We leave early with the idea to try for about 100km camp somewhere and then catch the ferry tomorrow.

First, we have to get away from the hostel though, a nasty climb back out of the valley of Rio Simpson to the Camino Austral. The first 40km out of Coyhaique south are paved. The road leads to the Argentina border where there is a serious airport at Balmaceda.

The road gradually climbs in stairsteps to a high plateau, we have beautiful vistas in all directions. Then after about 40km, reality catches up with us, back on gravel south on Ruta 7.

Immediately we start climbing and except for some flat sections, we keep climbing higher and higher. We stop for an extended lunch break at noon but get pestered by mostly horseflies. Patrick is thinking maybe the locals would hire him to just sit here and kill them, as he's getting pretty good at it.

The road continues climbing to about 1000meter altitude and there is a lake with a CONAF campground. Because of the strike it is closed, but our bikes fit around the gate and we sneak in to use the tables for lunch break. About an hour later we emerge once again and head on. Our map show a portezuela (pass or saddle) somewhere here, we think we are in luck when the road starts to drop along a fast flowing stream.

Once again there is road construction going ons o we have to take it easy. After losing about 200 meters altitude the road turns up another valley...sh*t!

The wind that helped us on the first climb is now less helpful. Though not steep the climb is very long, about 15km, dusty and with a very bad road surface.

We meet two Dutch cyclists on their way up north and on around the world it sounds like. They ride brand new Koga Myata's. Not one minute after we leave them another bike shows up, a Scottsman carrying Alan's Carretera Austral road description. We chat and exchange our address, he too is on his way north. Neither of the cyclists can tell us much about Ruta 40 in Argentina though, the Dutch hitched and the Scott came down Chile.

The last 10 km to the pass are bad. Lots of construction traffic, dust and very bad road surface. Patrick gets a flat rear tire, we eat a big piece of chocolate and push on. It is now past 8pm and we still have 20km to go.

Then the summit and a gravel downhill starts. Magnificent views of a glacier and Cerro Castillo mountains. Halfway down the hill we haul our bikes on top of a narrow concrete strip that has already been poured. It is still closed for traffic, but we can zip down it all the way to the valley floor and the junction to Puerto Ibanez.

About 8 more kilometers we stop and ask permission at a farmhouse to camp in the sheep pasture in front. No problem, the guy explains he saw us today on the road but we can't figure our how or where. It's 10pm now and we are too tired to cook, we eat a bowl of cereal and go to sleep.