the road turned to pavement before riding into el chalten....and in the distance could see horizon had some shape to it....a glimmer of heightful scenery after the last few days
getting closer the shape turned out to be incredible.
mt fitzroy is a series of stunning sharp jagged peaks just behind the town of el chalten....snow capped and all, this is what had in mind for patagonia
the town itself on verge of development explosion
mixed with variety of characters from my new best friend st barnaird, to the 'let me wear my hemp pajamas and just be' crowd... to $3k dollar climbing outfit people including the newest sheekest climbing ski poles and then the hardcore climbers from all over world taking a shot at fitroy peak, french and italian moslty. apparently it takes 40 hours to climb and very few conquer it. not suprising only took pictures of the dog
went on a four season hike up mountain to get close view...started it was sunny and 45, hour later it was sunny and 75, another hour we were there. unfortunately clouds rolled in blocking view and bringing rain. on the way down it was 25 windy as get out and snowing.....
bikers eveywhere now, all fighting the wind....
the third day on ruta 40 was the shortest leg but seemingly tougher than the others...wind ripping all directions and road had highest loose rock/ gravel build up between ruts yet...as the wind whips from side it makes bike move few inches into the loose gravel and which can create lot of fishtailing...slower speeds help as does lots of gravel/rock riding like this throughout the trip and bolivias pain.....which is good now for head as long as never let get in way of reality that anything can happen anytime to anyone.
stayed at this middle of nowhere hotel which has the same name as the town on map (la siberia)as its the only thing in the town...so....it is the town. met 3 other riders....turkish, english, and a swiss girl
when we came up on Leo, a german biker riding an african twin....... his bike was upright in middle of the road and there was an ambulance already there....he was staggering around and not clearly conscious
...repeating "am i in argentina"...."f*&%"....."how did it happen" "I dont know how this happened"....some body has a cigarette?" F&*^ i have to make a naked bike.....somebody has a cigarette?......am i in argentina? on and on after being answered each time...but nothing was sticking...
"somebody has a cigarette" "i have to make a naked bike now" along with walking away from us every few minutes going into crying then coming back "this is argentina"....told us that he wasnt ok....shock or concussion or....
they said ok and took him to calafate....dan who speaks the best spanish followed with the tow truck to hospital....everything checked out fine and it was shock that was unableing him to recall or record anything....we were with him for 3 hours and then it was another 3 hours to and at the hospital before he came to fully.....
loads of guanaco out here
emu too
and one armadillo
and a broke down caravan of nutty bicyclists... middle of nowhere road we stopped and had matte with them
Made way east toward chile and onto route 40...the infamous..well infamous amongst travellers heading south and maybe some Che-heads…known to be a very remote and rough road that goes north to south argentina about 3000 miles…its real claim to fame however is from the high winds that come across either ocean into the flat desolate route leading to the dramatic end of the andes mountains…we’ll see. 
it is the main artery for exploring the skinny southern half of south america….. all gravel though apparently in recent years they have started to pave it. Its also known to be the road that che Guevara took on his motorcycle trip while stewing his ideas of revolution.
once on 40 things slowed down a bit with speeds around 35 mph….some deep gravel..some big rocks…some packed areas….no matter what terrain the whole thing is rutted out and creates sort of lanes like a swimming pool….the goal is to stay in them and try not to hit jagged rocks that could blow tires….easy really until you add wind….goes on for what feels like days only passing maybe 3 trucks in 6 hours and nothing else…did se first pakc/flock/family? Of emus…pretty cool …mostly small young ones and couple adult sized… got to porito Moreno and it was booked solid for hotle hostels due to a music festival in a nearby town but did manage to find an over priced a frame cabin the size of my old neighbors kids playhouse with 3 beds in it….
next day chilled, did some bike prep stuff and met a few bikers at a more reasonably riced cabin/camsite…..life is beautiful craxy italin girl had a older beemer and the drive shaft u-joint like bolt broke in half…tryed to help her fix but not much you can do....appernetly toyoata trucksuse similar for their u-joints
Got up and headed out at the crack of noon after too much swapping riding stories wine and yet another fantastic meat bbq.. I realy am gonna clog up the ticker here
