Paul Bridgeford's Blog

That’s it. Another great experience. Think my camping days are over. Pack up bike and off to the zuccardi. Vinyard for a tour and lunc. 12 of us. Good lunch bud someone didn’t book the return taxi so a 2 hour wait to get back. Early night after 2 finish the night before.
All over and now looking forward to getting back to Melbourne. Been away. Too long
But wouldn’t have missed the adventure for Nything. Being able to ride with ones daughter is pretty special.

Cold at night and at breakfast as the sun behind the mountains. We are at 2000m and have to climb to just over 3000m then down to 600 m into Mendoza.
First the 28k uphill sealed and dirt. Don’t stop. Pass Anna who stops to take off her wind jacket. Pas the luggage truck and get covered with confetti. Find out later made from a hole punch! Recognition of our last day. Same for Anna.
Going well then Anna passes me. Didnt know she was close behind. Work very hard over the last 8 k which seems to go on forever. Last steep 15% pinch to the top and Anna a bike length ahead. Well done. Collapse into a chair at the lunch truck. Fantastic to be able to achieve with Anna.
Back up the road to see anconagua glistening. Lots of photos and a few tears from Anna.
Then down. A bit of rolling across the top at first. Then see the road winding down into the clouds turn after turn down down down. The most amazing sight. Never ridden anything like it before. Photos can’t do it justice as too grand . But stop for lots anyway. Hairpin bends longer ones and only the occasional barrier.
Anna Fred and I ride it together Anna in front. I take it slower than usual as cars coming up and tired.
Most fitting way to finish the trip. Reach the winding bottom and a long straight road to Mendoza into the wind and a dust storm and lots of trucks.
A new camp site up in the hills. Takes for ever to get there. On arrival find the two youths tried to steal ghillis bike by pushing her over. Very determined.60 year old hung on and screamed and hung on. She saved it but of course shaken.
Off to the hotel picked up bike box. Too big for taxi so held on to it through the window.
Back for a final hat party. Nellie and her husband leaving as well so we jointly by wine and beer. Lots of dancing and red wine and a great BBQ. Speeches of thenks and Anna and I are presented with photos of the confetti throwing. Very kind.
A great and fitting end to the trip.

Anna and I start riding together. Sealed road and a bonus some of the dirt has been sealed. Flat pampas country surrounded by hills. As we leave camp to the right the stunning Andes white capped towering in the distance. Good solid uphill to start then rolling. Reach the dirt road and intense pain in my hands. Probably bruised from yesterday’s down hill. Have to stop as a lot of corrugations. Let air out of the tires and finally get to lunch. Feel like taking the truck, but massage my hands and feel better. Mostly downhill after a flat piece after lunch. Managing it ok. Catch up with Ricardo and Rigo. Off dirt and into sealed. Magnificent anconagua mountain in front at 7000 m.
Last camp fantastic as just about had enough of crawling in and out of the tent and my sleeping mat goes down during the night.
Great little town. Sunday bike race on outside the camp ground and next padlock a horse meet for the gouchos. Wheeling their horses around barrels and later riding steers. A great little town. Signs of skiing in winter and of course a staging post for the climbers up anconagua. Tamsin and her brother are climbing it after the ride.
Takes about 2 weeks and with support from donkeys and guides.
Dinner and bed reAdy for the last day tomorrow into Mendoza

After a stunning sunset and sunrise this morning set off on e dirt road. Small climb then downhill. Great fun as not steep but can go fast paddling to 45 k. Watch out for loose gravel and fine sand. Reach the front for e first 25k. Hit soft stuff and come off twice and almost hit jacqaline who decides to move from one side of he road to the other at the last moment.
Then a slow puncture. Pump up twice but no go. As didiers birthday we all plan to wait around the corner before the truck and come in together with party hats and hooters. So all slow. Fix the puncture and ride in with johnathan Leigh and others. Worked very well and big surprise for didier.
Johnathan Anna and I ride after lunch. Check out a stunning rock formation part way there. Temp up to 41deg with cross tail wind. Reach campground. Young kids there as per last Saturday so set my tent as far away as possible.
Trying to set up visiting zuccardi vinyard again but internet so slow keeps dropping out.
Dinner and bed early. Noise not too bad from the kids.

Out of town following a 3 donkey cart. Steady slow climb up on paved. Ride mainly with anna and ghilli. Again very pretty country. Up through a pass on paved road. Steep to start with. Bare rocky hills surround river below. Up through a narrow gap between the stoney hills and open out to a large reservoir. Very pretty again with Andes in the background.
Good riding but on the uphill anna hangs back and rather than she and ghilli speeding up as I thought I’m slowing. Was a hard day yesterday and I can’t have recovered. Hit lunch and as the final dirt road is apparently really tough on Stoney dirt decide to take the truck. Wise move as when we get to camp all others are exhuasted. Anna and ghilli make it but tents put up for them.
Great wide open pampas. We camp in the police compound. They are there to stop cattle rustlers who come across from the chile border. All on horse back. Use flood irrigation from narrow water channels.
Adrian’s birthday so a cake” made from cream covering 6 cans of beer. Great success as when cutting into it he manages to pierce a can with a great pop and flood of beer.
Have to dig a channel around the tent

Off we go 100% paved. Like an idiot I set off at the front of the fast riders and do the first turn for 10 k. Move to the back of the bunch and of course get dropped. Ruffy also drops back and we ride together and pick up Harry. Long downhill into the wind. Pass Yolanda and Chris. Road mostly straight and country rather dill pampas. 5k on the front turns. Joined up with another bunch just before Lunch. Quick lunch and the 4 of us set off. Hit a steep pass. Solid 10% plus climb. Good view of the river below. Then rolling along steadily into Jachal.
Have to stop and eat a bar as running out of fuel 10 k out. Charming little hotel for the night. Beer on tap. Had to eat a rather cheesy pizza in the square as all other restaurants don’t open till 9.
No water in the morning but was a good hot shower when we got in.

Beautiful day again and changed route. Uphill over a pass first on paved then unpaved over the top. Found my hill climbing legs and ground up. 12 to 14% on the dirt. Granny gear used again only for the second time on the trip.
At the top great view of the pass and down on a long dirt road mostly straight. Could really get some pace up. Great fun and passed most. Back onto paved. Pretty treed village. Fred and I stopped at a bar for a coke sitting on the veranda. Anna and others passed so off again. Hill climb on paved then to unpaved road clinging to the side of the pass. Stunning country steep drop tok canyon below. River with water flowing at the bottom. Plenty of photos. Climb up through a narrow pass and road opens out to a reservoir with snow covered Andes in the background.
Hit the top for lunch and find the lunch truck broken down and back in Chilicito. Set off on a good downhill winding aroun. Then a bit of a slog into the wind. Camping truck passes and have to wait just before rearranged camping at a police post. Fred and Anna there. Fred and I stay and direct riders as stragglers up to 2 hours away. Chat to police man. Buy white wine and olives at wine shop and have a happy time. Tamsin last so we chat to the police guy and get him to arrest her. Mock. Good fun. Camp site next to a service station. Not very good so book into hotel next door.

Pretty tired but wandered up to the town square with Ilke our friend from Finland. Most restaurants don’t open till 8 and when we arrived siesta time so all shut till between 5 and 6. Beautiful treed square and found a restaurant open at 6. Wonderful! Dinner with Ilke and Leigh and a bottle of good argentinian malbec.
Bed by 8.30
Cleaned the bike in the morning. Accomodation great share room with 4 others. Good shower garden setting. Water channel runs through the garden in the morning. Gardener keeps bees. 2 hives of honey bees not the big black Argentinian ones. Generally a lazy recovery day. Rode bike around town. Bought some more old smugglers etc and arranged a parillo restaurant for the evening. Baby lamb on a spit. Plenty of meat.
Good recovery rest.

Set of with the bunch to ride with Anna. Uphill for the first part. Get to the top and Annas breaks rubbing so we stop to fix. Downhill and the wind starts. Builds slowly to lunch.
By lunch time into a gale gusting right head on. Only 50 k to the end but punishing head on. We share the lead but tough as gusting from the side.
Grinding on. Dust storm and finally uphill to the town. Exhausted but made it. Off to explore the town and early dinner and rest day.
Great to achieve it with Anna. She would not give up even though I felt like it at times. This is argentina the country of wind

Started off on the dirt road and was just behind the strong riders. Caught them up as we got to the sealed road. They waited and we were off. I hung on and managed a couple of short turns at the front. Must have been the good nights sleep.
They were all very encouraging. I was mentally working on staying with them to lunch. Got to lunch and didn’t feel too bad so kept going. Was exhilarating as we averaged 33k / hr for the day. Managed to hang on.
Camp by 1.15 first in. Met by a couple of local women celebrating a mothers day BBQ. Food and a kiss on the cheek.
Forgot to mention was Ghillies birthday 60 th so we all crept up to her tent at 6 and sang happy birthday with me on the harmonica.
Got the lama again for my efforts so have to think about who can get it next.
Great day