Just read your report.
Stunning photography and great read, thanks
A place to put on the bucket list

Wayne

__________________
The Balkans
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/poi_entity/8417

Thanks Wayne, Peru is indeed a great destination for adventure riding. We are glad you are enjoying our tale.

__________________
Canada to Argentina 2010:http://nomi-beto-adventures.blogspot.com/

Website:www.MotoLara.com

It was indeed a cold night, which was surprising since I don't think it got below zero, but still it was a difficult sleep. My teeth were chattering as I made breakfast.

Breakfast of champs :lift mix nuts, dry fruit, quinua, honey, hemp heart seeds...


Dusty gear


I was wearing everything I brought for cold weather riding when we hit the road. I felt like a kid in a snowsuit, my movement was restricted all over. The road at first was extremely rocky but soon transitioned to just lots of potholes. There was rain up ahead, but it didn't last very long. It was moving over to the next valley when we rounded the corner down to Buldibuyo. We saw a couple of taxi cars on the route, but it was a pretty quiet Sunday.

Amazing views, no big deal


It was getting warmer as we descended down the valley first to Buldibuyo and then to Huaylillas. The road was still a pile of crap though. Lots of bumps and potholes, we must have looked like crazy people as we drove all over the place trying to pick the smoothest line. My body hates me on these roads, and I think all the bouncing around gives me motion sickness. By the time we reached Huaylillas I was able to remove three layers. It had risen 15 degrees. We bought some fruit and some water and then went on our way.

The road ahead


Things were looking good


Naomi & Apu


The road was still pretty messy, this time with lots of rocks and still very bumpy. It was mostly farmland, which had a simple beauty. Soon enough though we were back at eucalyptus elevation making things more comfortable. When we spotted the town of Tayabamba is appeared to be a metropolis perched on the edge of a mountain. We made our way to the plaza and stopped for lunch. It started to rain but luckily there was a large pine tree where we were able to take cover under. We both just sat on the ground eating our food. Lots of people were staring. When we had finished lunch the rain had passed.

Tayamamba


Cute Main Square in Tayamamba


Old man sits outside his home to keep an eye on the town's activities


Locals stared at us for the entire hour we were there


The road out of the plaza and ultimately out of town looked treacherous, and it was. It was extremely steep, it must have been a 25% grade! and not smooth pavement. It was muddy and had huge holes. It was a complete mess. As we were driving up it I felt like my bike was going to flip me over, the front was barely hanging on over the bumps. All we could do was stick it in first and cross our fingers. It was definitely a butt clenching moment, but we both made it to the top with a few more white hairs for our troubles. At the top was a gas station that advertised it was open 24hrs. It was not open. Alberto commented that the only thing open 24/7 was the sign. We went down the road a little further to another gas station but nobody was home. We yelled and honked but there was nada. So that was that, we left town without gas in the direction of Urpay.

The valley we came from. Leaving Tayamamba down and behind


Higher up there was no more trees


Or so we thought. We got to a river crossing where some people were walking and asked if we were going the right way. We were not. We were so focused on driving through the muddy mess that we had missed our turn. Luckily we only had to backtrack a few minutes. What a treat it was. The road to Urpay was not only dry, it was pretty much smooth. Like a regular Peruvian dirt road. It was a miracle, and easily the nicest dirt road since we were driving to Bolivar. My internal organs were grateful.

Coming down from a high pass


The pass topped out at 4120m, complete with fog and a bit of rain. It was stunning though, I've really enjoyed the scenery of the last two passes. It was a cute little valley and soon enough we left the long pampas grass behind to enjoy lush green roadside flora. Up ahead was the prettiest town we have seen, Sarya. It had a cute plaza and everyone we passed seemed extremely friendly. We got so many very surprised looks and even crashed some sort of religious party that was happening on the side of the road. As we passed, the guy leading the ceremony blessed Alberto.

The town of Urpay on the mountain side


Panoramic foto


Fantastic views of the Urpay Valley


Welcome to Urpay


We stopped to buy some bread in Urpay. When we asked the lady how to get to Huallabamba, she said that we had to go down and cross the Marañón. She asked if our bikes could cross the river, to which Alberto replied we shall see thinking it was a strange question. After Urpay the scenery was very different. Lots of nice farms, aloe plants and short grass. It wasn't as lush and we could see some dry mountains on the valley across from us. Alberto really loved the view, I think it is one of his favorites. Who doesn’t love aloe?

Stunning


Checking the GPS... this road was not in there


Apu looking great


Aloe avenue with a fantastic backdrop


Blessed, indeed


The road got tricker and I'm glad it wasn't raining because there was large mud ruts in the road and I imagine they could get very slick with some rain. We could see the river below now and that it didn't look good for camping options. There was as strange encounter with a gate across the road. Not a gate that was easily opened. We were starting to get concerned that we were not going the I right way as it seemed strange to have a gate across the road like that. Luckily there was a truck coming up so we asked him and he confirmed that we were going the right way. That was reassuring despite the tricky road conditions. Shortly after my bike and I had a disagreement with a rut, resulting in me crashing and breaking my mirror. Everything else was fine from the crash.

(ADV) Heaven on earth


We were able to find some camping just off the road. It was just in time as the rain we had managed to outrun earlier had finally caught up to us. The temperature was only going to increase as we got closer to the bottom so we settled for some mediocre camping practically at the side of the road. It doesn't seem like this is a busy road though.

Camping... with a view!


Sunset in the Andes


One of our favorite camping spots to date


Gorgeous valley with our old friend: Marañón River


Tent view


Buenas noches


GPS Data: Elevation Change Day 21


VIDEO: EPISODE 21 PART I


VIDEO: EPISODE 21 PART II

__________________
Canada to Argentina 2010:http://nomi-beto-adventures.blogspot.com/

Website:www.MotoLara.com

The road was extremely quiet overnight. We only heard one vehicle pass, a moto just after dusk. The only things around those parts where the cows and donkeys. The road to the bottom was in better condition than the heavily rutted and muddy section we did the previous evening. There was some rocky bits but it was pretty good. We were lucky it was a cloudy day, the clouds shielded us from the sun's heat.




Naomi and Apu on the road... but where?


Tales behind the handlebars


Near the bottom


When we reached the bottom we were once again in Marañón terrain. And here I thought we’d seen the last of her way back in Chagual. There was cactus and everything looked extremely dry. The mud was a deep red colour though, so that was new for us. There was a town of sorts at the bottom so we took the opportunity to re-ask directions. The person we asked said pretty much the same thing as the truck driver last night. We needed to go to La Oroya and pay a man to get across the river. We assumed this was some sort of barge or canoe based on the way people were describing La Oroya. We continued down the road a little further where we saw the remains of a once proud bridge and still standing a foot bridge. I asked Alberto if this was where we passed but he said it must be further because the people weren't describing a bridge. We had to pay someone to get the bikes across. So we continued.

Riding along the river


Naomi's view



The road was clearly not a main route. It was rough in sections, very rough, but we could see some tracks. Only moto tracks though. It was challenging riding and as the road got sketchier and sketchier (a sure sign you've gone the wrong way) we approached a gate with a group of people standing around. We went through our usual routine asking how to get to the next biggest town and where we could find La Oroya to cross the river. They said it was back where we came from where the bridge was. Crap. At least it had only been 20min or so of detour. Back we went.


Naomi and Apu made it look easy



When we arrived at the once proud bridge there was a guy standing there. His name was Pablo. We asked if we could get the bikes across. He said it would be 20 soles (a bit over 6 USD) per bike and the way across was the cage sitting at the other side of the river. Interesting. He had no way of getting the cage to our side so he whistled for someone on the other side (there was a couple of houses on the other side).

La Oroya was the bridge 'in construction'



Alberto waiting and eating a yummy local fruit (can't remember the name of it)


The unknown fruit, any one out there knows its name? brown outside and super red inside




He whistled and snaked the cable for 45min before a second guy showed up, Yonan. They talked briefly and then both walked out on the bridge that was missing a few sections at the other end (you couldn’t cross using the bridge). It looked super sketchy as it was bouncing around with them both on it. Yonan then got down on his knees and grabbed a rope that was hanging there. He proceeded to slide down it onto a sand bank in the river. It was madness. He then swam across to retrieve the cage...… it looked that he almost didn’t make it because of the strong current. While I just described this whole process in a matter of minutes, it took Yonan at least 30min to bring the cage back to our side.

Pablo on the sketchy bridge (no handrails, missing planks). Yonan running up-current on the river sand bank


Yonan swimming for his life


Yonan bringing the cage back


With the cage on our side the three men (Alberto included) muscled my bike backwards onto the cage. They usually put bikes on forwards so they can drive off at the other side but the crash bars were too wide so it didn't fit that way. It took quite a bit of muscle power to get Apu on there. They then tied him up ready to be slung across. Alberto offered to go over with them to help unload the bike at the other side but they decided to just go the two of them. Whoosh, across the river went my bike.



Half way there


The cable was really sagging


Once at the other side we were helpless, all we could do was watch them struggle to get it off. One wrong move and Apu was going for a swim. It looked like they secured my bike using the rear cargo rack. We were both worried that wasn't going to hold if things went south. Just close your eyes until it is over. It took them a solid 30min back and forth muscling my bike off. It was a huge relief to see them park it at the top safely.

YIKES! not much room to unload the bike!


Pablo and Yonan having a hard time fighting gravity



While they were on the other side struggling with my bike we decided to take everything off Chasqui (something we should have done with Apu but hindsight is 20/20). This made loading the bike on the cage much easier. This time Alberto went over with them to help take the bike off. One Keeway and three grown men went swinging across to the other side in that tiny little rebar cage.
Chasqui's turn!


They barely fit in there!


Our hardest river crossing ever... and we didn't even ride through it



Things were much easier this time. It only took them 5min or so to get Chasqui off and up the bank. All that was left was to collect and deliver me and all the stuff to the other side. Alberto stayed on the other side while the two guys came back for me. We packed everything up and slung over. It was actually a pretty fun ride. On the other side we thanked them both for all their hard work. We are the biggest bikes (heaviest) that they have taken over. I don't think you'd get something much bigger on the cage. We later found out that the bridge was destroyed last year due to engineering failure. Based on what was left of the bridge Alberto and I suspected engineering failure.

"I felt my feet sliding back..." Alberto



YAY! Both bikes on the other side!



After all was said and done it was about a three hour river crossing. Still, even after all the craziness, it was far more efficient than going back to Huamachuco. It was pretty hot now, it was the middle of the day and I had not anticipated being in a hot climate for this much of the day. My layering choices this morning were proving to be poor choices. Time to get moving. The road on the other side was a dream, sure there was some rocky bits, but overall it was smooth sailing and we were the only ones there since there was no bridge anymore. At the side of the road was a bunch of cacti with parrots singing away. We've only seen parrots near the Marañón this trip, that must be their hangout. They were small but very pretty.

Beautiful Parrots



More "Boabab" look-alike trees



Time to ride!


We passed a couple of ladies and asked them for directions. It didn't work out though as they both just looked terrified and could not help us with our directions questions. And then just like that the Marañón vanished from sight and we were climbing. Switchback after switchback until the terrain changed. The road was rocky, but as Alberto says "very rideable". We even passed some traffic: a moto, a truck and a truck carrying Coca Cola products. Oh boy, we must be really going somewhere important. Supplying Coke products to the far corners of Peru is clearly a priority.

There was kilometer markers counting down at the side of the road and we assumed they zeroed out at Quiches. We were hoping to get gas there since Alberto hit reserve yesterday. We were probably running on fumes by this point. We could see rain in the distance and a few drops appeared on our goggles as we entered Quiches. We headed straight for the plaza and asked about gas. There was some combis parked there, a good sign that there is not a rough road up ahead. Directions for the first gas location did not yield results. People did not hang out at the location they sold their gas it seemed. What ensued was a downpour and a wild goose chase looking for gas. Not a good combination. We eventually talked to a person who sold gas on the way out of town. He agreed to meet us up there. Before leaving the plaza a guy on a bicycle approached Alberto. He wanted to know where we were from and when Alberto told him Canada he not only knew where it was he knew our capital as well. The first person to know where Canada actually is so far this trip.

The higher we went, the wetter it became


We followed the road out of town and the guy was waiting with fuel bottles to fill us up. As he was filling up Apu he commented that we were really empty and that it wouldn't be good to head over the pass this low on fuel. Yes we agree, that is why we were trying so hard to get gas in town even though nobody wanted to serve us. The rain was really coming down now, and it didn't seem like it was going to pass so we suited up in full rain gear. He said it was 2 hours or so to Sihuas so that is where we headed.

It was raining and the road was a bit treacherous so both of us weren't using eye protection. We needed to see what was happening and the rain drops weren't clearing from our visors. The peak on our helmets was actually pretty good at blocking most of the rain. The road was rocky but compared to the motocross and potholes of the main roads we were riding a few days ago these rocky roads were much better. Less traffic and surprisingly we could get into a higher gear. The rain kind of makes the riding a slog though.

Higher and higher we went. Last picture of the day.


Alberto was not really keen to get the camera wet to take pictures and the scenery was either covered in cloud or fog. When we started to reach the top I was quite cold. My left boot felt wet and my hands were freezing. I was losing my patience with the rain. My chain came off a few times too, not helping the situation. We had to take a few breaks to warm up our hand using the exhaust on our bikes. We were hoping the rain was just on this side of the mountains but the further we got the more rain there appeared to be. By the sixth time my chain came off we decided to call it quits and camp for the night. It was still rainy but I was cold and the chain was the straw that broke the camel's back.

We were able to find a decent place to pop the tent just off the road. It looked like we would even have a water source but upon closer inspection there was lots of algae growing in the standing water so we went without. What a day, we had started it off too hot in the dry desert only to finish the day freezing in the rain. That was a 28 degree temperature swing! Peru is sneaky like that.

GPS DATA: Elevation Change Day 22


VIDEO: EPISODE 22

__________________
Canada to Argentina 2010:http://nomi-beto-adventures.blogspot.com/

Website:www.MotoLara.com

Sunrays fight the fog and rain


We woke to some intermittent rain but there was blue sky on the horizon and the sun was peaking through. The mountain scenery was much better today so we soaked it up a little bit while going through our morning routine.

Things looked good this morning!


Ahhhhhh camping...


First things first: make some breakfast!


Beautiful views of the mountains


By the time we hit the road the fog had rolled in a bit, but at least it wasn't full out raining. The mountains were rockier than most, and it was an interesting change. This particular pass was a long one, and when we finally popped out the other side there was blue sky. We were delighted. The road was rocky, but solid rocky making the road surface like a paved road. Unfortunately this was hell for my sagging chain so we were making slower than usual progress. More time to enjoy the scenery I guess.

Rolling again!


At the summit


Naomi and Apu on the left, see them?


Cool views


Everything was very green. Find Naomi


We made our way to Sihuas, following the road down the valley. My chain came off ten times en route to Sihuas, but we could get past that because judging by our map we were expecting a big town and we felt that today was the lucky day to get the chain fixed. The temperature rose as the road took us down the side of the mountains to the bottom of the valley.

Small village hiding in the fog


Typical 'Peru' view in the Andes:


Apu's best angle


There was a river at the bottom and it seemed like a relatively dry place. Not as green as higher up. We passed a donkey, not an unusual happening by any means but this particular donkey is worthy of a comment. He was standing in the middle of the road and we saw this donkey was lazy enough to not move his feet even a centimeter. As a combi passed all he did was move his head to the side so as to allow enough room for them to pass. Alberto commented that the combi was so close the driver could have slapped the donkey across the face but that donkey was as cool as a cucumber.

I like this shot. Naomi & Apu are a tiny speck


It was pretty easy finding the moto place and the mechanic was happy to help. He immediately got to work on my chain. Meanwhile while Alberto was supervising the moto work I ran some errands in the big city. It was easy to walk around and I found the people of Sihuas very friendly. More than one person said hello to me as I walked by. In an hour of work we got two links taken out of each chain, my rear brake line bled, both spark plugs cleaned and both air filters cleaned. All for about $7. Not bad. I had purchased some food for lunch so when the bikes were finished we drove the three blocks to the plaza to have lunch.

Following the river to reach Sihuas


Piece of chain that was cut and removed


Moto mechanics working on Apu


It was a nice quiet place and where we happened to park up we were across from a police station. There was a few officers outside and one offered Alberto a place to wash his hands. While he was getting his hands washed he was also offered the use of bathrooms and a shower. So friendly. We sat at a bench eating our avocado and bread. I must say the bread I bought, Pan Serrano, was the most delicious bread I have had in Peru (so Cajamarca you’ve been toppled in the rankings). It was truly amazing. While we were eating lunch one of the younger policeman came over to check out the bikes. He asked a bunch of questions and seemed to really like our Keeways. They surprise a lot of people with their engine capacity and cost. The police officer that offered up the facilities asked us why we didn't eat lunch at a restaurant. I told him that I liked being outside, eating simple fresh foods and that eating in the plaza gives us an opportunity to interact with people.

Local Lady selling different kinds of potatoes (Peru has more than 3,000 types of potatoes)


As we were having lunch some school children around 10 years old passed by. A couple were brave enough to stop to talk to us, and then a crowd formed. They were very fascinated that I spoke English and came from Canada. I answered almost 100 questions ranging from what my name was to what I was doing in Sihuas. It was fun talking to them, and one of the girls gave me an apple and a peach. So thoughtful. Once again it was a very nice lunch in a plaza. Interacting with kind people, especially children is one of the great joys of international travel. It was so cute to hear the kids practice their english.

School Children practicing their English


Showing them where we had been and came from


We had such a great time talking with friendly little ones


We had been told it was about 3 hours to Pomabamba, which was the next big town en route. We were hoping to find a road that would cross the mountains from there. The road that left Sihuas, following a river, led us to a small town which did not have a name in Garmin and was very fun. It was narrow, for the most part only one single lane but the terrain was interesting as it transitioned from dry to wet. In Peru it’s all about the elevation.

Cool road leaving Sihuas


Crossing the river, heading towards Pomabamba


Menacing clouds


We hit a few small towns and then the road turned into the road of a thousand puddles. There was no such thing as road drainage so there was lots and lots of puddles or a river running straight down the road. Either way things were getting pretty wet. We could see rain in the distance but for the most part our road seemed to be just barely avoiding it. When going through one of the small towns Alberto found himself in an old fashioned kung-fu fight with a pack of dogs. The kind of fight where you are surrounded and miraculously everyone waits their turn to challenge you in the centre, but it is a never ending line of opponents. There was two on his left and three on his right. When he swerved to get rid of the ones on the right, the ones on the left attacked. This hilarious encounter continued until we reached the edge of the town and the dogs gave up.

Heading up to a new high pass


Pano view


The summit of the pass was pretty and we got our first glimpse of snow. We considered camping but didn't find any good spots so we kept moving. Coming down there was more puddles and a bit of rain. Alberto toughed it out and it was the right call as we quickly drove through the rain without getting wet. It was just passing through and we were just catching the end of it.

Right at the pass!


When Pomabamba came into view it looked like a sizable town. We went to the plaza hoping to find some information about roads crossing the mountains, specifically our map showed a road to Alpamayo. Alberto asked some people who were relaxing in the plaza and soon had a decent size crowd around him. Unfortunately nobody we talked to knew of any such roads so we decided to keep going and cross at Llanganuco. We were pretty disappointed as this was an area we had been looking forward to doing some riding but it was late and we were probably not going to make it to the next town before dark so we didn’t dwell. The area was populated so remote camping also wasn't an option given our sudden route change.

The town of Pomabamba


Local moto-rider giving Alberto some directions. Everyone else was just curious


We didn’t want to stay in a hotel in Pomabamba though so we took our chances and continued along the main road. We eventually found a place to camp just off the road next to a river, pretty decent all things considered. But when I say just off the road, I mean literally metres from the road, in plain sight. Alberto was able to okay it with the people who lived across the road. He said that their Spanish was rudimentary as they spoke Quechua but they were able to communicate to each other. We set up the tent with an audience looking on. It was dark before I finished making dinner so it was lucky that we found this place to camp.

GPS DATA: Elevation Change Day 23


VIDEO: EPISODE 23

__________________
Canada to Argentina 2010:http://nomi-beto-adventures.blogspot.com/

Website:www.MotoLara.com

Despite the roadside location our camping spot turned out well. We had lots of visitors in the morning curious about our bikes and the tent. We were camping along a main walking path so there was lots of people coming and going. One guy gave us some fresh sugar cane; very yummy. We had an audience of about half a dozen people when we packed up the tent. I hope they were impressed.

Waking up to a sunny day!


Beautiful country side


Naomi ready to roll... and already getting hot!


The road continued to be muddy with puddles, no doubt helped by the overnight rain. It just is what it is I guess. It was a nice day though with blue sky and some scattered clouds. We got a few glimpses of the white peaks of Huascaran National Park coming and going from Piscobamba but for the most part they were either covered or partially covered by clouds. I bet the views are stunning on a perfectly clear day.

Blue skies... awesome!


Sugar Cane that our friendly campesinos gave us for breakfast


Mud drying off


Yup... we're lost!


In Piscobamba we bought some fresh food and unsuccessfully tried to buy bread. An unusually difficult task. We confirmed directions to Yanama and then hit the road. We had not go far when we encountered two huge trucks parked up in road. It appeared that the road was too rutted and uneven for them to pass safely so there was a bunch of guys leveling out the road with large rocks. Thankfully the trucks moved so we could at least squeeze by while they waited to pass. The road was really only big enough for one way traffic. We watched one truck negotiate the uneven section and the body of the truck was rocking pretty good. I would not want to be driving that thing, it looked so unstable. Further down the road we also encountered some buses driving like mad men. How do they do it?

Piscobamba's main plaza had a huge tree in the middle


Little tienda where we bought supplies


The temperature was getting hotter and hotter as we drove down to the bottom. Waiting for us was a bridge and then on the other side of the valley things were different. It was drier and hotter, most likely due to the angle of the sun. Still we were very surprised at how hot it was given we were above 2500m. I was certainly dressed inappropriately with my cold weather base layers. I thought we were going to be negotiating mountain passes with snow haha. It was dry and dusty and we ended up doing a slight detour after taking a wrong turn, typical. We were getting closer and closer to the park at least.

Heading up again


When we stopped to take a photo of some snowy peaks Alberto got an earful from a passing lady. He hadn't noticed (earplugs) until he turned around and found her standing there yelling at him. It seems as though our motorbikes had scared her and she was suspicious of him taking photos. Alberto tried to explain that we were tourists and that we were just enjoying the scenery but that didn't seem to work because she called over a man to help intimidate us. Ha! That is not going to work. For starters the man was a small campesino, hardly intimidating. And second, he was dealing with Alberto. When the man started speaking aggressively Alberto dished it right back at him, we were done taking our photos anyway so we left those crazy people be. People are usually left speechless when Alberto can sling the insults and intimidation right back in Peruvian slang. It was the first negative encounter we’ve had with local people yet. This incident didn’t change our positive impression from previous experiences with the locals. You are bound to meet a loco or two when you are travelling I guess.

Photo Alberto was capturing when the angry lady was raging. Worth the trouble?


Angry lady calling for backup


A very unimpressed campesino


Cordillera Blanca a la vista!


We were able to pick up some fresh bread in Lluaca and once again confirmed directions. Each time we asked how to get to Yanama we were told it was about an hour. Meanwhile we have been driving for an hour and not gaining any ground on this town. It's a pretty typical situation though so you learn to just go with the flow. We eventually reached the sign to Yanama and turned off onto the road. Glad to see a touristy sign promoting the area and helping us go the right way.

Incredible geology


While the scenery was very nice the road was not. The road was pretty crappy actually, something we expect in remote areas where the road gets little use but this was a tourist destination so in a way the condition was a bit disgraceful. We were discussing when to stop for lunch, and we were trying to push on to the plaza of Yanama, when Chasqui got a flat front tire. So that settled that.

Going higher and higher


Alberto repairing a flat with his trade mark: no need to remove the tyre


After having a delicious lunch we got to work on the tire. Upon further inspection there was two punctures caused by thorns. We patched them up and hit the road again, but that ate up a bunch of time and Llanganuco was looking further and further away. We picked up the pace a bit, though the road wasn't really helping. The weather was also deteriorating, so we were a bit concerned about that. On the approach to Yanama there is a stunning glacier capped mountain, or at least I assume it is stunning in full view as most of it was covered by fog and rain. We could just see some glacier poking out of the bottom.

Getting closer and closer to the snowy peaks!




Views from the town of Yanama


Interesting new chapel in Yanama


We filled up at the gas station. The lady attendant was very friendly and happy to hear we were heading to Llanganuco. She told us that earlier when it was sunny you could see four nevados. Just our luck. We appreciated what we could see and continued on, just narrowly missing the full brunt of the rain. There was less houses around and the mountains were more impressive, it felt like we were heading towards the park.

Fantastic panoramas all around


Leaving Yanama


Can't complaint about the views


Why we love the mountains


Alberto could see the boundary on Garmin and only a few kilometers after that you could see the difference. It felt very similar to the last time we visited Llanganuco from the other side. Similar road, similar trees, similar terrain. The entrance was nice but the pass looked very foggy and rainy, not what we were hoping for. When we passed by some premium camping we decided to stop.

Mountain peaks seen from our campsite


Our campsite was ROCK SOLID!


Some views from our tent


We remained rain free until sunset and our view of the mountains even cleared up. We were very happy with our camping spot, there was fresh water and some stunning scenery. We didn't make it to where we had planned but where we ended up was pretty sweet.

One happy camper!


GPS DATA: Elevation Change Day 24


VIDEO: EPISODE 24

__________________
Canada to Argentina 2010:http://nomi-beto-adventures.blogspot.com/

Website:www.MotoLara.com

It was a pretty lazy morning. When we first peaked out of the tent there was patches of blue sky ahead but when we started packing up it was all cloud. Since we wanted to see the scenery we were in no hurry while the sky was cloudy. The clouds looked more like fog so we were hopeful they would burn off.

Foggy conditions


Bump bump bump, I have no rear shock. Bounce bounce bounce, this road is rocky. Our first glimpse of scenery was partially covered so we just waited at the side of the road for a bit to see if things improved. While waiting Alberto dug into his sugar cane from yesterday. The fog lifted a little bit but not completely.

Sugar cane candy


A steady ascent


Spot Naomi & Apu


Hoping the clouds would say hasta la vista!


Stellar views!


We were surprised by how busy the road was. Mostly combi traffic, some of it labelled turístico. Despite the lack of rain I was freezing. This was a cold and windy pass without the sunshine for heat. More of the mountain scenery was covered by cloud. We caught glimpses of what are surely spectacular mountains but no clear shots. We waited it out again a few switchbacks short of the pass but we were not rewarded with unrestricted views.

Hi mom!


Heading up to the pass


Nice vistas before the summit


Top of Portachuelo Pass!




Abra Portachuelo is the highest pass of the trip so far, by a fair margin. The views on the other side had some blue sky so we decided to camp out and have lunch to see what materialized. We could see the camping area below so we knew no matter what we were no more than an hour from our destination. I cooked up some tea to warm up and Alberto went to work photographing the crap out of the place.

Riding over the pass


Panoramic viewpoint



We could see some premium camping opportunities down below


Switchback city


Eager to have a hot cup of tea


When the wind died down and the sun came out it was quite nice. We just sat there enjoying our lunch with the mountain views ahead of us. Things never fully cleared but we felt pretty good about what we were able to see. It was ten times better than our last visit to the area.

iPhone Pano photo

Not too shabby spot

Beautiful road setting



Time to get moving


Sun is shining


Literally 10 seconds after we decided to leave the pass it's started to rain and hail. The views were being consumed by the fog and cloud so there wasn't much point in hanging about. We dashed down to the camping spot, being rained on as we went. When we reached the camping area the rain had passed and the sun was out, just as Alberto predicted.
Rain and hail


Find Naomi!


Views from the saddle


Our camping spot was awesome!



My hands were soaked and frozen since I opted not to stick on waterproof gloves, oh well. We were able to set up camp in the sunshine at least. The rain came and went throughout the evening but we were able to appreciate the stunning camping location while the sun was out.

Fantastic campsite

Tent view


GPS DATA: Elevation Change Day 25


VIDEO: EPISODE 25

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Canada to Argentina 2010:http://nomi-beto-adventures.blogspot.com/

Website:www.MotoLara.com