6-7/12/2013 Quellón to river near glacier Yeicho Chica
D70, T4/6, Av16, Max54, Tot 22896, 13099
Overcast, mild
The couple of days at the Hostal Miramar were relaxing to say the least, washing was done. The internet enjoyed and the wait for the ferry was all worth it.
We got onboard, there were 5 other cyclists onboard, among other travellers.
We spent time talking with an interesting couple from Oregon. They were avid bird watchers.
Just a couple of names, The Spur Winged Plover was called a Southern Lapwing. The bird that sounded like a wood duck nesting in all the trees was a Black Faced Ibis, (Bandurria).
It was an easy 4 and three quarter hour trip. The ferries work with regards to the tides. We arrived early and had to wait for the tide. By now it was midnight and the crew said we could sleep onboard. A few of us took up this offer.
Needless to say. Walking around Chaiten at midnight looking for a place to stay was not a good thought.
Cal and I enjoyed a red wine and sleep a few hours before daylight.
We rode off the ferry at 0700, headed into town and down to the beach to cook breakfast. The flat sandy rock strewn beach was littered with dead trees. Most likely from the volcanic eruption here in 2008. The town of Chaiten was covered in ash.
We met a guy who is walking everywhere, he is from the UK, he speaks at schools about the environment and generally sleeps at fire stations. 20,000km on foot.
He had old tyres stuck to the soles of his shoes.
We also spoke to a French couple older than (he was 70) me who were riding south, who we will most likely see again.
On the beach a French guy came along for a chat, we had met him on the ferry. We knocked up a filtered coffee for him . He was wrapped , his first proper coffee in weeks he said.
From here, we spent time chatting to a Swiss couple who had a rent a van. Really nice people.
Buying bread saw us leave town and join the famous Carraterra Austral for the first real look at Patagonia in the raw.
After having spent 10 days on Chiloé with the scenery mostly farm land. This was such a welcome.
From the moment we left town on the newly asphalted road, surrounded by high ranges with opaque rocky faces you could just feel the aura of Patagonia in the atmosphere.
The vegetation was lush, water everywhere and snow top ranges alongside the road.
Cal and I were so pleased to be back in the wilderness again. Touring bikes in urban areas just don’t feel the same.
The riding was sheer pleasure following the valley aided by a tidy little northerly.
We spent time riding with a couple of American guys till the turnoff to Tremus El Amarillo.
From here, we still had the pleasure of a newly constructed road surface. We bumped into a Brazillian guy who was walking with a trailer and a suitcase. Great young guy. He was married and doing this before he goes home to start a family.
Soon we got to Puente Yelcho, this marks the end of the asphalt. Under the bridge we enjoyed bread and Dulce. The bridge was an old suspension bridge beneath it the Rio Yelcho, a huge river drained Lago Yelcho Lonconao.
In some ways it was nice to be back on gravel, it added to the remoteness of the surrounds. The surface was good.
Patchy cloud covered most or the mountain tops. At one point, a glacier in a mountain valley came into view.
We camped just up the road from Glacier Yeicho Chica on the confluence of two streams one glacier fed and the other clear from springs and snow melt
Cal caught 4 trout, these were enjoyed everso fresh.
Our first night on the Austral was hopefully a taste of things to come. The sound of the rivers was great to fall asleep to.
8/12/2013 Glacier Yeicho Chica to 3km sth of Villa Santa Lucia
D26, T2.5/5, Av10, Max42, Tot22,921, 13,125
Cloudy start then brilliant sunny day
The morning greeted us with low cloud over the ranges, yesterday we had made arrangements to walk to Glacia Yecho Chica.
We were a bit reluctant to walk up if we were going to be shrouded in cloud. Anyway by the time we got packed, had another fish and let the tents dry, the cloud began to lift.
Once at the walking track, some 500m back from our river camp we spoke with the guide.
He everso kindly let us lock our bikes in a shed.
The day was getting better by the minute with the cloud breaking in many places.
The track was well marked and many common trees were named, it was great.
So just to brief you on a couple of trees here in Patagonia. The most iconic tree , the one with the kind of layered small leafed foliage is the Coigúe and another common larger leafed tree is the Canelo, The Manio is a type pine of tree with needles.
The Coigúe grow huge, they symbolise the bush here at present.
The Nalcas are still everywhere there is water.
Walking through the bush was like a rainforest experience, that of moss and all shades of green, though this was temperate to say the least.
The milky glacier feed river roared throughout the whole walk as we followed it to its source.
Once out of the forest. Our marked tracked ended and we were confronted with a huge amphitheatre, where the stage was shattered rock on screes littered with timber. The middle of the stage contained the roaring creeks from both glaciers, other creeks feed only by melt were finding their way down through the jiggered rocks.
Waterfalls cascaded where there were no glaciers in the valley.
The larger glacier Yeicho Chico (I asked the guide on our return why, as it was the larger of the two). Was brilliantly white and fractured every which way.
Yeichio, to the left and higher, was covered in dirt, possibly from wind blown debris.
Our walk across this theatre took us through wet areas, across unstable rock screes and rock hopping small water courses.
It took two hours of fast walking to get as close as we could without jeopardizing our safety.
Here we ate sardines and vegemite and just marvelled at nature only on the scale Patagonia can present.
Forest grew almost to the snow line.
Large area of bare rock on the slopes told stories of huge land slides.
At one point a large rumble was heard as some pressure somewhere above was released in the ice.
Looking back down the valley to the Carraterra Austral were more snowclad mountains with glimpses of a lake east of the road.
At one point out of the valley between us and the glacier, a Condor was aloft, its shape was small against the immenseness of the mountain side cradling the glacier.
Cal and I were awe struck at what was around us. We were still at least 1500m from the terminus of Yeicho Chico.
By now it was clear and awfully hot, our butter was now just a yellowish oily liquid.
One the way back we drank from a cold arroyito (small stream), the water like an elixir. Cold, sweet and refreshing, especially one our sweaty faces and hair.
It took us 4 hours to do the walk, the guy back at the camp area said we were quick.
We were fairly worn out. My knees were trashed after the difficult walk down the loose rocky screes.
We packed the bikes and got back on the CA at 1400 hours.
One of the most desirable aspects of this walk is there were no other people.
A couple of other cyclists were at the camp area, a brief exchange took place.
The road was flat for a while, then climbed and kept climbing often on loose gravel, bloody hard work.
Arroyitos were everywhere.
As were the infamous Patagonian horse flies, at slow speeds, the buggers could follow us. They were especially keen on biting me through my woollen gloves. Their destruction was the only way to get rid of individuals if they were hell bent on biting you.
“Water water everywhere and all of it to drink”. No need for my water filter here.
Going up one hill, my music very loud in my earphones, there was a sound like a gunshot. It scared the shit out of me.
It was my back tyre, a stone had ruptured it.
Luckily I had a new Schwable Dureme with me . This took us nearly an hour to change.
The two German cyclists, Sven and Sabina came by, we talked for awhile , they went on up the hill.
Once one the road again we caught up with the others at the top.
Coming down was just as difficult though more dangerous in the loose gravel, the brakes were on all the way.
Once at Villa Santa Lucia we used the net and tried to find bread without luck.
I am getting a new tent so have to make arrangements to transfer funds to a Chilean account.
My Vango, though it has served me well for a couple of years, I doubt its ability to withstanding torrential rain or wind.
Out Chile’s Hernan just happens to have a Hilleberg Tarra in stock, so I grabbed it.
This two man tent is like the Rolls Royce of tents, built to withstand all nature can throw at it.
I feel the cost is nothing as it is like my home. Like all homeowners I want to be comfortable, warm and dry.
This tent has the capabilities to provide these 3 necessities.
After Villa Santa Lucia, we met Sven and Sabina again and decided to camp together. They had lemons, we had a fishing rod.
We found a great camp in a disused military area on the Rio Frio, aptly named, I might add
The glacier and melt fed river was racing past our riparian campsite.
The evening was crystal clear. We all headed out into the open space and star gazed for sometime. Easily seeing the southern cross and the pot in the clear Patagonian sky.
For Callum and I we had spent a day overdosing one Patagonia beauty and remoteness.
A day of hard walking and hard riding, a day very special in a special part of our planet.
We had fried potatoes and soup for dinner, the trout were not so obliging in the slightly milky waters, they can’t see the lures so clearly.
We were all in bed about 2300. Sleep overcame us like a wavelet on an incoming tide across damp sand.
8/12/2013 Villa Santa Lucia to 20km nth of La Junta
D61, T5.5/10, Av10.64, Max42, Tot 22982, 13,186
Brilliant day
I was up early typing under a tree out of the dew over a coffee, Sabina and Sven were soon up.
Their tent a Nallo GT was suffering from heavy condensation on the inside of the fly. Sven and I worked out it could have been designed with a top vent. The lower vents did not allow the warm air generated by them to escape.
The sun got to us about 0730 and began drying things out.
We were all on the road before 1000, they left a bit before Cal and I.
To say the road was not hard going would have been a lie.
With the road works, there were loose river stones, soft patches, sand, hard patches, side tracks, but no asphalt.
The dust generated by the passing trucks was thick and course.
Our chains needed oiling a few times during the day.
We were catching the others on and off and would stop on a bridge for a chat.
At Villa Vanguardia Cal and I pulled in and found some bread. The lady at a comedor was feeding the road workers. We enjoyed a jug of orange juice to wash the dust away.
From here, still battling every imaginable road surface except asphalt and swamp we came to a farm house overlooking Rio Pelena.
I asked the farmer if we could lunch down by the river and have a fish, no problems.
There was later, to be a problem, however.
The spot we had lunch was the stuff postcards from Patagonia are made of, that consisting of a turquoise river, lush forest and white topped mountains keeping it all intact.
Cal headed down for a fish, the river was really too large for our little lures, he had a couple of tiddlers on .
In the meantime, a bull calf had found our bikes interesting and was nudging them with his head.
It was becoming a major dilemma. His horns were capable of ripping the panniers. He pushed both bikes over a couple of times. He was also interested in our food and cooking items.
Not wanting to stir him up I kept moving the bikes and trying to distract him with other things.
My fear was he might get excited and do some real damage. The potential for mayhem was in the making.
Cal headed up from the river, we hurriedly packed and split.
I told the farmer about out dilemma, he had a good laugh.
Luckily we got away unscathed, it’s amazing what a set of balls can do to the behaviour of a cattle beast.
Further down the road in a corral, a bunch of beret clad characters were lassoing calves as they ran around the inside of the enclosure.
It was classic, guachos were sitting on the top rail around the pen. Chicha was going around, to me also.
The idea was about 6 guys with leather lassos would stand in the middle, while a horseman stirred up the beast to run around the perimeter. They would all try to lasso it.
The trick was to bound a loop off the ground and catch the front legs and trip the animal over. They were mostly castrated animals less than 2 years old.
Some guys reeled in pain when they could trip it over, for their end of the lasso would peel through their hands delivering rope burn during its rapid passage.
They were skilled horse and cattlemen.
If the loop got both legs the animal would come down rapidly.
All this was to administer a vaccine to the animal, once on the ground then it was freed into the paddock.
Good fun.
They let a medium size bull calf go. It was all on, the animal not content to just run was charging the guys. It took a liking to one guy inparticular he was lucky to come away unscathed.
It was a great insight into local life out here. This is a bi annual event.
From here the road didn’t change. Callum was feeling the effort required, he was having some dizzy spells and beginning to not enjoy it.
Encouragement came from me.
For the uninitiated, there are not many occasions when you would voluntarily choose to lug 50 odd kg over this kind of road.
In this situation, it is the destination and the rewards both physically and other, that make you do this.
We came across the French couple camping on the side of the road at 1930. We stopped to talk for awhile.
For us, Patagonia was not about camping 10 metres from a dusty road in full view of traffic.
We would have liked to have joined them as we were both trashed, especially Cal who was now walking in places.
Some 3 km past them we came to a farm house.
I wandered in to talk with the owner, a woman came to the door, she was very friendly and said we could camp there, I said we would camp by a shed , when asking about water she said go down to the river.
Well after going through 4 Taranaki gates we got to paradise.
The kind of place people travel miles to camp at.
Lush grass overlooking a huge silent body of water, the Rio Palena, making its way to the Pacific ocean. On both sides, east and west were snow clad ranges.
Condors were cruising the evening sky, by now the time was 2100, they are becoming a reasonably common sight, though they are on thermals everso high. Their fingered wing tips and white neck identify them.
Once camp was set up, by now 2130, we went down to the little riverside beach, I took the plunge whilst cal just washed the dust and sweat off his legs and face.
Dinner was rice, tuna and a sauce.
Heaps of it!
It had been a huge tiring day, the road and the concentration required to stay upright had left us totally worn out.
Before dinner we had coffee and demolished a pack of water crackers and vegemite just to have the energy to actually eat dinner.
We were in bed at 2230.
It is now still partially light till after ten oclock.
There is no urgency to start riding too early. This is great.
My rear wheel has its first broken spoke which will need to be replaced in the morning, luckily it is not on the cassette side.
D70, T4/6, Av16, Max54, Tot 22896, 13099
Overcast, mild
The couple of days at the Hostal Miramar were relaxing to say the least, washing was done. The internet enjoyed and the wait for the ferry was all worth it.
We got onboard, there were 5 other cyclists onboard, among other travellers.
We spent time talking with an interesting couple from Oregon. They were avid bird watchers.
Just a couple of names, The Spur Winged Plover was called a Southern Lapwing. The bird that sounded like a wood duck nesting in all the trees was a Black Faced Ibis, (Bandurria).
It was an easy 4 and three quarter hour trip. The ferries work with regards to the tides. We arrived early and had to wait for the tide. By now it was midnight and the crew said we could sleep onboard. A few of us took up this offer.
Needless to say. Walking around Chaiten at midnight looking for a place to stay was not a good thought.
Cal and I enjoyed a red wine and sleep a few hours before daylight.
We rode off the ferry at 0700, headed into town and down to the beach to cook breakfast. The flat sandy rock strewn beach was littered with dead trees. Most likely from the volcanic eruption here in 2008. The town of Chaiten was covered in ash.
We met a guy who is walking everywhere, he is from the UK, he speaks at schools about the environment and generally sleeps at fire stations. 20,000km on foot.
He had old tyres stuck to the soles of his shoes.
We also spoke to a French couple older than (he was 70) me who were riding south, who we will most likely see again.
On the beach a French guy came along for a chat, we had met him on the ferry. We knocked up a filtered coffee for him . He was wrapped , his first proper coffee in weeks he said.
From here, we spent time chatting to a Swiss couple who had a rent a van. Really nice people.
Buying bread saw us leave town and join the famous Carraterra Austral for the first real look at Patagonia in the raw.
After having spent 10 days on Chiloé with the scenery mostly farm land. This was such a welcome.
From the moment we left town on the newly asphalted road, surrounded by high ranges with opaque rocky faces you could just feel the aura of Patagonia in the atmosphere.
The vegetation was lush, water everywhere and snow top ranges alongside the road.
Cal and I were so pleased to be back in the wilderness again. Touring bikes in urban areas just don’t feel the same.
The riding was sheer pleasure following the valley aided by a tidy little northerly.
We spent time riding with a couple of American guys till the turnoff to Tremus El Amarillo.
From here, we still had the pleasure of a newly constructed road surface. We bumped into a Brazillian guy who was walking with a trailer and a suitcase. Great young guy. He was married and doing this before he goes home to start a family.
Soon we got to Puente Yelcho, this marks the end of the asphalt. Under the bridge we enjoyed bread and Dulce. The bridge was an old suspension bridge beneath it the Rio Yelcho, a huge river drained Lago Yelcho Lonconao.
In some ways it was nice to be back on gravel, it added to the remoteness of the surrounds. The surface was good.
Patchy cloud covered most or the mountain tops. At one point, a glacier in a mountain valley came into view.
We camped just up the road from Glacier Yeicho Chica on the confluence of two streams one glacier fed and the other clear from springs and snow melt
Cal caught 4 trout, these were enjoyed everso fresh.
Our first night on the Austral was hopefully a taste of things to come. The sound of the rivers was great to fall asleep to.
8/12/2013 Glacier Yeicho Chica to 3km sth of Villa Santa Lucia
D26, T2.5/5, Av10, Max42, Tot22,921, 13,125
Cloudy start then brilliant sunny day
The morning greeted us with low cloud over the ranges, yesterday we had made arrangements to walk to Glacia Yecho Chica.
We were a bit reluctant to walk up if we were going to be shrouded in cloud. Anyway by the time we got packed, had another fish and let the tents dry, the cloud began to lift.
Once at the walking track, some 500m back from our river camp we spoke with the guide.
He everso kindly let us lock our bikes in a shed.
The day was getting better by the minute with the cloud breaking in many places.
The track was well marked and many common trees were named, it was great.
So just to brief you on a couple of trees here in Patagonia. The most iconic tree , the one with the kind of layered small leafed foliage is the Coigúe and another common larger leafed tree is the Canelo, The Manio is a type pine of tree with needles.
The Coigúe grow huge, they symbolise the bush here at present.
The Nalcas are still everywhere there is water.
Walking through the bush was like a rainforest experience, that of moss and all shades of green, though this was temperate to say the least.
The milky glacier feed river roared throughout the whole walk as we followed it to its source.
Once out of the forest. Our marked tracked ended and we were confronted with a huge amphitheatre, where the stage was shattered rock on screes littered with timber. The middle of the stage contained the roaring creeks from both glaciers, other creeks feed only by melt were finding their way down through the jiggered rocks.
Waterfalls cascaded where there were no glaciers in the valley.
The larger glacier Yeicho Chico (I asked the guide on our return why, as it was the larger of the two). Was brilliantly white and fractured every which way.
Yeichio, to the left and higher, was covered in dirt, possibly from wind blown debris.
Our walk across this theatre took us through wet areas, across unstable rock screes and rock hopping small water courses.
It took two hours of fast walking to get as close as we could without jeopardizing our safety.
Here we ate sardines and vegemite and just marvelled at nature only on the scale Patagonia can present.
Forest grew almost to the snow line.
Large area of bare rock on the slopes told stories of huge land slides.
At one point a large rumble was heard as some pressure somewhere above was released in the ice.
Looking back down the valley to the Carraterra Austral were more snowclad mountains with glimpses of a lake east of the road.
At one point out of the valley between us and the glacier, a Condor was aloft, its shape was small against the immenseness of the mountain side cradling the glacier.
Cal and I were awe struck at what was around us. We were still at least 1500m from the terminus of Yeicho Chico.
By now it was clear and awfully hot, our butter was now just a yellowish oily liquid.
One the way back we drank from a cold arroyito (small stream), the water like an elixir. Cold, sweet and refreshing, especially one our sweaty faces and hair.
It took us 4 hours to do the walk, the guy back at the camp area said we were quick.
We were fairly worn out. My knees were trashed after the difficult walk down the loose rocky screes.
We packed the bikes and got back on the CA at 1400 hours.
One of the most desirable aspects of this walk is there were no other people.
A couple of other cyclists were at the camp area, a brief exchange took place.
The road was flat for a while, then climbed and kept climbing often on loose gravel, bloody hard work.
Arroyitos were everywhere.
As were the infamous Patagonian horse flies, at slow speeds, the buggers could follow us. They were especially keen on biting me through my woollen gloves. Their destruction was the only way to get rid of individuals if they were hell bent on biting you.
“Water water everywhere and all of it to drink”. No need for my water filter here.
Going up one hill, my music very loud in my earphones, there was a sound like a gunshot. It scared the shit out of me.
It was my back tyre, a stone had ruptured it.
Luckily I had a new Schwable Dureme with me . This took us nearly an hour to change.
The two German cyclists, Sven and Sabina came by, we talked for awhile , they went on up the hill.
Once one the road again we caught up with the others at the top.
Coming down was just as difficult though more dangerous in the loose gravel, the brakes were on all the way.
Once at Villa Santa Lucia we used the net and tried to find bread without luck.
I am getting a new tent so have to make arrangements to transfer funds to a Chilean account.
My Vango, though it has served me well for a couple of years, I doubt its ability to withstanding torrential rain or wind.
Out Chile’s Hernan just happens to have a Hilleberg Tarra in stock, so I grabbed it.
This two man tent is like the Rolls Royce of tents, built to withstand all nature can throw at it.
I feel the cost is nothing as it is like my home. Like all homeowners I want to be comfortable, warm and dry.
This tent has the capabilities to provide these 3 necessities.
After Villa Santa Lucia, we met Sven and Sabina again and decided to camp together. They had lemons, we had a fishing rod.
We found a great camp in a disused military area on the Rio Frio, aptly named, I might add
The glacier and melt fed river was racing past our riparian campsite.
The evening was crystal clear. We all headed out into the open space and star gazed for sometime. Easily seeing the southern cross and the pot in the clear Patagonian sky.
For Callum and I we had spent a day overdosing one Patagonia beauty and remoteness.
A day of hard walking and hard riding, a day very special in a special part of our planet.
We had fried potatoes and soup for dinner, the trout were not so obliging in the slightly milky waters, they can’t see the lures so clearly.
We were all in bed about 2300. Sleep overcame us like a wavelet on an incoming tide across damp sand.
8/12/2013 Villa Santa Lucia to 20km nth of La Junta
D61, T5.5/10, Av10.64, Max42, Tot 22982, 13,186
Brilliant day
I was up early typing under a tree out of the dew over a coffee, Sabina and Sven were soon up.
Their tent a Nallo GT was suffering from heavy condensation on the inside of the fly. Sven and I worked out it could have been designed with a top vent. The lower vents did not allow the warm air generated by them to escape.
The sun got to us about 0730 and began drying things out.
We were all on the road before 1000, they left a bit before Cal and I.
To say the road was not hard going would have been a lie.
With the road works, there were loose river stones, soft patches, sand, hard patches, side tracks, but no asphalt.
The dust generated by the passing trucks was thick and course.
Our chains needed oiling a few times during the day.
We were catching the others on and off and would stop on a bridge for a chat.
At Villa Vanguardia Cal and I pulled in and found some bread. The lady at a comedor was feeding the road workers. We enjoyed a jug of orange juice to wash the dust away.
From here, still battling every imaginable road surface except asphalt and swamp we came to a farm house overlooking Rio Pelena.
I asked the farmer if we could lunch down by the river and have a fish, no problems.
There was later, to be a problem, however.
The spot we had lunch was the stuff postcards from Patagonia are made of, that consisting of a turquoise river, lush forest and white topped mountains keeping it all intact.
Cal headed down for a fish, the river was really too large for our little lures, he had a couple of tiddlers on .
In the meantime, a bull calf had found our bikes interesting and was nudging them with his head.
It was becoming a major dilemma. His horns were capable of ripping the panniers. He pushed both bikes over a couple of times. He was also interested in our food and cooking items.
Not wanting to stir him up I kept moving the bikes and trying to distract him with other things.
My fear was he might get excited and do some real damage. The potential for mayhem was in the making.
Cal headed up from the river, we hurriedly packed and split.
I told the farmer about out dilemma, he had a good laugh.
Luckily we got away unscathed, it’s amazing what a set of balls can do to the behaviour of a cattle beast.
Further down the road in a corral, a bunch of beret clad characters were lassoing calves as they ran around the inside of the enclosure.
It was classic, guachos were sitting on the top rail around the pen. Chicha was going around, to me also.
The idea was about 6 guys with leather lassos would stand in the middle, while a horseman stirred up the beast to run around the perimeter. They would all try to lasso it.
The trick was to bound a loop off the ground and catch the front legs and trip the animal over. They were mostly castrated animals less than 2 years old.
Some guys reeled in pain when they could trip it over, for their end of the lasso would peel through their hands delivering rope burn during its rapid passage.
They were skilled horse and cattlemen.
If the loop got both legs the animal would come down rapidly.
All this was to administer a vaccine to the animal, once on the ground then it was freed into the paddock.
Good fun.
They let a medium size bull calf go. It was all on, the animal not content to just run was charging the guys. It took a liking to one guy inparticular he was lucky to come away unscathed.
It was a great insight into local life out here. This is a bi annual event.
From here the road didn’t change. Callum was feeling the effort required, he was having some dizzy spells and beginning to not enjoy it.
Encouragement came from me.
For the uninitiated, there are not many occasions when you would voluntarily choose to lug 50 odd kg over this kind of road.
In this situation, it is the destination and the rewards both physically and other, that make you do this.
We came across the French couple camping on the side of the road at 1930. We stopped to talk for awhile.
For us, Patagonia was not about camping 10 metres from a dusty road in full view of traffic.
We would have liked to have joined them as we were both trashed, especially Cal who was now walking in places.
Some 3 km past them we came to a farm house.
I wandered in to talk with the owner, a woman came to the door, she was very friendly and said we could camp there, I said we would camp by a shed , when asking about water she said go down to the river.
Well after going through 4 Taranaki gates we got to paradise.
The kind of place people travel miles to camp at.
Lush grass overlooking a huge silent body of water, the Rio Palena, making its way to the Pacific ocean. On both sides, east and west were snow clad ranges.
Condors were cruising the evening sky, by now the time was 2100, they are becoming a reasonably common sight, though they are on thermals everso high. Their fingered wing tips and white neck identify them.
Once camp was set up, by now 2130, we went down to the little riverside beach, I took the plunge whilst cal just washed the dust and sweat off his legs and face.
Dinner was rice, tuna and a sauce.
Heaps of it!
It had been a huge tiring day, the road and the concentration required to stay upright had left us totally worn out.
Before dinner we had coffee and demolished a pack of water crackers and vegemite just to have the energy to actually eat dinner.
We were in bed at 2230.
It is now still partially light till after ten oclock.
There is no urgency to start riding too early. This is great.
My rear wheel has its first broken spoke which will need to be replaced in the morning, luckily it is not on the cassette side.
 Arriving on the mainland
 Native fuschia
 Some sections of the roadworks were difficult with the loose river stones on the surface
 A novel way to catch calves for vaccination. it appeared to be a great way to get the community together.
 The two glaciers, from Cals camera. We walked up tp the green patches infront of the ridge to Yeicho Chica on the right.
 Puyuhuapi
 Guy, Tina and family at Piedra del gato
|
 First night by glaciers.
 Glacier Yeicho Chic and Yeicho to the left
 The walking track up to the glaciers
 Sabina and Sven joined us at Villa Santa Lucia on the Rio Frio
 riverside camping on the farm near La Junta
 camping above the Rio Cisnes near Piedra el Gato
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