Sailing the Pampa

Its hard to comprehend how different 2 countries can be just a few 10s of km appart. From wet grey and densely forested Chile we are into a huge wide expanse of arid landscape. The strong prevailing winds from the Pacific mean that at this latitude Chile has a huge 3500mm of rain a year vs just 200mm in Argentina.

Its also really windy today in Argentina. 50-60 kmph and gusting up to 80. And simply no shelter. Hmm. A new set of rules. For now we have the winds at our backs pushing us up the hills and across the ripio. Its actually hard to stand still without applying the brakes. And its really tough when the wind is from the side.

We have another issue. The flat pampas is covered in low bushes and grasses that are prickly. Not ideal for the tent. For the first night we find a flat dried out lake which solves part of the problem but which ends up getting fine clinging dust/dirt all over everything. Plus there are animal carcasses all around which is a bit off-putting.

The next day we are whizzing over the ripio and cover a days ride in the morning. And at long last we start seeng guanaco, an elegant wild animal that is reminiscent of a llama, girafe and horse. Soon we are on tarmac and we are effortlessly sailing along through the vast landscapes. We cover 130 km (almost half of this, ripio) in one day… with a massive battle for the last 10km when we have strong gusting cross and head winds. Alain gets into hero mode and leads the way, sheltering a very tired Alice behind. The landscapes are so different to Chile. Vast huge flat plains. Huge skies. Colours muted greys and sandy.Read more