El Sauce, Chile, mile 130
Greetings from three and a half miles east of where I started this morning. Sometimes, the best made plans don't work out and that happened today.
Los Andes is approximately 41 miles from the Paso de Los Libertadores tunnel through the Andes mountains and into Argentina. (The actual border is somewhere in the tunnel.) Bikes, naturally, are not allowed into the tunnel. From the Chilean customs post before the tunnel there is an old, unpaved road up to a huge statue of Jesus Christ known as the Cristo Redentor de los Andes. This was the old route to Argentina prior to construction of the tunnel in 1970. Jesus sits on the border at an elevation of 13,700 feet and is 46 miles from Los Andes. 46 miles doesn't sound too far, but with this kind of elevation gain, it is. My goal was to ride up to the actual border, take a picture or three, and then whiz back down the mountain at warp speed. A Google search showed a hotel en Rio Blanco 22 miles up the road from Los Andes, or just about half the total distance. I figured I could rent a room for two nights and then ride all the way to the top tomorrow, and do it without my saddlebags. This was absolutely the LAST hotel in Chile, next place to stay is Mendoza, Argentina.
The hotel closed last year. Thanks, Google.
Every other hotel on the way back down was either closed or full. Having ridden 22 miles up the road, I had to retrace my steps 18 miles back down before I found a place to stay.
The ride itself was beautiful. Route 60 parallels the Rio Aconcagua up into the mountains. The river is fed by glaciers and flows at an incredible pace down to the sea. Along side the river is a railroad track, and it is in use; I saw several trains. Whoever designed that must have been a genius. Of the 22 miles out I rode, about 20 were up. I was helped by a strong tail wind blowing from the west, because of the wind, coming down wasn't quite as easy as I thought it would be. I did not do any switchbacks today; they will come after Rio Blanco.
Curiously, I am having trouble with muscle cramps, in both legs. It is hotter than Hades and I am going up and up, which I guess explains them. I found Gatorade today and consumed three bottles, as well as multiple Cokes, so hydration was not really an issue. Who knows.
The hotel I am staying at is hosting a bunch of phone company workers who are working up the mountain, which explains the full hotels I encountered today. I am going to see if I can talk them into giving me a ride back to Rio Blanco tomorrow, without saddlebags, and then I will ride to the top and return to this hotel in the evening. If that does not work out, I will turn around and head for Valparaiso on the coast.
Today's total ride was 40 miles (It felt like more), giving me 130 on the trip so far. Being out of an "urban area", I binned the helmet today and the Carabineros left me alone.
Los Andes is approximately 41 miles from the Paso de Los Libertadores tunnel through the Andes mountains and into Argentina. (The actual border is somewhere in the tunnel.) Bikes, naturally, are not allowed into the tunnel. From the Chilean customs post before the tunnel there is an old, unpaved road up to a huge statue of Jesus Christ known as the Cristo Redentor de los Andes. This was the old route to Argentina prior to construction of the tunnel in 1970. Jesus sits on the border at an elevation of 13,700 feet and is 46 miles from Los Andes. 46 miles doesn't sound too far, but with this kind of elevation gain, it is. My goal was to ride up to the actual border, take a picture or three, and then whiz back down the mountain at warp speed. A Google search showed a hotel en Rio Blanco 22 miles up the road from Los Andes, or just about half the total distance. I figured I could rent a room for two nights and then ride all the way to the top tomorrow, and do it without my saddlebags. This was absolutely the LAST hotel in Chile, next place to stay is Mendoza, Argentina.
The hotel closed last year. Thanks, Google.
Every other hotel on the way back down was either closed or full. Having ridden 22 miles up the road, I had to retrace my steps 18 miles back down before I found a place to stay.
The ride itself was beautiful. Route 60 parallels the Rio Aconcagua up into the mountains. The river is fed by glaciers and flows at an incredible pace down to the sea. Along side the river is a railroad track, and it is in use; I saw several trains. Whoever designed that must have been a genius. Of the 22 miles out I rode, about 20 were up. I was helped by a strong tail wind blowing from the west, because of the wind, coming down wasn't quite as easy as I thought it would be. I did not do any switchbacks today; they will come after Rio Blanco.
Curiously, I am having trouble with muscle cramps, in both legs. It is hotter than Hades and I am going up and up, which I guess explains them. I found Gatorade today and consumed three bottles, as well as multiple Cokes, so hydration was not really an issue. Who knows.
The hotel I am staying at is hosting a bunch of phone company workers who are working up the mountain, which explains the full hotels I encountered today. I am going to see if I can talk them into giving me a ride back to Rio Blanco tomorrow, without saddlebags, and then I will ride to the top and return to this hotel in the evening. If that does not work out, I will turn around and head for Valparaiso on the coast.
Today's total ride was 40 miles (It felt like more), giving me 130 on the trip so far. Being out of an "urban area", I binned the helmet today and the Carabineros left me alone.
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