Road to Chota/Cutervo via Santo Domingo | Warning

May 16th, 2024 by nomad_iron_works

Disagree with the person who marked this road with this warning, and agree with others, it is a long climb but not a difficult road. I would say about 70% is paved, gravel is mostly hard packed and smooth, nothing like loose gravel. The gradient is not steep at all (I consider steep to be 100m elevation gain or more / kilometer), I'm sure it would be just fine to ride the whole thing with a normal touring bike with skinny tyres.
Also, the original reviewer recommends a detour through Chachapoyas to avoid this road, but keep in mind that that route will add significantly more climbing. Assuming many of the cyclists who are riding this road (3N) are wanting to ride from Jaén to Cajamarca on a direct route, taking 3N would be 320km with 8,843m ascent and 6,648m descent from Jaén to Cajamarca. If you go through Chachapoyas and take 08B, it will be 492km with 14,957m ascent, 12,962m descent. Unless you want to go towards Chachapoyas and see the waterfall and some ruins, adding another 170km and 4,000m of elevation gain just to avoid some smooth dirt roads is not worth it in my opinion.

August 27th, 2023 by martindoornbos

I very much enjoyed the stretch to Cutervo. The climb is long 37 km and about 50% is gravel. But it's not more difficult than many other climbs I did in South America. The scenery is beautiful. Plus I met many kind and enthousiastic people along the way. There are enough places to stock water and food.
For your reference : I am 61 travel on a steel touring bike.

August 26th, 2023 by rob.bike

I disagree with this comment, and that's coming from someone who took 4.5 hours to make it from Santo Domingo to Cutervo!

Heading South, the road is mostly paved until a few kilometres before Santo Domingo. it is then mostly paved again from a few kilometres after Santo Domingo until the top of the first pass. it is then unpaved from there until Cutervo, and then mostly paved again down to Cochabamba (this is a great descent). For sure, there is a lot of climbing and some dirt, but nothing beyond that.

conditions were dry when I was riding

July 5th, 2023 by mfundza

For cyclists:
If you're on a bicycle and planning your route, I recommend thinking twice about using this road. As you get closer to Santo Domingo de Capilla there is more and more gravel. The 16km climb from Santo Domingo to Cutervo took me 3.5hrs on loose gravel and steep gradients. There is more loose gravel road later. It is possible if you have to do it, but if you have time (I did not) consider using the long route of 8B via Chachapoyas - I was told that is paved the whole way.