Uyuni to Tupiza. 2 days of tough riding.

Tuesday 7^th October 2014. Stage 52, Uyuni to Atocha. 110 kms. 855 metres of climbing, summit 3982 metres, 100% unpaved. Buck crashes in tour.

During my time at Uyuni I met a very special young boy and his family, his name is Christopher. I'll devote a full story to Christopher in the coming days.

Today we hit the road for a 2 day stretch to Tupiza. Today is all dirt, sand, corrugations, deep sand, walking and crashes. As we rolled out of town the first crash of the day happened. Buck was attempting to change from the road to the path running alongside and came off on his shoulder. He was in a lot of pain and it was obvious he needed the Dr. Barry rode back into town and found the Dr at the markets doing some shopping. Barry came rode back the 3 kms to the crash site and still the Dr hadn't arrived. I don't understand how this could have happened. I am of the opinion that the Dr should have dropped everything and got a taxi for peanuts and came straight out to see how Buck was travelling. Eventually the fire engine turned up and the Dr started to assess Buck.

Without going into too much detail, there was no way on earth Buck could get up into the fire engine. Barry suggested that Buck should go in a vehicle that he had stopped to the hospital. Eventually Walter agreed. Buck was taken to hospital in a lot of pain. He was given a shot of Morphine and the Dr put his dislocated shoulder back into place. That must have been a painful experience.

Once Buck was taken away, myself, Barry, Knut, Hilde and Max started our 110 km ride for the day. We were miles behind everyone and we knew it was going to be a long hard day out in the wilderness of Bolivia. For the first part of the morning the road was just diabolical. The corrugations and sand were making it so hard that at stages we had to get off and walk through ankle high sand. We would be riding along and then all of a sudden our wheels would sink in the depths of soft powdery sand. The more you tried to pedal the more exhausted you become. By the time we reached the lunch stop at 55 kms we were all pretty tired and we still had another 55 kms of the same conditions.

As we pulled into the town Tolapampa the only people around were JR, Hardy and Jurg. No one from Bike Dreams was there inquiring where the lunch truck was, we had to fend for ourselves. If this little town had no bananas, bread and water, we were seriously stuffed. I had no more food and my water supply was zero.

We all sat down in this little shop and devoured banana rolls and water. I bought 2 extra bananas for the afternoon ride. After a good 45 minute break we had to get back out on the road and bust our guts for another 4 hours.

The group was now down to 4 riders, Max has stopped Roberto's truck and called it a day. The 4 of hit the road at 1pm up and down small climbs all afternoon, walking through sand, swerving in sand, trying to keep the bike upright and pointed straight ahead. Barry came off in the afternoon, his 2^nd fall for the day. Fortunately for him it was a bit of skin off, but he's fine.

With the sun now belting down on our backs, I was just hanging for this day to end. We were the last riders out on the road and I can't tell you how draining it is to ride the roads that are just a sandy track only fit for 4WD vehicles. I suppose this is what toughens one up.

With about 1 hour to go we started to climb some serious mountains with steep gradients. At times I was travelling at speeds of 5 kph. It probably would have been faster to walk up the damn thing. When we reached the top of the climb we would then cruise down the other side smashing into rocks and bouncing all over the road because of the corrugations, then you would just about come to a standstill and have to start all over again.

The next town we past was Cordas. This town was now a ghost town. It appears to have had some type of mining industry going on years ago. It had rail lines going to the areas but it was clear they hadn't been used in years. We pushed on up out of the town and rolled into our destination of Atocha. When we reached the outskirts of town, Robert the boss told us that the camping ground was situated 7 kms outside of town, and we had to climb a 6 km mountain to get close to the campsite.

Myself, Barry and Knut went into Atocha for a cold drink and recharge our batteries. I was in no mood to start climbing straight away. We sat down in the gutter with a coke and chips, took the shoes off, and enjoyed the afternoon sun and watching the locals starring at us.

We couldn't stay around any longer and decided it was time to get back on the bikes and make the final push to camp. Robert the boss was correct, the mountain we climbed was so steep it nearly broke me. Barry was behind me and I'm sure he was doing it as tough as I was. Knut had dropped off the back of us, so we pushed on up the climb. After about 40 minutes of climbing on dirty, sand, corrugated mountain we reached the summit and could see the red fire engine in the distance. It was a simple coast down the other side and roll into camp. Immediately I got my tent an bag and set up Tent Hilton. With a quick wash down and change of clothes, I went over to see how Buck was. He was in his tent with his arm in a sling. He was feeling much better but the side affects of the drugs was making him very drowsy. I don't think we'll see Buck back on the bike for a couple of days.

With the sun setting it was time for dinner. The night was getting cold and people were heading to their tents to get some much needed sleep after the beating we all copped today. Tomorrow is a harder day on the same roads and longer. The only saving Grace is that we are riding to a rest day at Tupiza.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.

Wednesday 8th October 2014. Stage 53. Atocha bush camp to Tupiza. 100 kms, 100% unpaved, 1545 metres of climbing, summit 4334 metres. Another brutal day to take us to the rest day. And a hair cut.

I woke at 6.30 am to a beautiful sunny and chilly morning. I quickly pulled down Tent Hilton and headed for the kitchen for a nice breakfast. We had another big day ahead of us and I needed a good size breakfast to help me over the many mountains we would be climbing. I had a bowl of corn flakes and a jam bread roll which is clearly not enough food to sustain the intensity of 50 kms to the lunch stop. I took some peanut bars and filled my bottles up and was on the road with all the cyclists by 8.15 am. 

The first 45 kms to lunch was like this, sandy corrugated roads which would slow you down to walking pace, and vibrate the hell out of the bike and every part of your anatomy. There's nothing worse than roaring down a rocky road to hit 100000000's of corrugations at the bottom of the hill. It's jarring and very annoying to say the least.

I rode with Barry and Jan Willem most of the morning stopping to take some fantastic photos of some of the most amazing scenery of the tour thus far. The colours of the mountains with their, black, grey, reds and green surfaces were worth all the hard work we were going through. Some of the mountains were very steep and at times I did see some cyclists stopping and taking a break. You have to remember that we are riding at 4300 metres above sea level and it hurts big time on the legs to drag yourself up each climb time and time again.

When we reached each summit you could see for a hundred miles over the tops of the mountains in the distance. Each time we reached a summit it was back down to the valley floor to do it all again. By the time we reached the lunch truck at 45 kms I was hungry, thirsty and dead tired, and I still had another 55 kms of the same after lunch.

I devoured 2 bread rolls in no time and was soon back on the bike with Barry and Jan Willem who I would ride with for the rest of the afternoon. The first section was downhill into a valley and over a bridge where I town once laid. When a mine or an industry dies in this part of the world, the whole town dies with it. The 2 towns we passed through in the afternoon were deserted.

The climbs in the afternoon were much tougher due to a 30 degree afternoon and the sheer steepness of the road. As we climbed the mountain we could see riders coming up from the valley floor in a snake like procession. There's one thing I hate about climbing mountains and that's when you come around a corner near the top only to see the road going higher and higher in the distance. When you're already buggered, hot, dirty and mentally drained, that's not what you want to see. 

By 2 pm the summit had been reached. We were now above 4300 metres and for a change I was handling the altitude quite well. Now the fun part began. We had a mountain to descend which was bout 15 kms long. I bounced all over the road trying to control a bike with only a front brake, dodging boulders, holes, hidden sand traps and not going over the edge of the road.

As I rolled down into the valley I waited for Jan Willem and Barry to arrive. Once in the valley floor the temperature rose and the road somehow became even worse than what we had just ridden on. I was swearing and cursing at the road conditions and the constant steep hills that were being thrown up at us around each bend. 

We were all tired and exhausted and just wanted the day to end. Our food and water was gone and we needed to get out of the sun and lay down and die. 

The scenery along the valley floor was like something you see in the mid west of America. Huge rocky peaks growing out of the earth in brilliant reds and browns. The river gave life to willow trees that were green and huge compared to everything around them. The final 20 kms into town were  enough to break any man's spirits. We rolled into town and found the Hotel La Torre and settled in for a nice shower and rest. I should mention that when you are climbing a steep mountain at a speed that resembles walking pace and a bus comes past causing a dust storm and pours out 2 billion litres of carbon monoxide into your face, you seriously have to question why the hell are you doing this.

Once I had the wash and shave I went for a walk of the town and found a barber. When I got my chance to sit in the chair I was amused that the white sheet the barber put on me was the same he used for the 2 guys before me. Also the towel he put around the necks of the 2 guys before me was the same as the one I had around my neck. 

During this hair cut, the barber's white coast was full of hair and dirty. At times he would put his hand on my head and then spend 5 minutes talking to his customers. They were having a great chat and laughing, probably at me. I had a No.2 cut which cost 10 Bolivianos, that about $1.75 AUS. I didn't even think to bargain with the barber. He reminded me so much of the 'Penguin' in the Batman & Robin series. He would waddle around my chair at a snails pace, cutting little pieces off, and then waddling to the other side to do the same again. To have a No.2 cut took about 30 minutes, and I usually do this in my garage in about 5 minutes.

For dinner we walked up a block from the hotel for a chicken dish which took 2 hours to get. I was not happy and wanted to walk out but the longer you wait the more committed you are to staying. Eventually I got my dish and it was pretty good. All the guys wanted to go back to the hotel and crash, so it was back for some typing and reading.

Tomorrow is a rest day, and I'll update you on that later. Due to the poor Wifi in our hotel, I'll try and post photos tomorrow.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.