To Bolivia - 4

Thursday 26th

Passing Humahuaca, a tourist destination at 2950m trees are once again absent, and it´s back to dusty cactus country. I estimate this beast is 9 metres tall...



And still we climb. Distant Dani crawling ant like - his frequent Germanic refrain "Yes but on zee hills - I go slow"....



It gets steeper....



As the road slices rock...



We descend and mourn the loss of precious altitude metres - we need those metres back before Bolivia!! Turning West the wind picks up. And picks up again. And then begins to howl. It´s not Tierra del Fuego, but it´s reminiscent. We work hard to descend.



Before turning into a new valley and the world goes from red to green. We take lunch at the side of ruined railway tracks....



Ruined railway bridges - remnants of an older, more affluent era....



3km short of Tres Cruces, we find the first shelter from the wind for an hour and decide to camp in dry, sandy river bed.



Well Dani and I do. Michael has a meat craving and rides on to town in search. A cyclist´s need for food will not be denied!

To Bolivia - 3

Wednesday 25th

Awakening, we await the sun.

Michael makes more bike repairs as Dani looks on. Spokes mysteriously break during the night...



And the days ride starts with a punishing climb. We rise 350m in the first 2kms of the day. Gruelling! This is not a good way to warm the legs up...



But the view back down the valley shows our progress as coaches crawl laboriously up...



The sun finally brings some heat to the day and the gradient levels off to a more manageable incline. We ride...

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Before slowing for more steeps approaching Maimara...



Maimara perched against colourful rock waves....



Tilcara - a new build town of cookie cutter similar block houses set in a mountain paradise...



And I cross the Tropic of Capricorn - latitude 23 degrees 26 minutes and a world away from Ushuaia at 54 degrees 48 minutes. 30 degrees difference is one sixth of the planet!!



We climb another 900m and camp in a stand of thorn trees.

The sun sets....

To Bolivia - 2

Tuesday 24th

It´s a cold damp start to the day. We pack up sodden tents. Resuming the freezing descent in to the valley. Evergreens give way to deciduous trees and the jungle thins. We pass a beautiful lake.



And reach San Salvador de Jujuy to make repairs. I changed my chain in Salta and it´s been making a noise like a machine gun set to rapid fire ever since. We find a mechanic shop and borrow tools to change sprockets. Dani repairs the bodge job done to his bike in Salta.



Leaving San Salvador, the climb begins.



Bolivia is higher than Argentina. The border is around 4000m and Salta is a lowly 1250m. We knew at some point we would go up. Now we know it´s going to be for the next 250kms. We rise towards the clouds, mountains looming in the mist...



The viewpoint in the valley just before Leon...



We ascend an exausting 900m before coming upon a tiny village. Enquiring at the police station we are allowed a camp spot behind the church. He warns us of the freezing winds that howl up the valley from the south... We´re at 2000m altitude and it´s minus a few degrees. It´s only going to get colder from here on....

To Bolivia - 1

Monday 23rd

It´s good to ride again. 5 days in Salta were a welcome break after the road from Mendoza, but it´s time to move on.

Leaving Salta, it´s a surprise to ride into a heavily forested area as we roll towards El Carmen. We climb and the air becomes damper. The woods evolve into semi-jungle and I cannot believe the road was desert just south of Salta! Bird cries acompany us and we catch glimses of parrots amongst the green. The air is so wet here, clouds are pinned to tree tops.



It´s freezing. The moist air leaches heat away and fingers and toes tingle. Cresting the climb, the descent is a blast of steeply banked turns that test nerve and tyres alike.



Left, right, hairpin after hairpin.... The road snakes down to the valley.



We have to camp. It´s so cold in the damp air. We find a picnic area on the border of Jujuy - the final province in Argentina and pitch up for a damp night.

Salta

Wednesday 19th to Sunday 22nd

Salta is a chance to clean up. Repair bikes. And meet old friends. Em and Em who we have met in various places along the route (Bariloche, San Martin, Santiago, Pucon) arrive a day after us. It´s great to catch up....

Salta is busy. It has a slightly sleazy feel to it away from the glitzy central plaza. Pavements are too narrow and people jostle for space spilling into fast moving rivers of traffic. Markets are crowded. It´s a contrast to the more tranquil feel of Mendoza.

Meat market...



The people have changed in appearance further North. There´s a much stronger indigenous element to faces and skin tones are darker. It´s friendlier too (for me anyway).

Tired from days of riding we make the most of the best hostel in town Yatasto owned by Hector and family who make us feel right at home... We catch up on some well earned sleep, European cup football, and eating....



Thanks to Gabriella, Hector, Mary Jane and Gabrielle.

The Road to Salta - Part 10

Tuesday 17th Wednesday 18th

The road from Cafayate to Salta is 190kms of unbelievable otherwordly canyon scenery reminiscent of Arizona. Passing out of the valley, descending all the way, the scene changes to England. Green pastures, variegated forests, gentle rolling hills. 2 continents in one day ride.... It´s another great cycling day.

Beautiful striations and wind perforated rocks...



Every turn revealing new wonders...





Deep river gouged canyons....



The Obelisk....



Finally coming to the valley exit...



Struggling to find a camp site at the end of the day, we enquire at a tobbaco plantation, where the finca owner shows us to the perfect spot and provides us with firewood....



Wednesday we cycle the remaining 40kms into Salta to complete the journey. An epic section of Ruta Cuarenta stretching 1300 kilometers of incredibly scenic Argentina. Breathtakingly broad valleys, distant snow capped peaks, huge passes to climb, golden sunsets, endlessly straight roads telescoping to the horizon, surreal Martian rock formations, hot days, freezing nights, agonising ripio - it´s got everything.

14 days continuously in the saddle and all without a single shower or wash, it´s a surprise when Hector at Yotasto hostel allows us in the building. His sense of smell must be in question. Salta - we finally made it! Now a couple of days rest, once I´ve hit the shower...



400 kilometres to go - Next stop Bolivia