Paul Bridgeford's Blog

Lie in till 8. Town settled late 1800’s to guard against cattle rustling. Clean but little local things to buy. Get nails for tent pegs as wind will be high and aluminum ones too weak.

Horse or Donkey

Checked out museum simple but interesting town history. Ice cream shop next to the hotel. Lunch, ice cream & siesta. Sitting in the cafe as part of the Don Costa hotel and half our group are here catching up on e mails etc. Very quiet.
Ready for a 150k sealed rd day tomorrow.
Most aches gone so looking forward to the ride.
Dinner in town tonight.

This was steep

Climb from 1100m to 2200 on dirt passed extinct volcano. 8.00 start that usually indicates a tough day. Up the main highway for 5 ks then onto dirt. On and up. Wind and steep climb. Dirt not too bad at this stage but soft in places. Wind behind blows me along at speed. Up very steep track bottom granny gear, just made the last bit. Snow covered volcano in distance. Wait for Anna & others.

The Volcano

Surrounding vegetation sparse, clumps of spiney grasses & occasional yellow flowers. Hills with volcano in distance. Down hill to pass a small farm area green in contrast then up. The full force of the wind starts. Must be gusting up to 80 to 90 k. Have to stop & walk the bike. Can occasionally get on but difficult as soft dirt no traction and the wind. Blown off the track and walk again. 4 of us together. We are aiming for lunch at the volcano. Crest a rise & track a bit flatter but still head or side wind. Up a slight incline into soft & wind blows me over onto bad elbow. That’s it 2.00 so 6 hours to cover 35k. Anna & Eric go on, I find a sheltered spot in the sun & have a nanna nap. 2.30 I wake up to find the truck in front of me for a pick up with Anna already in it. I think she thought I was dead!
We keep going down the track & pick up 3 others, by the time we reach the lunch spot we are 8. Directly opposite the volcano with lake below. Spectacular with streaks of snow. See pink flamingoes in the lake from a distance.

Wind makes walking difficult

In truck downhill pass phillipe on the bike doing 45 says he hit 70 at one stage.
Town camp. Anna & I find a hotel. Slight clean & to camp for BBQ beers & tough day forgotten. Luxury of hot shower & clean sheets & mattress. Simple things are so appreciated.

Maybe the portent of things to come a tough day.

A Racing Start

Great start For a climb from 1100m to 1600 on sealed rd to rocky gorge of Rio Grande. Then flat on dirt and temp up to 38c, uphill to lunch. Anna riding with Eric. Main rd so lots of corrugations, falls no 5 & 6 only scrapes one to the same elbow.
Scenery not as interesting. Almost no growth apart from a few small farming oases surrounded by barren hills.

Truck over troubled water

Just after topping out road sealed high quality. Picked up by Rob & Phillipe as i’m last. Huge downhill passing beautiful lake and an adjacent farm. Goats & sheep. Stopped with them in a village for a drink then on.
Over a river into Pategonia area, quite barren, then uphill to camp into a punishing head wind. Had to stop once to rest. Sign of tomorrow. Pategonia is known for winds.

Gated

Anna had got my tent – was very tired, think the heat & dirt combination. Showered in the one tepid shower for the hombres eat dinner & slept as 8.00 start tomorrow for climb over volcano to Chos Malal and a rest day following. High winds over night. Friendly dog at dinner well kept.

Anna had started to put up my

This was the best day thought testing on the unpaved. Long uphill on paved up to 2000 m then on & up on dirt.

Desert

Main rd so trucks passing with lots of dust. Drivers good usually slowing. Leaders well ahead Anna’s leg muscle bad so slow but managed. Long dirt downhill for lunch stop. I’m slow Anna speeds down. Anna in truck for afternoon. Sealed rd continues and we cross the Rio Grande river. Only way to describe was majestic. Huge wide valley with farming along the river surrounded by barren rocky desert hills with snow capped mountains of the Andes in the distance. Caught up with Wilbert & Dick & travelled together till I stopped for photos.
Spectacular scenery with changing colours to the surrounding hills with the enormous width of the river though little flow.
Afternoon was capped by the sight of a condor hovering overhead. Was able to pick up on the camera.

Chocaholics

Reached the camp site, a tree surrounded enclosure. Set up tent in the shade by a small flowing water channel. For Emma’s benefit no showers or toilets. Face wash in the channel water. Anna & I drank a good bottle of red & nuts from the day before, then a great dinner. The birthday of the French wife of one of the riders prepared the meal.

My Proper Gaucho hat

Was the best yet 3 courses. Suzanna who speaks Spanish helped me negotiate with the farmer the purchase of one of his black goucho hats. Warm evening.

The Andes long straight road

To today.
8.00 start so up at 6 and a long downhill dirt. I learnt so went slower but my water bottles kept falling out with the corrugations. One of our leaders went past at at least 40 k. Anna flew on. After 20 ks sealed rd fantastic caught up with anna after 50k. Easy day on sealed rd at great camp by 2
Washing cleaning bike gear ice cream in town & great meal of pasta. Bought bottle of johny walker for bush camp tomorrow night..
Body still hanging together with a few aches.

Peter comfortable!!

Well here we are after a challenging but funny day of 117ks. Anna and I started with the fast bunch along a sealed road for the first 20 ks. Then the dirt. Was that a challenge. First get off the gear as the previous day I was frozen with bike shorts & top so today long johns and wet top even though dry. After the first 20 k too hot. Off with the lot. This is dirt like you haven’t seen before and uphill all the way to lunch.

First taste of dirt

A series of rolling uphill slopes with false peaks, so you think you’re there but ahead is another hill. We reached lunch at 2 almost the last. Anna managed a fall right in front of the truck in a sandy part. Mostly stones so very bumpy. Max speed around 15ks, in parts down to 7.
After lunch a bit uphill and then down. We were looking forward to lunch and running out of fuel and thought we saw at least 2 mirages of the lunch truck. I had my first fall at slow speed just starting and into sand, then managed a full head plant at 25. Mouth full of dirt and scraped the well worn face. Then following Anna and she came off, just missed her head and came off again. Elbow this time. Would have been funny for anyone following.

Rest from the dirt

About the terrain. Majestic snow covered Andes to the right in a contious line with a flat plain a bit like saltbush. Had a quick conversation with a horseman, he only spoke spanish and me English. Short conversation. A few wild horses and the occasional cow but nothing else.
Then after a long dirt downhill we met a half sealed road. Could it be sealed from here. Down we went to a stunning reservoir with the peaks in the background, across the dam, through a tunnel and lo and behold
Back to dirt and the granny gear for the first time. Fourth fall at the top, a wind out of nowhere spun the bike 90 deg and over. Anna saw from behind & put her foot down. 5″.45 and the truck came toward us. We didn’t finish as dinner at 6. Knackered but disappointed.
Bush camp was an old quarry with the wind blowing hard. Tough camping. Dinner anna put stuff on face and elbow then to bed to keep warm.

Before we start backup to 2 nights ago, the days of the week aren’t significant. It was a big night and I have table dancing competition. Philippe our dred locked mechanic, had a few & danced along the wooden trestle table and slid with a most beatific smile. Got down from our table only to Vaal backward off one of the concrete tables. He was so pissed no damage to him. Carried off to his tent.

The Andes flying into Mendoza

Our Trucks for the next days

To the first days riding. Through vineyard country with one long 4% climb topping out with great views of the plains and vines with snow topped andes to our right. As yesterday was warn started with just shorts & top. Freezing and didn’t warm up till after lunch.
An unbelievable amount of vines in what is really desert country irrigated by run off from the Andes. Watch out Australia as their merlot is fantastic. One of the guys bought a reasonable bottle for 6 pesos $A1.50.
At. Our camp site for the night with green grass – luxury and the single shower had hot water- fantastic. Very high winds during the day, we ended up with a bunch of 5 & picked up a Dutch couple on the way who were struggling a bit into the head wind. Flat country tough wind like port fairy but a really strong tail for the last 15k pushing us along at close to 40. Anna needed a sugar fix 20k out and was fine after a few lollies.
Off to dinner & I hope a cold beer.

Arrived and believe it or not the bike & luggage turned up. Anna was at the hotel. But her bike was there but no bags. Phew they arrived 2 days later. Checked out the recolletta area with the amazing cemetery of huge mausoleums with coffins laying inside. All lead sealed so no smells.
Anna & I went to touristy tango show. Just ok. Then Tuesday night aged ham restaurant. 18 month old ham was fine – no mould.
And the bikes arrive in Mendoza no damage.
We met the team after hiring 2 taxis to take the bikes. Great bunch. As next day a rest day for them a big night with beers and reds. Lulled to sleep in our dusty camp site to the sounds of dogs and animals in the next door zoo. Anna thought it was some one having roudy sex in a nearby tent!
Our last day before the ride. We put the bikes together yesterday and all ok. Training was at a fantastic family vineyard eating a del gustation lunch with matching wines. That might be it for a while and it balanced the cold shower start today

Friday night caught up with Mike Daish at the Trump tower for a beer and a great fish dinner. He has a big job as vp sales for the us for Dyson. Very successful. Good to catch up and talk about our businesses.
Stayed at the union club. A great old building with a fantastic gym for some last minute training. It covered 3 floors. Bought their last bow tie for my collection.
Off to DES Moines to stay the night with Craig & Annik Ibsen and their two children Chloe & Adrian. Great fun and they have a fantastic old house which they have renovated beautifully. Annik is a fantastic cook – french toast for breakfast, bike ride with the children and filet steak for lunch with a great bottle of Zinfandel. We had a couple of bottles of that at the other restaurants. A great Californian grape.
To stage 3 and the serious end of the trip – hope the bike gets there as 3000ks is a long walk.