Hola !
Outside it is raining but I am sitting in front of my own fire place, in an old school building with some fine music and a cold beer I finally feel like talking , not that is was that bad but, well, lets start with the beginning.
In the beginning there was nothing, and God created on day one ha ha ha further I do not know J
I hate cycling on the highway so I always look on my map for the smallest roads, not always easy to ride as would be clear very soon.
On my map was a small road from Mulchen to El Morro, along a river. At the other side of the river was another road, going south. As I am ( was ) heading south a perfect solotion to avoid the highway. From Mulchen the road was so nice, a brand new tarred road, flat as a pancake, 10 meters wide. But not for long …
After 15 km the paved road ended and gravel came instead, not so bad either. But another 5 km further the gravel sort of ended as well; a rocky sandy 4 meter wide track it became.
And the road got worse and worse, smaller and smaller and difficult to cycle so when I reache El Morro after 60 km it was time to stop. El Morro, I counted 3 houses and a huge soccer field where I pitched my tent, without asking because I didn’t see anybody J
Later in the evening a couple walked by, I waved at them and they waved back, so no problem.
Next day I followed the ‘road’ and soon it became a 2 meter wide muddy track through the forrest.
Now, according to my map 20 km further there should be a bridge, very helpful if you have to cross a river. Exactly at 20 km the road diverted, the right track going to the river and closed by a gate, the other track going away from the river … I didn’t know what to do, no bridge in sight so I was thinking of going back but suddenly I saw through the trees at the other side of the river some houses, a small village. That must be El Amargen, where I want to go, I thought … yeah !!!
I decided to follow the left track for like 5 km but it was going away from the river and the village more and more …
Okay, 2 more km, if then there is no bridge I will go back !
Ofcourse, no bridge.
Okay, I will cycle a little bit further, just around that corner.
A gate …
Thank God not locked so I opend it and thought, I will not close it, I am sure I will, have to, come back because I cannot get to the other side, I felt so sad …
Turning around is never nice, in my case it would be a small disaster; cycling that horrible rad back, all the way to Mulchen ( 70 km ) and from there take the highway for like a hundred km or more, no fun at all …
But this road was going nowhere and in totally the wrong direction for many km’s now … I stopped, didn’t know what to do … Helplessly I looked around and saw a line of trees in the distance. Okay, if there isn’t a bridge over there I sure as hell will go back !! I cycled towards the trees, past them and a feeling came into me. A feeling that kept me going, like if I knew there really was a bridge, driven by a higher spirit ? I am not sure but something kept me going with the river now next to the road.
What’s that ? A bridge ?? No, some grey asphalt across the river. I saw some house to every now and then and the road at the other side.
So I kept cycling and cycling, driven …
And suddenly saw something, a rope ?
No, it was a small pedestrian bridge, yahoo !!!!
I made it !
So happy I pushed my bike over this very small and even more moving bridge, hanging at some ropes … Tricky business but I made it alive and dry to the other side where I stopped a car and asked if this was the road to El Amargen. Yes he said and I could kiss him J So happy that I didn’t turn around !!!
But cycling here in Chili is quite tough sometimes, with roads going up 10 % minimum, 15 or 20 % happens too. And that on a sandy road, filled with loose stones, varying in size from 1 to 15 cm’s, sometimes impossible to cycle ! Even pushing the bike up is tricky business, my feet slipping away.
I cycled next to migthy volcano’s, some of them active, which is so cool !
I love the sight of those wonders of nature. One day I was really close, at the foot of volcano Llaima, also an active one. I read on an information panel when the last eruptions were: 1985,1994 and 2004. So every 9 or 10 years. Now it was almost 2013 so maybe, if I was lucky … I stamped on the ground, just to help him a little bit but with no success, maybe I had to thank God or that higher spirit for the second time huh, me standing so close. But with a magnificent view !!!
The last day to Pucon, which I left this morning, it was raining and I drove wrong for like 10 km in pooring rain, on a bad and climbing dirt road … Man I felt bad …
I had a great hostel in Pucon but when I checked the weather my heart dropped dead … Many more rain to come !
And, although I was traveling slow ( some days only 46, 50 or 60 km’s ) I was still going to fast. Because I wanted to be in Coyhaique at the end of November ( which is better concerning the season, weather can be really harsh out there ) and from Pucon to Coyhaique was only like 2 weeks of cycling I had a small problem, the rain my biggest fear. I thought and thought and suddenly got a brainwave; the wind and the clouds with rain coming from the west, how should it be at the other side of the Andes of which the high mountains would force the clouds to drop their rain at the western side ? I check it on the internet and yes, thank God for the third time, I owe him big, please help me to reminder, when it is my time to bring a cake or something for him hey, the weather in Argentina, at the other much drier side of the Andes was so much better.
So I changed my plans a little bit. Now I am cycling to Peninsula Valdes, which is great for whale watching and it is the best time of the year to do so. In sunny and dry conditions J
Hey, if the sun doesn’t come to Lars, Lars is going to the sun !!!
And to see some whales, for the first time in my life, looking forward !
Oh, and the first chaintest for those who are interested
After a 1000 km the KMC Gold is 6 % worn out
Shimano HG 70 is 10 % worn out
KMC X8 is 11 % worn out
KMC X1 is 12 % worn out
This too is to be continued
Hasta luego !!!
Outside it is raining but I am sitting in front of my own fire place, in an old school building with some fine music and a cold beer I finally feel like talking , not that is was that bad but, well, lets start with the beginning.
In the beginning there was nothing, and God created on day one ha ha ha further I do not know J
I hate cycling on the highway so I always look on my map for the smallest roads, not always easy to ride as would be clear very soon.
On my map was a small road from Mulchen to El Morro, along a river. At the other side of the river was another road, going south. As I am ( was ) heading south a perfect solotion to avoid the highway. From Mulchen the road was so nice, a brand new tarred road, flat as a pancake, 10 meters wide. But not for long …
After 15 km the paved road ended and gravel came instead, not so bad either. But another 5 km further the gravel sort of ended as well; a rocky sandy 4 meter wide track it became.
And the road got worse and worse, smaller and smaller and difficult to cycle so when I reache El Morro after 60 km it was time to stop. El Morro, I counted 3 houses and a huge soccer field where I pitched my tent, without asking because I didn’t see anybody J
Later in the evening a couple walked by, I waved at them and they waved back, so no problem.
Next day I followed the ‘road’ and soon it became a 2 meter wide muddy track through the forrest.
Now, according to my map 20 km further there should be a bridge, very helpful if you have to cross a river. Exactly at 20 km the road diverted, the right track going to the river and closed by a gate, the other track going away from the river … I didn’t know what to do, no bridge in sight so I was thinking of going back but suddenly I saw through the trees at the other side of the river some houses, a small village. That must be El Amargen, where I want to go, I thought … yeah !!!
I decided to follow the left track for like 5 km but it was going away from the river and the village more and more …
Okay, 2 more km, if then there is no bridge I will go back !
Ofcourse, no bridge.
Okay, I will cycle a little bit further, just around that corner.
A gate …
Thank God not locked so I opend it and thought, I will not close it, I am sure I will, have to, come back because I cannot get to the other side, I felt so sad …
Turning around is never nice, in my case it would be a small disaster; cycling that horrible rad back, all the way to Mulchen ( 70 km ) and from there take the highway for like a hundred km or more, no fun at all …
But this road was going nowhere and in totally the wrong direction for many km’s now … I stopped, didn’t know what to do … Helplessly I looked around and saw a line of trees in the distance. Okay, if there isn’t a bridge over there I sure as hell will go back !! I cycled towards the trees, past them and a feeling came into me. A feeling that kept me going, like if I knew there really was a bridge, driven by a higher spirit ? I am not sure but something kept me going with the river now next to the road.
What’s that ? A bridge ?? No, some grey asphalt across the river. I saw some house to every now and then and the road at the other side.
So I kept cycling and cycling, driven …
And suddenly saw something, a rope ?
No, it was a small pedestrian bridge, yahoo !!!!
I made it !
So happy I pushed my bike over this very small and even more moving bridge, hanging at some ropes … Tricky business but I made it alive and dry to the other side where I stopped a car and asked if this was the road to El Amargen. Yes he said and I could kiss him J So happy that I didn’t turn around !!!
But cycling here in Chili is quite tough sometimes, with roads going up 10 % minimum, 15 or 20 % happens too. And that on a sandy road, filled with loose stones, varying in size from 1 to 15 cm’s, sometimes impossible to cycle ! Even pushing the bike up is tricky business, my feet slipping away.
I cycled next to migthy volcano’s, some of them active, which is so cool !
I love the sight of those wonders of nature. One day I was really close, at the foot of volcano Llaima, also an active one. I read on an information panel when the last eruptions were: 1985,1994 and 2004. So every 9 or 10 years. Now it was almost 2013 so maybe, if I was lucky … I stamped on the ground, just to help him a little bit but with no success, maybe I had to thank God or that higher spirit for the second time huh, me standing so close. But with a magnificent view !!!
The last day to Pucon, which I left this morning, it was raining and I drove wrong for like 10 km in pooring rain, on a bad and climbing dirt road … Man I felt bad …
I had a great hostel in Pucon but when I checked the weather my heart dropped dead … Many more rain to come !
And, although I was traveling slow ( some days only 46, 50 or 60 km’s ) I was still going to fast. Because I wanted to be in Coyhaique at the end of November ( which is better concerning the season, weather can be really harsh out there ) and from Pucon to Coyhaique was only like 2 weeks of cycling I had a small problem, the rain my biggest fear. I thought and thought and suddenly got a brainwave; the wind and the clouds with rain coming from the west, how should it be at the other side of the Andes of which the high mountains would force the clouds to drop their rain at the western side ? I check it on the internet and yes, thank God for the third time, I owe him big, please help me to reminder, when it is my time to bring a cake or something for him hey, the weather in Argentina, at the other much drier side of the Andes was so much better.
So I changed my plans a little bit. Now I am cycling to Peninsula Valdes, which is great for whale watching and it is the best time of the year to do so. In sunny and dry conditions J
Hey, if the sun doesn’t come to Lars, Lars is going to the sun !!!
And to see some whales, for the first time in my life, looking forward !
Oh, and the first chaintest for those who are interested
After a 1000 km the KMC Gold is 6 % worn out
Shimano HG 70 is 10 % worn out
KMC X8 is 11 % worn out
KMC X1 is 12 % worn out
This too is to be continued
Hasta luego !!!