February 18, 2018
El Cerrito: A little language skill goes a long way
Our legs were still tight from the walking when we woke up this morning, leigh's more so than mine, but apart from that we felt refreshed. The music from La Fiesta del Lagos stopped at about eleven o'clock the past two nights as opposed to about three in the morning the first two nights so we have slept quite well.
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The first thirty kilometers eastwards from El Calafate is made up of small rolling hills but from the junction with Ruta 40 it flattens for the next fifteen kilometers. The wind was not yet particularly strong but it started to pick up as we approached the big climb. The climb itself was very easy despite the altitude gain as there are no sections with a steep gradient at all. The mirador near the top gives a lovely view north westwards towards the lake and the valley below.
Just past the summit we found a handy culvert where we stopped to have some lunch. At this point it suddenly got very cold and both Leigh and I put on an extra layer and warmer gloves. We turned southwards with the wind now more from the side but the slope was gently downwards to El Cerrito so it was easy riding. It was only the last ten kilometers, when the wind has got quite strong, that we had to work a bit, making it to El Cerrrito soon after four o'clock.
El Cerrito is just an AGVP station - a depot for road maintenance crews - but has been a refuge for cyclists for some time. Claudio, the superintendent, was in a meeting when we arrived but we understood from him that we could camp in the parking area a short distance from the buildings. The wind was still blowing strongly so we used a sheltered area next to the buildings while we decided how we would setup for the night. After a snack and playing with a couple of kittens that were hanging around we decided to have an early supper and hit the sack. We had made a double batch of curry last night and so the leftovers in wraps were the perfect no-fuss meal in the windy conditions.
While we were eating supper, Pierre, the French speaking Swiss who had been on the boat with us across Lago Desierto, arrived. He got confirmation from Claudio that we need to camp in the parking area so after we finished eating we moved down there and set up our tents. While Pierre and I were chatting, Victor, Pierre's companion on the boat across Lago Disierto arrived with another Chilean cyclist. Somehow they got permission to camp next to the buildings from Claudio but we were all setup now and weren't going to move.
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After four nights in luxury we are back in our tent. Despite lacking the comforts of a double bed and an en suite bathroom, it feels good to be back in our little home.
Today's ride: 94 km (58 miles)
Total: 1,593 km (989 miles)
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