The Carretera strikes back

Leaving Cerro Castillo packs a double whammy. We leave the pavement for good and we are heading directly west for 30km, which is generally where the wind originates. And boy, do both of these deliver!

The next four hours are very painful as we are brought to a standstill several times by wind gusts and are riding on washboard dirt. When we finally reach a bus stop shelter, we stop for lunch and question our ability to finish.

But after a small climb and turn to the south, things get better and we start some very fast descends. The kilometers click off and we reach our camping for the night at Dora Dona. We are delighted as the owner offers the possibility of a refugio room with a bathroom and wood stove since the skies were darkening for an evening storm.

We watch the many sheep graze outside the hut along with their feathered friends. The next day, the lady of the campground tells us posing under her rose bushes brings good luck, so we all take turns to hedge bets on the future.

Not sure if we picked the right roses as we had a few bike mechanical issues on the way to Rio Tranquilo. First Lara flatted on a small piece of glass.

Then we dropped our timing chain on a rough piece of ripio.

But we all finally made it to Rio Tranquilo and grabbed a nice lunch with live music.

Then signed up for a morning kayak tour to explore the unique rock formations in Lago General Carrera. They are formed from the erosion of calcium deposits formed from seashells when this area was under the ocean many years ago.

Exploring Rio Tranquilo was quite nice, many bikepackers and campers were here for the lake activities and resupply.

Also fun is to discover the local food offerings in the supermercados

After rafting, we recharge with Completos, a Chilean version of a hot dog with huge mounds of avocado, mayonnaise and other toppings.

We roll out to enjoy more dirt on our way to camp in Ventisquero and find blue skies.

Off to Puerto Bertrand!