A TUESDAY RIDE IN THE HIGH ANDES


Tuesday 10 January

Today's ride was up a scenic dead -end road among the high peaks of the Andes to the south east of Santiago.

We decided to avoid 20 miles of urban sprawl and dangerous fast moving duel carriageway by again hiring a minibus and strapping the bikes to the roofrack. Cost worked out at about 15 pounds each for a return ride out of the urban area to San Jose Maipo at the start of the valley.

The day was again cloudless blue skies with temperatures rising to 32c.
For the early part of the ride the road ran alongside the Rio Maipo
With sharp granite cliffs rising above us striated by ancient glaciers as they retreated.

After 5 miles Peter decide to make his own way as he did not plan to go as far. Martin and I continued to the end of the tarmac and then on an unmade road in more remote countryside with Andean peaks rising above us. We continued for another 8 miles to the remote village of El Volcan before heading back for the prearranged pickup.

We rode 38 miles for the day with 2080 feet of climbing to a maximum height of 4566 feet.

Peter got as far as the end of the tarmac road and the first 100 yards of the rough track before turning back.