Thighs of Glory: Crossing the Andes from Santiago to Mendoza

After a great few days in balmy Santiago we decided not to head for the coast but to tackle the toughest section of our trip so far - crossing the Andes just north of Santiago back to Argentina, across some of the highest mountains in the world outside the Himalayas. After previous bad experiences in big cities we caught an amazingly cheap bus to Los Andes, a town just north of Santiago and at the turnoff to the border. We had a terrible night lying awake listening to traffic noise and sleeping on the worlds largest, yet thinnest bed.

Ben enjoying the comforts of our large yet thin bed in Los Andes

 We set off the next morning armed with 9 litres of water and 12 egg and avacado sandwichs with about 60km and 2700m of climbing to the border. We knew from other cyclists that is is difficult to get up and over in one day, and camping at the top of the pass isn´t ideal. We had heard that there was so possible camping spots near the top that had clean water so we were aiming for somewhere around there. After all, there was no shortage of trucks passing us should we need a lift.

Another overdramatic warning leaving Los Andes. The gradient was nowhere near that steep.

 

Leaving Los Andes. Sun shining, birds singing, etc.



Anna coming up to one of the many tunnels, complete with a nice track for cyclists around the outside. There were many trucks on the road as this is the main link between Chile and Argentina. The truckies were all very friendly, our arms got tired from waving to them all. Many also slowed to offer helpful advice and encouragement, such as taking a car next time. Ho, ho, ho. 

The day was once our best so far, with great scenery and relatively gentle climbing. So gentle, in fact we were beginning to wonder how we were going to get so high with only 10kms left to the border and 1000 metres below the pass. We turned a corner and saw the reason: trucks crawling up a never ending wall of switchbacks. We gulped, had a morale boosting egg sandwich and set off to join the trucks climbing with the chariots of fire song in our heads.

Switchbacks. 29 of them.

We did the first 21 switchbacks in the afternoon before stopping to camp for the night behind a machinery shed at about 2500 metres. We finished off the remaining 8 the next morning.

Ben near the top

Camping in the high Andes next to a shed

The tiny orange building is the shed we camped next to.

Climbing? No problems here.

The next day we carried on to the top after passing unexpected roadworks, confusing border control and cycling the last kms in a tunnel all by ourselves as traffic was rerouted outside to allow for repairs. We liked to think of it as the "Ben and Anna executive cycleway".



At the top, feeling pleased with ourselves. All those vehicles are waiting to go through the tunnel, we got a sweet ride on the back of a truck.



Hello, Argentina.

The highest mountain in the western hemisphere was toweing over us when we were at 3000m.

After eventually clearing customs and describing our trip to the 10 people that came up to take our photos and talk to us we had an initally great ride down the valley stopping at many small villages. We carried on past all obvious accomodation options until the wind turned into a headwind and rain rolled in. We found some shelter in the ruins of an Inca village (incredibly, true) in the most scenic campsite we could ever hope for.

Puente del Inca - A natural bridge and thermal spa that are slowly being eroded.

Camping amongst ruins, hoping no archaelogist drives by.



High Andes camping. So glad we sent the orange tent home days before cause it wasn´t stealthy enough.

 Rain set in the next day along with more gastric distress. Turns out the crossing was too exciting for Annas digestive system. We spent 2 nights in Upsallata (where the film seven years in Tibet was filmed) recovering before heading down the valleys to Mendoza. We cycled most of the day with Fernando, an Argentinian who was cycling home from Chile. Together we managed to lose a town and ended up sharing a awesome cabana on the outskirts of Mendoza.

Anna and Fernando leaving Upsallata



Typical views from the road.




The guys at our cabana the next morning.



We have had a great time in Mendoza, it has had unseasonal rainfall whilst we have been here but we have enjoyed the wineries and tried our hand at horseriding on an estancia in the foothills of the Andes. If engineering doesn´t work out for Ben he may become a gaucho. From here we are heading north into northwest Argentina and then (gulp) Bolivia.