Sat 26th Nov: Villa O'Higgins to near Lago Desierto

November 26, 2016

I slept very lightly; most of the time in a dream where I wanted to go to bed, but the people in the hostel I'm camped in the yard of said, don't be antisocial. Stay up and talk. So I'd no problem waking early, again to the sound of rain rumbling on the tent.

The rain eventually eased, about time. When I'd the panniers packed and so could take down the tent.

As I said yesterday, it's seven kilometres to the boat, and the road builders couldn't have done a better job of doing a terrible job. The first couple of kilometres are fine as it crosses the river estuary flats, until reaching the steep hillside the far side, from where the road constantly climbs only to dip back down. Surely, it was as easy to blast a road that is level than one with all these little hills.

I arrive in time at the quay. The boat that I'd expected, well: there's wonderful photos of it in tourist literature. The reality is pretty old and pumping out a cloud of blue diesel exhaust. And as for the eight o'clock departure time, it's twenty to nine when we get on board and the boat begins to splutter and belch more blue smoke as it pushes out from an old wooden quay. Then the captain's voice announces on a very crackly public address system....The apparent arrival time will be 11.20.

So now I'm looking forward to the steep climb from where I disembark on the other side, up to the Argentine border; followed by pushing the bike along a horse trail, down to Lago Desierto. But not as much as I'm looking forward to reaching El Chalten and a few days of staying put. It being now the eleventh day on the go since leaving Coyhaique. The reason for riding every day since, is the weather has been so good. Perfect for cycling. It would've been a shame not to.

From the steep climb from the lakeshore to the Argentine frontier.

There is only us three cyclists, Chris and Alisha and me get off when the boat pulls in and docks at Mansula Mancilla. The rest on board, middleaged excursion goers stay on and the boat pulls out and sails away again, to take the excursion goers to see Glacier O'Higgins. It makes me glad I'm traveling by bike, where I get to see and feel my surroundings at my own pace, not to be beholding to a group that are dependant upon buses and the like.

From the quay ramp it's a steep push up. A carabinero had been down on a quad bike to meet the boat and collect the mail. I pass the farmhouse where in 2005, I and the others stayed. The old woman of the house and two elderly men living there were extremely shy, not being used to outsiders. Mind this route for tourist had only been up and running a handful of years then. The Caratera Austral only completed to O'Higgins in 1998. Before that this was one of the remotest places thinkable.

Further up the loose river stone track, I come to the police station, where I get my exit stamp. The police, or carabineros as they're called here, certainly have it cosy here; with a small village of modern bungalows for their families, a mini football pitch. Quad bike as a run around. Even a very modern Fendt tractor, though it has a flat rear tyre at the moment.

The all so steep uphill farm track with recently laid crushed river stones, a loose surface continues up the hillside toward a gap; with clumps of dwarf beech enlivened with splashes of red firebrush, the dark green trees, yellow grasses, contrasting with white and grey snow streaked mountain up ahead. Parts are just rideable, until a bend where it becomes steeper, causing me to slip off. It goes up to a gap between two hills where it levels out in a forest, going on until reaching a welcome to Argentina sign. Whereupon the way is reduced to a narrow single track, very rideable to begin with. Then it becomes too narrow with tree roots stuck out in the way, so I'm off the bike pushing.

Things deteriorate further on with a swamp to cross. By then I've caught up a young cycling couple and an older single man, all French. The girl is light and her boyfriend lifts her and her bike over.

We continue on together to near Lago Desierto; until reaching a broad but shallow stream which we have to ford. The other side has a level bank where I decide to halt and set up camp; while the others continue.

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