The Cycle Diaries

Adios South America

2008-04-21T12:39:00.008-04:00

Nice day

Smoky day

Next week's workforce (left) and happy travellers (right)

The final week of our trip has been in Buenos Aires, spent sight-seeing and beginning the re-engagement process with the developed world. It's a bustling place with wide avenues, fashionable shops and lively locals. Unfortunately the views on most days were degraded by the smoke haze across the city caused by farmers burning wide areas of nearby countryside as part of their dispute with the government. But once the air (and our throats) cleared we had a good shop and rounded our time off with an OUP reunion with Blanca and Jon, who are themselves travelling around the continent in 2008. So sadly it is now 'Home Time' and we return to the UK with strong legs, great pictures and a multitude of memorable experiences. It has undoubtably been an awesome journey of great cultural and scenic variety, although maybe next time we'll go somewhere a little less hilly than the The Andes...

We look forward to seeing everyone soon.

The end of the world at last

2008-04-12T10:24:00.014-04:00

Pto. Williams from Cerro Bandera

A chilly campsite

Seals and cormorants

Ushuaia from above

Autumn colours

Well, the 5-day trek didn't quite go as planned - for the first time in 8 months, the weather did not co-operate. We took a very small boat (6 passengers) across to Puerto Williams over an uncharacteristically calm Beagle Channel. A real highlight was a short detour past the Isla de los Lobos, a seal colony - it was so lovely to see them in their natural habitat, all lounging about in the sun and seemingly unconcerned by our presence.

We started the trek the same day and reached the first camping spot at dusk - so far so good, lovely clear skies and splendid isolation. But then we were woken in the small hours by the unmistakable sound of snowflakes brushing against the tent - a very wintry scene greeted us at breakfast! Given the remoteness of the trek, the challenging terrain and potential route-finding difficulties, we decided to go down instead of go on and thankfully there was an easier valley route back to the town.

We then ended up stranded in a B&B for 2 days waiting for the boat back to Ushuaia and spent our time huddled round the wood-burning stove, watching the incessant rain, sleet, hail and snow. There´s not a lot going on in Puerto Williams so it was quite a relief to get back to the relatively urban and civilised Ushuaia. And it´s still snowing so we´re just going to do a couple of day walks before flying to the capital on Monday. We are prepared for the culture shock and looking forward to an increase in temperature of about 20 degrees.

The end of the world (almost)

2008-04-05T18:58:00.006-04:00

Greetings from the southernmost Argentine town, Ushuaia, where we arrived yesterday by plane from El Calafate. Since Torres del Paine, we have been relatively inactive by our standards. The bicycles have now been dismembered - the wheels and other bits boxed and sent as air cargo to Buenos Aires and the frames are still with us in home-made (beautifully-crafted by Clive) cardboard packages. However, we haven't been idling our time away completely. In Puerto Natales we met Clive's second cousin Anne and her family, who run a cafe in town - a big hello to the delightful Lucas and Mica and many thanks to you all for your hospitality. And I spent a day in a different kind of saddle - had a fantastic time galloping around on horseback in beautiful unspolit countryside but experienced some difficulty walking for a few days afterwards ...
We have nine more days in Ushuaia before flying to Buenos Aires and we're going to do a 5-day trek on the remote Isla Navarino, involving a short boat trip across the Beagle Channel and a final return to Chile (the 4th and surely the last time we cross the border).

Torres del Paine trek

2008-03-29T09:38:00.008-03:00

In our new-found pedestrian world we thought we'd better start using our feet for more than just going to coffee shops, so left Puerto Natales for the Torres del Paine National Park. To see it all we did 'the circuit', an eight-day lap of the massif. First stop were the iconic towers themselves, typically wrapped in chilly cloud and very bleak. Then the main trek was a mix of sights, initially through lush woods with the characteristic backdrop of snowy mountains. The highest point at Day 4 was the Gardner Pass; only 1240m of altitude but right next to the Southern Icefield and the stupendous Grey Glacier. This monster is 5km wide and a whole lot longer, although thinned by recession, and a genuinely awesome panorama. Further along the way the glacier calves into a lake, producing charming icebergs of infinitely varied shapes and colours. Sadly not the most practical souvenirs. The whole trip was an dramatic mix of raw, glacial mountain scenery and we returned thoroughly wind-blasted and imprEssed. And after a week of oats, pasta and crackers that steak tasted real good. Next: Back to El Calafate for a flight 4 April to the end of the world (Ushuaia).

Panniers to rucksacks

2008-03-16T19:00:00.013-03:00

Leaving El Chalten

A bit of a westerly ...

Camera-shy armadillo

Iceberg

Spegazzini glacier

Well, we are now back in Chile in Puerto Natales, having completely failed to update the blog in El Calafate due to continuing internet connection problems. However, we seem to be back in the 21st century and we have a lot to tell you ...

First of all, a confession. Technically speaking, you are no longer reading The Cycle Diaries because our cycling days on this continent are over. We had always planned to stop in Puerto Natales anyway but we decided to burn our cycling shorts in El Calafate instead, mainly because in order to get back to Buenos Aires, we need to take an internal flight from Argentina, not Chile, and we don´t have time to cycle all the way to Ushuaia (approx 700km from here). It`s also pretty bleak round here for cycling - 30km cycling into Calafate into a brutal headwind was quite enough for us! The best thing about cycling on the pampa is the bizarre array of wildlife - armadillos, massive birds of prey, and emu-type things, to name just a few.

Having recovered from the two-day El Chalten to El Calafate cycle, we went on a catamaran trip to see some glaciers. (We haven´t been to the world-famous Perito Moreno glacier yet but will probably do so on our return to El Calafate.) It was a truly memorable day out, too much to take in really - massive 5km wide glaciers cascading into the Lago Argentino and huge blue icebergs floating around. The scale of it all is just mind-boggling - there is so much out there and the only way in is by boat.

The further into Patagonia we get, the more amazing the scenery becomes. We are now planning our trip to the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine for some world-class trekking. The complete circuit takes a week so let´s hope our legs don`t seize up again ... watch this space. And then we´ll be flying from El Calafate to Ushuaia for some more outdoor adventures in Tierra de Fuego. The blog lives on, even though it´s two feet from now on, not two wheels.

(Clive adds - As trip statistician, I´ve crunched the numbers and they are as follows:

Totals: 114 days cycled; 7230km (along); 71,070m (up). Daily averages of 63km and 623m.

Maximums: 122km along (on the Arg. pampa); 1570m up (crossing Andes to Santiago), altitude 4700m (crossing Andes S. of Huaraz, Peru). About one-third of total milage was off the tarmac).

Mt. Fitz Roy trekking

2008-03-09T12:39:00.009-03:00

Back in El Chalten after seeing the striking granite towers of the Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre ranges, which gave a great backdrop to our arrival. After six months and around 7000km on the bikes we were ready for a change of activity from pedal-twiddling, so we headed out for a four-day wander. The mountains are just east of the Southern Icefield, the largest ice-mass in the continent, which gives a certain chill to the air and often cloudy views. However the numerous glaciers coming off the icefield have not yet receeded to extinction and were generating plenty of little icebergs to hop onto. This was the first significant walking we had done for four months and the day after our thighs were aching plenty! Oh dear, what a pair of novices. There is something subtle but fundamentally different between the leg motions in cycling and walking, like the 'transition' in triathalon, but it's good training before a week in Torres del Paine. Next: The bleak Argentine pampa to El Calafate.

The end of the road

2008-03-04T13:10:00.005-03:00

Here we are again after our longest break from a PC - apologies for the silence but we have been in the middle of nowhere and rather busy! This is just a quick entry for now (poor connection and hideously expensive) to let you know that we have completed the full 1,247 km of the Carretera Austral and crossed the border from Chile back into Argentina - a two-day epic involving two ferries, lots of bicycle pushing, and the invaluable assistance of horses.
We are now in El Chalten at the foot of the spectacular Fitz Roy massif in the Parque Nacional de los Glaciares and will spend a week or so here to give ourselves a break from the saddle and time to do some trekking. We´re still enjoying beautiful blue skies so you can expect some pretty cool photos in the next entry. Hasta pronto.

Carretera Austral: Puyuhuapi to Coihaique

2008-02-13T19:46:00.007-03:00

You´ll be relieved like us that the heatwave has passed and we are back to typical southern Chilean conditions i.e. drizzle, as evident from the bike shop shown that we visited this afternoon (Oxford is never far away see...) The week down from Puyuhuapi had further grand, open scenery and continuing ripio dirt roads that are giving the bikes, and us, a good workout. Interestingly the rain en route was our first on the road for 54 days; like the UK at present? We called by the beautiful, and dramatic, huge hanging glacier Ventisquero Colgante, although Liz was ambushed by a little bug that tried to chew her thumb! We are now in the metropolis, by local standards, of Coihaique stocking up on Nutella and whisky before the southern, and more remote, leg of this road. And if you would like to read more bike blog banter, here is the link to one smarter and wittier than ours. It is by a UK trio doing a longer, reverse, version of our route with some "experiences" of note already (and with an uncannily similar title): http://www.cyclediaries.com/

As we will next be in remote lands for two weeks or so, the next post may not be until March.

Heatwave on the Carretera Austral

2008-02-07T12:49:00.000-03:00

We are beginning to wonder whether we are in the right hemisphere - it seems to be getting hotter and hotter as we head further south, which is great for the views but makes the cycling a hot and dusty experience. Frequent immersion in glacial streams seems the most effective way of cooling down! As expected, the road is tough going with a very variable surface, a couple of ferries across the fjords, and some steep climbs (meaning we can only average about 9km per hour) but the scenery more than makes up for the hard work - stunning lakes, rivers, glaciers and waterfalls with absolutely nothing and nobody on the long stretches between villages on the way. We are currently in Puyuhuapi, a village of 500 inhabitants founded by German settlers, with limited resources but more good cakes. And we´re slowly but surely making our way towards Coihayque, the only town of any size on the whole route, plus we have a day-trip cruise booked to visit the Laguna San Rafael glacier on the way.
Those of you who have read Bill`s comment on the previous entry, see the last photo above as proof that the whole trip isn´t a hoax and we aren´t blogging from Oxfordshire ...!

The road to Puerto Montt

2008-01-25T15:07:00.000-03:00

So another splendidly scenic week in the Lakes and we've had a proper little mini-break (with the current stats at: 86 days cycled, 5707km along and 57,640m up) . All the photos look very blue again I'm afraid: sunny skies, lakes, new T-shirts..! (Cloud and rain to come I promise). We crossed back to Chile and then came south past the elegant snowy cone of Osorno volcano. It was mainly dirt roads and you can also see a swarm of horseflies chasing Liz uphill that kept us busily swatting en route. The area has a marked Germanic influence visible in the architecture, names and (happily) the availability of wurst and kaffe und kuchen. We are now in Puerto Montt, which is another milestone as from here we leave populated lands and start on the 1240km of the Carretera Austral (southern highway). This is a remote dirt road through the fjordland of southern Chile. Lots of raw nature, isolation and scenic drama to follow...

The Lake District

2008-01-19T16:37:00.000-03:00

Greetings from Patagonia, long-awaited destination of my outdoor dreams! We arrived in Villarica just over a week ago after a ten-hour, 700km bus journey from Santiago, our longest and probably last bus of the whole trip. And since then, we have been in cycle touring heaven with bright sunny skies almost every day, impossibly blue lakes, snow-capped volcanoes, waterfalls, and beautifully lush woods - somewhere between Norway and the Rockies, we think. To maximise on the views and avoid the Panamerican Highway (and not because we have turned into proper hard-core cyclists, honest) we decided to cross the Andes again back into Argentina, where we are now. Then tomorrow it will be back to Chile for what is supposed to be another absurdly scenic stretch of lakes.
It´s peak holiday season here at the moment (full of wealthier Argentinians from Buenos Aires) so prices are quite high and the towns are busy but it´s easy to get away from the crowds and we´ve stayed on some idyllic campsites. Camping isn´t that cheap either (more than a decent Peruvian hotel) but wine is still very affordable so all is well.
Puerto Montt is four days away and there begins the legendary Carretera Austral. And that will most probably be the end of all this warm sunshine, you will be glad to hear.

Crossing the Andes (again)

2008-01-10T13:20:00.000-03:00

We've taken the bus to Mendoza and it was a blessing as the road was a bleak, wind-blasted horror. However after several restoring glasses of wine, we decided to cycle over the mountain pass from Argentina to Chile. The crossing took two days up and two down, with fine views on the way (but the ski slopes were a bit short of snow...) The biggest mountain in the continent - Aconcagua at 6960m - was just off the road, although another 4km up in the air so we didn't walk up it. Downhill into Chile was splendid bendy tarmac (another classic motorcycling road, ah...) and then into the capital Santiago. After 1750km in four weeks we needed a breather and enjoyed a nice social with Amanda, a friend of Liz's, ending in a Germanic bar in town. Interestingly that was the first day we had spoken to another British person at all since starting out. We've cycled over four months now and our riding kit's worn out, so we have been shopping for new clothes. The trip has also been a test for our gear, with some brands falling short: Brooks saddle (bust tensioning bolt), Leatherman Blast (broken catch) and Shimano pedal (grinding bearing). Thankfully the bikes (Thorn Raven Tours) have been admirably reliable. Off to Temuco and (the southern hemisphere's) Lake District tomorrow. (NB: Settings have been re-re-revised to allow comments by all. I hope...)

Happy 2008!

2008-01-02T16:37:00.000-03:00

A very Happy New Year to you all from San Jose de Jachal, a small town in the middle of nowhere, about 300km north of Mendoza and currently about 39 degrees ... phew, just like being in Andalucia in July. We have had no option but to adopt the local rhythms of life, i.e. moving very slowly in the shade, taking a five-hour siesta and having dinner at 10.30pm - not particularly compatible with a cycling routine you might think, which is why we have decided that enough is enough. Tomorrow we're taking the bus to Mendoza, where it's only 35 degrees, and from there, probably another bus over the Andes to Santiago.

We've done 1,400km on the road in Argentina in just under three weeks (bringing our trip total to 4,700km) and have loved the wide open roads, the amazing colours of the desert and canyons, the genuine warmth and friendliness of the people, and the mind-boggling range of ancient, battered vehicles on the roads (a typical truck above, apparently constructed from bits of various other trucks) - particularly striking alongside all the swish, modern cars and pick-ups. We've also witnessed some violent storms with hailstones the size of large marbles and the effect of the these downpours on the roads can be dramatic (see photo above with mud and debris)
New Year's Eve for us was a complete non-event in a nice way - spent in an hosteria on the outskirts of a very sleepy village, too tired to stay up til midnight, we missed the UK New Year and then subsequently realised that the clocks had gone forward in Argentina anyway. Still, sitting in deck chairs in the garden and star-gazing with a litre of local red was certainly memorably different.

We're looking forward to a few days off now and probably won't be cycling again until Temuco and the Chilean Lake District, where it is summer but without these ridiculous temperatures. We have been warned about giant horseflies, though ... insect repellent is on the shopping list for Santiago!

Not a White Christmas

2007-12-24T18:28:00.000-03:00

Another six-day week at the (handle) bar and another 550km, so we're a bit puffed out today and have been flopping about in the small Argentine town of Belen. It's long odds for a white Xmas here as it is a sunny 25°C and excellent beer-drinking weather (although it's over 40°C down on the plains, so we won't be going there). The route along Route 40 from Salta took in fine sandstone canyons and the scenic wine-growing Cafayate region (nice chilled Turrontes whites). Our addiction to steak continues in an effort to put back on some of the 5kg we have collectively lost - no need for a post-Xmas slimming regime here. We also experienced the strong local Zonda desert wind, both for and against us, which was good practice for windy Patagonia. Local Xmas preparations are muted (apart from lots of firework buying - could be noisy tonight) and a huge contrast to 'Shop until you drop' UK. From here we continue south to Mendoza (another wine-growing area...) after New Year. Best seasonal greetings, Clive & Liz.

'Feliz Navidad' from Argentina

2007-12-18T19:51:00.000-03:00

It's hard to convey just how radically things have changed for us in the last week or so, in many ways probably the most extreme contrast we will experience on the whole trip. We crossed the border into Argentina about a week ago and were greeted by two signs - the first reminding us just how enormous this country is and how far we have to go, and the second reminding us of some recent (actually, not so recent ...) history. We descended slowly from the great heights of the altiplano (passing numerous varieties of cacti both very large and very small!) and having been at around 4,000m for so many weeks, the air down here at a mere 1,200m feels thick and warm. We´re in Salta, a lovely colonial city with a very European feel to it - lots of cafes, very good Italian coffee, and long siestas. On the food and drink front, things have improved considerably! The steaks are out of this world - huge, plate-sized portions that even we can´t finish and very drinkable red wine, which is going down well after nearly four months without. Our original plan was to stay just a few weeks in NW Argentina and then cross over into Chile but given the current, most enjoyable conditions, we have decided it might be an idea to extend our stay in this wonderful country, probably going as far south as La Rioja (for obvious reasons!). We´re not sure exactly where we will be for Christmas (possibly camping at a petrol station as we think a lot of hostels will close ...) but we will think of you back home as we tuck into paneton, turron and more wine. Have a great Christmas and happy 2008 to you all!

South-West Bolivia: Salt flats & flamingos

2007-12-11T17:25:00.000-03:00

We went quickly from La Paz to Uyuni, itself a rather bleak railway town. However this was the access point for tours of the wilderness areas of SW Bolivia. It was too remote for cycling, so we hopped into a 4x4 jeep for a three-day tour. The whole area has wonderful sights including the Salar de Uyuni (the world´s biggest salt flat), brightly coloured lakes with towering volcanos and steaming thermal baths (which Liz - lost in steam - particularly appreciated at a chilly 7am). Many lakes unbelieveably have resident populations of flamingos, not what you quite expect at 4000m! Overall a remarkable place and quite unlike anywhere else we´ve seen. We are in Tupiza now and will cross into Argentina tomorrow. We are nearly at the half-way point in time and indeed the whole trip will change significantly now in three ways; we leave the developing Andean countries for the developed ones of Argentina and Chile, drop from the Andean plateau to lower altitudes and move from tropical to temperate regions. All pleasingly symmetric - a trip of two halves. Certainly the prospects of large steaks and fine wine in Argentina are an enticing thought. (NB: Blog settings have been changed so anyone can now comment.)

La Paz: the two-mile-high capital

2007-12-01T16:01:00.000-03:00

Hello All. Not much (geographic) progress since last week as we have only cycled for two days. Whilst on the border at Copacabana we went out to one of the islands on Lake Titicaca for the day (very scenic). We also witnessed the bizarre daily ceremony of ´vehicle blessing´ in front of the cathedral in town; the priest can be seen sploshing the holy water around the decorated cars. Maybe we should have got the bikes done too? Then it was eastbound including a ferry-crossing by barge, which was a bit of a squeeze with a bus (but luckily we didn´t get the barge full of cows. Apologies for pic - too hard to rotate in this programme) and a squeeze through rush-hour traffic (Japanese co-cyclist Sekiji pictured). Now we´re relaxing in the Bolivian capital La Paz at a paltry 3600m and it´s a nice city for mellowing (= cakes & barbeques). Our hosts are Linda and Raul, residents who give shelter to weary cyclists in their lovely home. We´re still getting used to hot running water and comfy mattresses (all much appreciated). And after three months on the road the scores-on-the-doors are: 50 days cycled, 3008km (along), 36,700m (up). Next destinations: Oruro and Uyuni.

Cycle, eat, sleep, repeat

2007-11-23T18:39:00.000-03:00

Well that´s been our longest pedalling session yet; a whole 7 days without a break. We have covered about 550km from Cuzco to the border and are now in Copacabana, Bolivia. Although it is not the Brazilian Copacabana, we have just been sunning ourselves on the beach at Lake Titicaca. The route included bleak high plateau puna and some much appreciated thermal baths. We had 10 weeks in Peru in all and it was a facinating though challenging time. We´ll miss the splendid, at times tremendous, scenery and the calm dignity of the Indians in the highlands. Conversely we hope no longer to be taunted as "Gringos" or seemingly woken every morning at 5am by a shouting contest amongst hotel staff. Cycling regularly has certainly changed our dietary behaviour; we scutinise food packets to ensure they have the maximum calorific intake, shovel sugar into our tea and consume at least two litres of vile pop every day. So we are looking forward to the next month in the Bolivia of dramatic altiplano, salt lakes and more llamas.

Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and beyond

2007-11-18T19:18:00.000-03:00

Apologies for the blog silence over the last week or so but we have been on a mini-break! As predicted, it took us a while to 'acclimatise' to touristy Cuzco but it didn't take long to get used to the endless variety of food and drink available - all at four times the usual price but worth every Sol. We ended up staying a week - not just because of the apple pastries but also beacuse train tickets to Machu Picchu were in short supply and though Clive had been before on his previous tour of the continent, we decided that it could not be missed.

And I wasn't disappointed. It is truly amazing, for me more because of the dramatic high-mountain setting than the actual site, though if you can fight through the tour groups, there is some incredible stonework. It's a long day out, involving a four-hour train journey from Cuzco (down the beautiful Urubamba valley), about five hours at the site and then five hours back on the train. When we arrived, in an attempt to get away from the crowds, we headed straight for Waynapicchu, the big pointy peak in the background. It is more of a scramble than a walk up a very steep, rocky path, culminating in an almost vertical set of steps up to the fortification at the top (fun in a vertiginous sort of way!). And the view of the site from the top is amazing - really atmospheric.

We finally pedalled out of Cuzco on 17th Nov and we are now on our way to Puno on a lovely tarmac road with only one high pass, then we hit the altiplano. On our way out of Cuzco yesterday, having seen only three cyclists since Quito, we were astonished to pass what almost amounted to a peloton on the hard shoulder. A German couple, who have done 60,000km on their round-the-world trip and, pictured right, a Swiss couple plus four-year-old son in a trailer on their way from Canada to Tierra del Fuego. Truly remarkable.

Ayacucho

2007-11-07T19:35:00.000-03:00

It was a real pleasure to arrive in Ayacucho after a tough few days on the road. It's at a mere 2,700m, so to us the air felt thick and it was beautifully warm and bright. For most of the eighties and early nineties, the city and surrounding highlands were off-limits to tourists because of the activities of the terrorist group Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), though the horrors are now almost impossible to imagine as you wander around in the sunshine admiring all the colonial architecture, enjoying local hospitality and the excellent ice-cream.

This post is specifically for the benefit of everyone who knows Hazel, a friend of mine who spent three months as a volunteer with an American organisation called Cross-Cultural Solutions (CSS), working at a primary school, a nursery and an orphanage. Hazel arranged for us to meet the co-ordinator of CSS, Marisol, and as a result, we had a very sociable couple of days. We arrived in the city just as the Todos los Santos (All Saints' Day) festival was getting underway - Ayacucho is famous for its festivals throughout the year and so it was good to witness what seemed to be the whole town turn out for a massive street party.

The following day we were supposed to be resting our weary legs but it turned out that Marisol's husband is also a cyclist and he was going out for a ride with a small group so we couldn't resist joining in the fun - especially as it meant the joy of a ride without panniers! It ended up being quite a long 70km day, with a hot but really beautiful pedal up to a village for lunch. Took a while and several litres of Inca Kola to cool off after all that (see photo)!

Then before we parted company with Marisol and her family, she took us to see the results of one of the projects Hazel worked on - the building of a wall and a toilet block at a primary school in a really poor area on the outskirts of Ayacucho. It was great to see what a difference the addition of the most basic facilities can make and Marisol was obviously very proud of all the work that Hazel and the other volunteers had done to make this happen.

Despite its inaccessibility, Ayacucho is clearly growing in importance as a tourist destination - we saw more gringos than any other town since Quito (good preparation for Cuzco, where we will be in a few days' time) but it is still totally unspoilt and is definitely on my list of places to revisit one day.

Huancayo to Abancay

2007-11-07T19:09:00.000-03:00

A while since the last post but it's been all work and no play! We've moved from Huancayo to Abancay over 12 days by various means. Firstly we took the train to Huancavelica; an aged and bumpy affair that left late and arrived later still. Then there was a three-day leg to Ayacucho. The first day turned out to be a bit of a marathon and we caught a big hailstorm at 4200m in the afternoon. How we laughed as we descended for 20km on 2" of hail, which then turned to mud covering us thoroughly. That evening's beer was well-earned. So we skipped the next day with a taxi trip over some more seriously rugged terrain (NB: In the photo its brakes are being worked on before we set off. Actually quite reassuring.). We wrapped up with three solid bike days and an intervening 10-hour bus journey from Ayacucho to Andahuaylas. The Peruvian Highlands are the same profile as an egg box; i.e. it is all up and down (with part of the winding 56km descent to Abancay shown). However we are nearing the Altiplano (high plateau) of S. Peru and Bolivia, so the legs should get some relief soon. And if you think we're making life difficult for ourselves, check out the tandem picture - an Austrian couple 40,000km into a three-year round the world trip. Too much!

The Central Highlands

2007-10-26T21:02:00.000-03:00

We´re now in Huancayo, the bustling capital of the central highlands, having cycled a whole seven days in a row without a day off! A total of 381km, though all on lovely tarmac and some days were quite short. It was essentially a three-day climb from 1,800m up to the delightful (not!) mining town of Cerro de Pasco at 4,300m, our highest and most freezing hotel so far. We spent two days crossing the Junin plateau, a bleak and windswept place but with its own kind of beauty (and oddly popular with British bird-watchers ...). We had some interesting weather conditions, the coldest yet, with horizontal hail ... but things brightened up a bit as we started to lose altitude. A number of road signs promised us llamas but we only saw one herd and that was in the middle of a hailstorm - we weren´t in the mood for photos and nor were the llamas.

In contrast to all this, we stayed in what must be the ugliest town in Peru, La Oroya, home to the smelting plant for all the locally-mined ore. See photo from bedroom window above ... the pollution made us cough and sneeze and we were only there for a night. I dread to think what health problems the residents must suffer.

Leaving the smog behind us, we had two very pleasant days of gentle descent down the Mantaro valley and in contrast to the mining horrors, a very relaxing stay in Jauja, the first capital of Peru - see photo of very civilised German-run hostal with colonial-style patio.

The plan for the next stage is to take the train to Huancavelica tomorrow, though information on the subject of departures is characteristically unclear. Then we´ll be back on the dirt roads to Ayacucho.

Cycling over Mont Blanc

2007-10-19T14:27:00.000-03:00

So it was ´Hasta Luego´ Huaraz as we pedalled further up the Santa Valley and past the rest of the splendid Cordillera Blanca. The midpoint of the leg was Chiquian, the village used to start the 10 day trek around the next mountain range: the Cordillera Huayhuash. (This is the location of the mountain Siula Grande in the Joe Simpson epic ´Touching The Void´.) Sadly the trekking season had concluded, but the scenery even from a distance was tremendous. The road then crossed the Andes by the Yanashalla Pass at 4700m; about the height of Mont Blanc. This is the continental divide so now we´re on the East side of the range. Liz took the climb in her stride but Clive was puffing like a steam train by the top. (My excuse was the air pressure is at less than 60% at that altitude!) Then it´s been generally downhill to the low and warm city of Huanuco for a breather and, after touristy Huaraz, a return to mainstream Peru (i.e. no other gringos about). Tomorrow we return to the altiplano and mines of Cerro de Paso at 4300m. Brrr!

(Hint - Click on the photos to enlarge them.)

On foot in the Cordillera Blanca

2007-10-10T21:39:00.000-04:00

We´re back in Huaraz (roughly the Peruvian equivalent of Chamonix) after our four-day Santa Cruz trek in the northern Cordillera Blanca. Luckily the winter (i.e. dry) season hung in long enough for us to witness some spectacular mountain scenery en route. Characteristically we decided on the more demanding option of backpacking with our gear, rather than going on a guided trek with pack animals (like other, more sensible, travellers). Although Liz really wanted to take a mule with us so she could have some intelligent company along for once. There was fine scenery throughout of azure lakes, lush woods and ultra-snowy classic hills like Alpamayo; thoroughly dramatic all in all.

Now it´s change again from two legs back to two wheels (no rucksack - lovely) as we continue south to Huanaco (in about a week).

No pain, no gain

2007-10-03T19:16:00.000-04:00

The first month or so on the road has definitely been a challenge (physically, logistically, culturally, linguistically, digestively, etc.) but when we looked out of our hotel room this morning and were presented with the view in the photo, all those hours in the saddle suddenly seemed more than worth the effort. We are in Huaraz, mountaineering Mecca of South America, surrounded by 23 peaks over 5,000m and with a clear view of Huascaran, the highest mountain in Peru at over 6,700m. Heaven! Even though we are a little late in the season, the forecast is good and so we are planning to do a five-day trek (up to a 4,700m pass) to get us even closer to these stunning peaks. We´ll pedal up the valley to Caraz tomorrow, which should be a lovely day out in itself, and then store the bikes before heading off on foot.

Some statistics, for those who enjoy facts and figures ... we´ve now spent 20 days in the saddle, covered 993km, and climbed a staggering 16,630m (twice the height of Everest).

La Vuelta Ciclistica al Peru welcomes The Cycle Diaries

2007-09-27T18:53:00.000-04:00

Just as we left Cajamarca we had the good fortune to see the national cycling tour of Peru which started that day. Compared to our labours they were only doing 900km, all on tarmac and no-one had panniers on. Pah! However it was a fine sight with speeches, brass band and a mass start.

Meanwhile back at the coal-face, we have had three days to Huamachuco through continuing hilly scenery and rural scenicness (see photo of typical roadside diner for lunch). We have a rugged bit of Peru next before we reach Huaraz and the mighty mountains of the Cordillera Blanca.

A day on the road

2007-09-22T20:08:00.000-04:00

We´ve pedalled (and bussed a bit - shh!) from Chachapoyas to Cajamarca over five days and are now in the Northern Highlands. The highlight of the leg was from the River Utcubamba to the (big) River Maranon - an Amazon tributary. There was a six-hour climb to a pass at 3700m (Clive was puffing here) then, after a night camped at a local´s ´farm´, a massive 50km descent into the huge valley. Next destination: Huamachuco.

Thought an overview of a typical day in the saddle might be interesting, so here goes: Life starts early in the Andes, with the cockerels crowing hard by 5am and the locals up and about by 6am, so there isn´t much of a lie-in. We´re normally on the road by 9, ´road´ being a dirt affair of graded stones and grit. The main factor each day is not the distance along, but the amount of climbing involved, as one big ascent becomes the dominant feature of the day - 1500m is our limit. Hopefully we pass a ´restaurant´ sometime for lunch (chicken and rice are the recurring staples), then it´s more pedalling and a lookout for accommodation by 4pm (as being near the Equator it gets dark early and quickly at 6.30pm). Overnight is a hospedaje, typically simple but serviceable places, then more food (cycling makes you very hungry). Yes, it is demanding, but the scenery has been generally impressive, sometimes spectacular, and a bicycle soon breaks down barriers with locals and really allows you to see, hear and smell a country up close.

Hard-core cycle touring

2007-09-16T20:11:00.000-04:00

Hello from Peru. We´re back up in the Andes (much to Liz´s relief) in Chachapoyas, a peaceful and scenic colonial place. If it seems like we have covered lots of ground since our last post, it´s all due to the, er, complementary forms of transport shown above. A couple of dodgy stomachs and a long, hot road made us do it. (We´ll be pedalling again tomorrow, honest). We did choose the remotest border crossing, with poor dirt roads either side, which slowed us, but brought some super green mountain scenery. The next destination is Celedin, for those using a highlighter or a drawing pin, in about five days. Initial impressions of Peru are again of genuine, helpful people and lots more contour lines. However the hunt for Paddington Bear continues...

Adios Ecuador

2007-09-11T20:46:00.000-04:00

Today we cycled from Loja to Vilcabamba, a very sleepy town about 100km north of the Peruvian border. Before we head off into the wilds over the coming days, here´s a quick record of the highlights of Ecuador.

1) Bananas. They are everywhere and taste amazing - we´ve been on at least three a day.
2) Churrasco. An ample dish consisting of beef, vegetables, rice, chips and two fried eggs on top - great for starving cyclists.
3) Impressive public transport. Buses seem to go from everywhere to everywhere at ten- minute intervals and no eyebrows raised at taking bikes (not that we did that very often, of course ...).
4) Incredibly cheap accommodation. Simple but always clean and welcoming to weary cyclists.
5) Drivers. All (except taxis) have been very considerate on the road, always giving us lots of room and beeping cheerfully.

Our only disappointment has been the cloudy conditions preventing us from seeing any of Ecuador´s iconic snow-capped volcanoes. We could feel their presence though and I guess that´s a good reason to come back to this lovely country one day.

So our next entry will be from Peru. Let´s hope we´ll enjoy tarmac for a few more days at least.

Up and running

2007-09-09T19:57:00.000-04:00

OK, we´re on the road properly now. We have reached Cuenca, an attractive colonial city in southern Ecuador. Handy as it´s a Rest Day (like they have in the Tour de France). Cuenca´s a nice place for mooching about in, once you´ve done a lot of sleeping and some laundry. It is quite reminiscent of Spain (the colonial power of old).

We took four days to get here from Riobamba and, to be frank, is been tough. We´ve averaged 50km a day (up to 98km once!), which sounds rather wet, but also around 1000m of daily ascent with passes at 3500m and 40kg of bike and kit. So the muscles are coming along nicely.

The roads have got a lot quieter as we´ve got away from Quito. Rural Ecuador is jolly scenic, with big green hills (see above) and gentle farming life. The locals are genuine, warm souls and we are each equally curious of the other. The are sympathetic on the road, but also incessantly noisy (alarms, shouting and trucks all at 3am = earplugs every night).

Some early lessons

2007-09-01T17:32:00.000-04:00

Finally got the bikes on Weds 29th after a flurry of paperwork and literally running around the cargo depot ... then left Quito on Thurs a.m. The first hour was probably the worst cycling experience of our lives ... uphill, very hot, and choked by stinking diesel lorries. We then left the main road enticed by reference to a good cycling route on the map. This turned out to be a hellish cobbled track, made even more enjoyable by long steep sections requiring bike pushing.The upshot being that we failed to reach our destination, Machachi, but then stumbled across a lovely national park campsite, complete with roaming llamas.

The second day was equally challenging, with a lot more cobbles (including more uphills) until we reached a dead end at 3,700m. Enough for one day so we knocked it on the head and retreated to El Chaupi and stayed in a freezing but hospitable hostaria.

Today (Sat) has been much more enjoyable, on decent tarmaced (!!) backroads, bringing us to Latacunga. Tough lessons learned include 1) there´s little tarmac off the Panamericana (the M1 equivalent) 2) cobbles are not an option 3) when locals say ´no problem, it´s flat´, it means no more than 1 in 10 gradient.

So, we´ll continue to work our way south to Banos and Riobamba. More anon.

Ecuadorian customs...

2007-08-28T12:26:00.000-04:00

Hello there. An update from Quito airport whilst we (still) await the bikes. We flew in Tue 21/7 without trouble and were in the hotel within an hour of arrival. We had located the freight carrier by Thu who confirmed "Estan aqui" (they are here) to our relief. Since then we´ve been involved in a (currently) endless exploration of Ecuadorian customs-clearance procedures. We´ve got a scary but efficent local agent doing the legwork, but since Thu have been waiting for the big Customs chief to sign off their release. It´s all v. tedious, but an introduction to how things work elsewhere in the world and how we could have prepared better for the process with more thorough paperwork ourselves. We´ll post further once the bikes are with us (Enshallah).

Whose idea was this?!

2007-05-22T18:30:00.000-04:00

Dear all.

OK. Here's the (we)b log. Destination South(ern hemisphere) American. Two pedal-pushers and a tent from the equator (Quito) to the end pointy bit (Patagonia) . Easy navigation - just go south. If we go uphill to the east we'll be going up an Ande(an mountain); if we go west and get wet feet that's the Pacific. So best to stick with Due South. We depart Blighty Tuesday 21 August, return Easter 2008. More details to follow...

Clive (scribe)
Liz (editor)