Calafate and the glacier

I have to do another oil change as another 2000km has gone by since Bariloche !  I went to the YPF garage, their car motor oil was very cheap (not "bovvered" now, special "moto" oil was 5x more & there´s only 1000km to go...). The friendly mechanic shows me where his tools are, then disappears and completely lets me get on with it ! so I re-tension and lube the chain with his grease gun (as well) it would not happen in the UK, for no charge !

The main attraction in Calafate is the "Perito Moreno" glacier. One of only two glaciers in South America that are not retreating. I was planning to go the next day. I got up early but the weather was really dreadful, heavy cold rain and wind, even 80km to the Glacier seems like far too much work !, so I go back to bed...  By the time I get up again, the hostel is empty so I have a nice lazy days internetting and update my blog. It´s a massive advantage having my bike here, the glacier "tour" is ludicrously expensive (it´s just a return 80km bus ride to the glacier and back).

Next day it´s a cold and windy ride out to the Glacier, but so very worth it. The Perito Moreno glacier is amazing, the unique nature of the place means you are literally face 2 face with this zillion ton lump of ice, and it´s "comin` right `ach yer", albeight rather slowly !!  creaking and groaning as it goes. A boat could not risk getting so close but you are stood upon solid land and can enjoy the huge lumps of ice calving off it without danger. Because I have my own transport I wait until the multitude has gone home and hang around til the evening, in that time 3 large bits of ice calve off, quite a spectacle.  Every 5 years or so the glacier completely blocks the entire channel, the water builds up on one side until the whole lot goes with a bang. It´s blocking the channel at this very point but stubbornly refuses to go while I´m watching....

After Calafate I want to get to Puerto Natales in Chile. This section of road is high and exposed to the wind, it´s also 72km of ripio. I´m a little nervous of it as there is nothing inbetween, I need a good weather forecast and low winds. Well, guess what, next day, strong winds on the  forecast (40kmh). I "um" and "ahh" for a while, then leave anyway (I really wanted to move on, on this day). The start of the ripio is good, nice and flat, then it becomes progressively worse. At half way, once fully commited, it´s really quite bad. The weather forecast was wrong, the strong NW wind is in fact a lesser SW wind, but this is right "on the nose" so slows me down, a lot. Just when it´s getting really bumpy, I´m only in first gear, just 5kmh ! and fairly fed up the ripio ends, there´s a petrol station, and a tiny coffee shop, much relief !!

While I´m defrosting and drinking a coffee at this tiny rural station, a most strange looking vehicle pulls up, it´s a "STRANGE ROVER". It looks like an off-road racer but it has a diesel engine ! It has a tiny cabin but huge suspension. The chap, an English / Australian engineer built it himself and they are on year 4 of a 7 year world trip ! (they have already been everywhere it looks like to me, from their extensive sticker collection), the large khaki box on top of the cabin is a roof tent which they use every night - incredible !!




It´s another 100km to Rio Turbio, the Chile border town. I´ve run out of puff and it´s late so I stay there. I stay in a ski lodge in the most micro ski resort I´ve ever seen ! There are only two ancient lifts and their season is June/July, just 2 months, can it be worth it ?

In the morning the border post (a small house) is 200m from the lodge (I had not realised it was the border the night before). Once again the Chile border authorities are only concerned about fruit and vegetables, I get a thorough search, they´ve got me !! the phantom turnip smuggler ! The weather is good and it´s only 24 pleasant kilometers to Puerto Natales, Chile. Which appears to be a beautiful place with a back drop of ocean and mountains.

I´ve been recommended a hostel, "Erratic Rock". Perfectly designed to "process" you through to the main attraction, the 5 day "W" trek in Torres del Paine national park (I´m not using my bike to get there, there is nowhere safe to leave it for 5 days, that I can see). The hostel kindly let me keep my bike in their garden. I decide to "rush" and go on the nexts days trek. As it´s 5 days in the wilderness, preparations have to be fairly precise. I rent a camping stove from the hostel (Fortunately I already have the rest of the camping stuff that I need) and attend a talk about the trek. I think I need waterproofs and could rent them but the guide says "pah ! waterproofs ! you won´t need them ! just keep moving to keep warm !"  so I don´t take any....and spend the afternoon rushing around buying food / trail mix / batteries etc...etc....