Day started off well. Felt strong and was determined to get to lunch before Anna.
Racing scull on the milk run
Competition between father and daughter. Country not as stunning as the day before. All dirt so challenging but was determined to make up as much time as possible on the downhills. All good until I had passed Leah a very fit female marathon runner from Switzerland who hated men passing her. She then passed me going up a steep incline. I changed to granny gear fast and bummer the dust jammed the gears and over I went and leah escaped. Settled down and enjoyed the ride passing over the river many times. Good dairy farmland that had been cleared from forest.
Minor Repairs to Dick's Bike - new wheel
Pushed ahead and aiming to beat Anna to the lunch truck. Small mini village petrol station and a couple of houses. Saw Christian ahead a French rider who’s wife is with him and always by himself. Passed and ahead was Leah. On a mission. Overtook on a hill. Dirt roads good and easy to speed downhill as good surface. Surroundings were massive peaks kith waterfalls cascading down. This is a country not of lakes but fast flowing rivers and falls.
Fiaming Sunset
Finally reach lunch. Cold, wind blowing. Chairs set out like about to look at a tv screen. Extra jacket in the truck so keep warm. Leah turns up not talking. Probably pissed off. Wait for Anna & look forward to riding with her for the afternoon slower pace.
An hour and get cold. We set off and rain starts. Cold. Dirt turns to sludge. Nasty. Not the kind of afternoon had imagined. Rain gets worse and a steady climb up only 150 m but challenging in the wet. In fact a shit of a day. Finish the uphill and a fast dirt down Anna streaks ahead to a fishing village. Yes we sight the pacific in what is like a fiord. At least 25k from the ocean. Miserable. I want to stop for a drink but no chilean cash. See lunch truck stopped but Anna wants to keep going. She has the card with her. Pissed off. Plod on uphill. All grey and wet. Miserable. Vow not to have anna make decisions again. Silly really but tired.
The g lug of the road makes gears stick and the chain starts jamming uphill. More pissed off. We miss the turn off to the camp site and ride 5 ks further. Finally get there in pooring rain. Eric let’s Anna know about an information hut to sleep in. Anna gets a space as I have had to walk uphill as gears jamming. Set up mat Anna next to me and one of the other old guys at 90 deg.
Off to shower. All hot gone freezing like really. Back to dinner in a dark dingy shed with fire in middle. Find back brake pad missing from bike. Fortunately one of e other riders have one. Off to hut to fix in dark. Do that and clean chain of glug. Bed with sleeping tablet.
Complain about cold showers
Up in morning for a late start. Walk to glacier. No rain but cloudy. Suspension bridge over a roaring river. Up to the glacier lake, a magnificent soft olive green in colour. Cloud layer too low to see glacier but wonderful seeing masive waterfall poring seemingly out of the clouds. Start 10 mins after all the others.