Carretera Austral Day #11 Puerto Rio Tranquilo to Cochrane
January 8, 2020
Puerto Rio Tranquilo to Cochrane 112.15km
Ride Time: 9:55
Pedal Time: 9:06
Tour Total Pedaled 901.56km
I woke up at 6:30am. My phone was charging in the other room and I went to check the time. It was light out, and I had received a text message. I couldn’t fall back asleep. I ate my Coco Puffs and packed. Scott got up at 7:30am and cooked his oatmeal.
It was wet outside and had rained a lot during the night. Last night during our walk back from the pizza place we noticed freshly fallen snow on the mountains.
Today was the day we had reservations for the ferry out of Villa O’Higgins, which was still three days ahead of us should we have no more problems.
We had an 8:30am start. I began the ride in my long sleeve jersey, sweater, rain jacket, cycling shorts and legwarmers. After 4 km I was getting hot, and took off my rain jacket. It was overcast but not raining. The forecasted had called for thunder showers.
I had studied the terrain and elevation for today’s route. There were would be three large climbs. The first began 5 km out of Puerto Rio Tranquilo. Yellow flowers replaced the purple flowers alongside the road.
There was considerable motor traffic today in both directions. We were passed by Copec trucks, San Carlos buses, pick-up trucks, motorcycles, and cars. The hand-painted kilometers markers alongside the road seem to have disappeared.
A slight drizzle began at 10am. Scott’s front rack came loose at 10:15am. Axiom
racks suck. We were rolling again by 10:30am and it had stopped precipitating. There was a lot of wash boarding today and it was a bumpy ride.
After 29km I passed through León. There were no services and only two buildings and a bus stop.
We could see that it was snowing on the mountain tops around us but there was no precipitation on the road where we were. We were lucky so far! It was like threading a needle.
At noon I crossed over a one-lane orange suspension bridge that traversed the straight between Lago General Carrera and Lago Bertrand. Description fails the extraordinary crystal blue water found underneath the bridge. It started drizzling again a little bit later
At 12:45pm we reached Puerto El Maitén, were the road from Chile Chico forks with Highway 7. There were a collection of billboards and a bus stop occupied by two cyclists.
We talked to the northbound male/female French cyclists at the turn off. They had come from El Chaltén and had crossed through the jungle to Villa O’Higgins. They believed that we would have an easier time of it because we would be going downhill. They told us about an empanada stand up ahead.
A couple kilometers down the road there was in fact a roadside empanada stand. We stopped and I had two empanadas and two sprites. I sat out on the wooden dock over top the Gatorade blue Lake Bertrand. They were playing jazz piano music. I talked with the nice woman about the weather, and she related a local superstition. The first twelve days of the year here represent the coming months of the year. Today was January 8 and represented August, which should be favorable. As I was leaving, my bike accidentally knocked over her table, breaking a coffee mug.
Freezing cold wind was blowing over Lago Bertrand. Strong headwind challenged the climb up and around the lake.
On the downhill into Puerto Bertran Scott wiped out in the gravel and I almost collided with him.
I began following the Gatorade blue Rio Baker with its swift current and rapids. I couldn’t believe the color. I passed a group of five hitchhikers heading north.
There was a massive storm behind us dumping snow on the surrounding mountains.
At La Junta the Rio Baker converged with the Rio Nef. The confluence ends its striking blue color because glacier sediment creates a milky color. The river cuts through a narrow gorge that would be amazing for white-water rafting.
At 5 it began drizzling again. Fifteen minutes later at 97 km into the ride I hit the fork to Entrada Baker. I was 17km from Cochran and was on the last stretch.
The route met back up with the Rio Baker as another small stream converged through a narrow gorge. I was riding up and down hills. I made 51km an hour down a steep hill where a road sign forbid going faster than 60.
Finally we reached Cochrane. My Moviestar phone service worked, and several restaurants appeared on Google maps. We went to a Cervesería were Scott scored on the meatloaf and I came up hungry after the salmon. They had WiFi and we were both able to catch up.
Puerto Rio Tranquilo to Cochrane 112.15km
Ride Time: 9:55
Pedal Time: 9:06
Tour Total Pedaled 901.56km
I woke up at 6:30am. My phone was charging in the other room and I went to check the time. It was light out, and I had received a text message. I couldn’t fall back asleep. I ate my Coco Puffs and packed. Scott got up at 7:30am and cooked his oatmeal.
It was wet outside and had rained a lot during the night. Last night during our walk back from the pizza place we noticed freshly fallen snow on the mountains.
Today was the day we had reservations for the ferry out of Villa O’Higgins, which was still three days ahead of us should we have no more problems.
We had an 8:30am start. I began the ride in my long sleeve jersey, sweater, rain jacket, cycling shorts and legwarmers. After 4 km I was getting hot, and took off my rain jacket. It was overcast but not raining. The forecasted had called for thunder showers.
I had studied the terrain and elevation for today’s route. There were would be three large climbs. The first began 5 km out of Puerto Rio Tranquilo. Yellow flowers replaced the purple flowers alongside the road.
There was considerable motor traffic today in both directions. We were passed by Copec trucks, San Carlos buses, pick-up trucks, motorcycles, and cars. The hand-painted kilometers markers alongside the road seem to have disappeared.
A slight drizzle began at 10am. Scott’s front rack came loose at 10:15am. Axiom
racks suck. We were rolling again by 10:30am and it had stopped precipitating. There was a lot of wash boarding today and it was a bumpy ride.
After 29km I passed through León. There were no services and only two buildings and a bus stop.
We could see that it was snowing on the mountain tops around us but there was no precipitation on the road where we were. We were lucky so far! It was like threading a needle.
At noon I crossed over a one-lane orange suspension bridge that traversed the straight between Lago General Carrera and Lago Bertrand. Description fails the extraordinary crystal blue water found underneath the bridge. It started drizzling again a little bit later
At 12:45pm we reached Puerto El Maitén, were the road from Chile Chico forks with Highway 7. There were a collection of billboards and a bus stop occupied by two cyclists.
We talked to the northbound male/female French cyclists at the turn off. They had come from El Chaltén and had crossed through the jungle to Villa O’Higgins. They believed that we would have an easier time of it because we would be going downhill. They told us about an empanada stand up ahead.
A couple kilometers down the road there was in fact a roadside empanada stand. We stopped and I had two empanadas and two sprites. I sat out on the wooden dock over top the Gatorade blue Lake Bertrand. They were playing jazz piano music. I talked with the nice woman about the weather, and she related a local superstition. The first twelve days of the year here represent the coming months of the year. Today was January 8 and represented August, which should be favorable. As I was leaving, my bike accidentally knocked over her table, breaking a coffee mug.
Freezing cold wind was blowing over Lago Bertrand. Strong headwind challenged the climb up and around the lake.
On the downhill into Puerto Bertran Scott wiped out in the gravel and I almost collided with him.
I began following the Gatorade blue Rio Baker with its swift current and rapids. I couldn’t believe the color. I passed a group of five hitchhikers heading north.
There was a massive storm behind us dumping snow on the surrounding mountains.
At La Junta the Rio Baker converged with the Rio Nef. The confluence ends its striking blue color because glacier sediment creates a milky color. The river cuts through a narrow gorge that would be amazing for white-water rafting.
At 5 it began drizzling again. Fifteen minutes later at 97 km into the ride I hit the fork to Entrada Baker. I was 17km from Cochran and was on the last stretch.
The route met back up with the Rio Baker as another small stream converged through a narrow gorge. I was riding up and down hills. I made 51km an hour down a steep hill where a road sign forbid going faster than 60.
Finally we reached Cochrane. My Moviestar phone service worked, and several restaurants appeared on Google maps. We went to a Cervesería were Scott scored on the meatloaf and I came up hungry after the salmon. They had WiFi and we were both able to catch up.
Wow!
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