Gravel Roads, Argentinian Barbeque and Pumas.
The infamous Ruta 40 Sign
Today we get our first taste of the real Ruta 40, the historic trade route that links Ushuaia in the south with the rest of Argentina. It is the completion of the Trans American Hwy. For decades it has been a true challenge for dedicated adventurers. Today it is all but sealed for the full distance and the challenge has almost gone, along with the resultant satisfaction. Fortunately, in my view at least they have decided to maintain a small 140km section of gravel for all eternity so we can at least taste the original experience.
Ruta 40 in good Spanglish!
Getting to the beginning of this section involves a quick dash down perfectly sealed highway through the Argentine desert past isolated estancias and even more isolated communities that appear to exist on nothing at all. Hundreds of guanacos (a relative of the llama and alpaca) graze by the roadside. Their yellowish brown coats blend beautifully with the surrounding landscape and spotting them is a chore.
Guanacos
Fortunately they have great road sense and we very rarely see any road kill and none attempt to jump in front of us, unlike kangaroos back home.
And you reckon roos can jump
There are rheas too which are a smaller version of the emu and several riders see foxes cross the road.
Foxes are everywhere
The scenery is stark and barren but no less beautiful in it’s own way. The wind has mercifully dropped but so has the temperature. It doesn’t climb above 12 degrees all day. At least it’s not raining. Occasionally we pass cyclists loaded up and battling their way down the road. Today we see a couple on a tandem and towing a trailer. We wonder about their story but never stop to ask.
Soon we turn onto the ripio (gravel) and it is a culture shock for some. The surface is composed of deep loose river stones. Finding a firm base is a struggle but when you do it is not too bad. The pace is quite subdued, perhaps too slow as you need some momentum to maintain stability. Inevitably someone gets it all a bit wrong and in this instance it is Dave who gets ambition confused with ability and finds himself involved an unscheduled rapid dismount. Happily he is uninjured and the bike is undamaged. Best of all he managed to film the whole thing and shared it with the group.
After 30 or so km we come to our overnight stay at a working sheep and cattle estancia with a sideline in accommodation. It is a fascinating insight into life in this almost impossible landscape. The homestead is perched on the banks of the Rio Chico, a broad flat marshland oasis in this relentlessly arid world. There are puma skins on the wall and floor. We are told that a female puma and her cubs can kill dozens of sheep in a night so sadly these majestic creatures are hunted and killed.
A few of the Puma skins hanging in the barn. They are hunted and killed as pests.
Tonight we are treated to a traditional Argentinian BBQ where a whole sheep is butterflied and placed before a raging log fire.
BBQ Argentina style
Done to perfection it is carved into chunks and served with stacks of salad, roast potato wedges and a selection of salsas. Juan entertains us with his new guitar and is ably accompanied by Scott as they belt out a string of 70’s hits. After dinner as I return to our room I realise the above mentioned couple on the tandem are in the camp area and I can’t help myself. I soon discover they are French, they began their journey in Seattle (though I fail to ask why) and have been travelling south for 18mths and 25,000km. I realise we are soft by comparison and I envy their courage and tenacity.
25,000km in 18 months
Tomorrow we head to El Chalten, the adventure hub of Patagonia nestled at the base of Cerro Fitzroy. We truly hope the weather is OK and we get a proper look at perhaps the second most photographed mountain in the world.
