Ecuador — The Devil’s Nose; Descending the Nose

The Devil’s Nose train

The scenery along the Devil’s Nose train route is quite awesome, even on a cloudy day:

Devil’s Nose train route

Patches of green stand like islands amidst a sea of dark gray rocks and steep drops to the river far below:

Tracks ahead

Devil’s Nose train route

The portion that gives the Devil’s Nose route it’s name is a tall mountain on which a crisscrossing mesh of railroad tracks were installed by some 4,000 Jamaican and Puerto Rican laborers who slaved away for what amounted to 4¢ a day. For that pitiful sum about half of those workers would perish during the construction. To make the steep descent down to Sibambe Station, or the climb back toward Alusí, the train must reverse over several sidings along the face of the Devil’s Nose mountain.

Switchbacks on the Devil’s Nose

From high above you’ll get your first glance at the Sibambe Station, as well as some abandoned equipment alongside the tracks:

Sibambe Station

Abandoned cars

Reaching the valley below, the track straightens out as it makes its way through cut rock alongside a flowing stream:

Devil’s Nose train route

Devil’s Nose train route