pack – A minimalistic, ergonomic hydration vest for fast-paced running segments that packs a TON of gear. Whenever I can, I wear this pack, it's super comfortable and can fit a surprising amount of gear. Buy Here

Eyewear and Tech:

Smith BobCat Photochromatic Sunglasses – Adapt to changing light conditions, offering clear visibility in varying terrains. These are expensive for adventure racing but are so worth it as they keep everything out of my eyes and don't slide down or fog up. Buy Here
Roka Matador Prescription Sunglasses – High-performance prescription eyewear designed for adventure sports. Buy Here Jason won't do anymore races with out these. They don't slide, or fog and he loves the wrap around full coverage.
Garmin Enduro: I can't say enough about this watch, infact I did a whole article on the Enduro 3 here. For this race having an altimeter and a loud alarm clock was super key. The Enduro watch is the only altimeter on the market with adventure race mode. If you don't have one.. it's time!

Apparel & Comfort

ExOfficio Underwear – Breathable, moisture-wicking, and quick-drying underwear for multi-day racing comfort. Buy Here . I wore two pair the whole race. They don't chaufe, fit great on the Infinity Bike Seat and are just so good.
Noname Orienteering Pants – Lightweight, durable pants designed for orienteering, allowing for unrestricted movement and protection. Buy Here
Arm Sleeves – Provide sun protection and temperature regulation, reducing fatigue during long exposure to elements. Buy Here

Footwear & Seating, Bike Bags and Poles:

Hoka Mafate Shoes – Trail running shoes with superior cushioning and grip, ideal for mixed terrain endurance racing. These were the best of all the shoes I brought - super grippy, very supportive but also amazing off trail. Buy Here
Infinity Seat – An ergonomic bike seat designed for long rides, reducing discomfort and improving endurance. No chamois needed, No chafing and oh so comfortable! Buy Here and Use code: BendRacing
Rogue Panda Ripsey Seat Bag V2.0- I love getting gear off my back when I'm riding and this seat bag fits SOOO much! And it works with my small bike frame and my dropper post! It's the best ever.
Leki Poles: We used our poles for one of the big peaks and honestly we wished we had brought them for the other big climbs, but we were super happy to have them help us up the biggest one! Light weight, comfy in the hands and super easy to break down. Leki is the best. Buy here

Hydration:

Hydrapak Bladders and Breakaway bottle +filter: and Hydration is super key in adventure racing and especially in hot climates like Mexico. We used everything from Hydrapak- their Breakaway filter bottles were crucial for water filtration on the go while the bladders held up to 3L for our bigger summit climbs in the blistering heat. We also really loved their new Tempo Pro bottles for 4HourFuel and they worked amazing! Use Chelsey10 for 10% off!

Skin & Protection

Angelina Organic Skincare Skin Doctor – A natural balm to prevent chafing and protect skin against harsh environmental conditions. Buy Here

Lights & Visibility

Fenix HM65R-T V2 Rechargeable Headlamp – A powerful and durable headlamp designed for extreme adventure conditions. Buy Here - use BendRacing25 for 25% off!
Fenix BC26R Rechargeable Bike Light – A high-performance bike light designed for long-distance visibility and durability in rugged conditions. Buy Here - use BendRacing25 for 25% off!

Having the right gear can make or break your performance in La Ruta Madre. Investing in quality equipment tailored for endurance racing ensures comfort, efficiency, and success on the trail.

All Pictures by Guillermo Guiterrez and Rodrigo Legorreta