The real ripio

The real ripio finally begins. Actually it is pretty bad. We are into the wind, the best place to find a line without too much loose gravel and too many bumps is on the other side of the road - its normal to ride/drive all over the road but we cant hear the traffic coming up behind (so as to get back on the proper side of the road) because of the roar of the wind. The road is almost 4 lanes wide though much of it too rough to be used and has had recent roadworks so its grey and dusty and gravelly. Its dust fills our vision and lungs and we have grit in our mouths.

But oh my, oh wow, the Views. Big glaciated valleys and wide flat wetlands, huge rivers (one of which we camp beside). Its is stupendous.

And eventually (quite a long “eventually” in this case) the ripio narrows and firms and we are no longer into the wind. And after the rain of the night, it clears to freshly snow-frosted mountain slopes. And there are the glacial blue waters and the lighter blue skies and the spring greens and the yellows of the new lupins and then the brighter blue of Chile’s largest lake that we have now reached. What a reward for the hard work.Read more