Torres de Paine to Punta Arenas. 2 stage wins this week ends my time with bike dreams.

Friday 5^th December 2014. Trekking to the 3 Torres in Torres del Paine National Park Chile.

Today is the day we make the 10km trek up into the mountains of Torres del Paine National Park to see the famous 3 peaks. The weather was overcast and slight rain was falling when we finally hit the trail at 9.15am. We were told it could take anywhere from 5 hours to 9 hours to complete the walk.

With the huge mountains looking rather daunting, the 3 of us headed off over the flat plains and straight up to commence the climb. The path was a rocky baron track that hundreds of tourists take each day and also is the track that the local gauchos take to haul goods up and down the mountain to the to the small huts you can stay at, if you can afford it.

 The photo above is the trail we took to reach the viewing area of the 3 Torres.

 The 2 ladies above are Carmen (L) and Julia (R) who were my trekking buddies for the day.

The scenery above is what we trek with all day. It certainly is a beautiful place to go for a walk, if you like walking that is.

The narrow path took us high with some pretty scary drop off we if we manage to get our footing wrong. At times we would walk through beautiful rain forests reappearing on the other side to incredible snow capped mountains and the 3 Torres getting every so closer.

We walked 5 kms to reach the first hut and took a nice break from walking up and down dale. The rain was starting to fall so it was time to put all my wet weather gear on. I could see hundreds of walkers up ahead, some young and some old. I think I fit into the old category.

We passed a couple of bike dream cyclists who had reached the summit and got some great shots of the 3 Torres and that what we were hoping for. With 3 kms to the summit the track climbed through a rocky section that was really hard on the legs. As a cyclist, walking is not our favourite past time. We kept going up and up over rocks, over boulders, along beautiful narrow paths whilst searching ahead for that once in a life time photo.

As we crested the summit and turned the corner, all we could see was the 3 Torres covered in clouds. The crystal clear turquoise lake beneath the peaks was just as impressive. We found Buck, Deb and Brian and took up a seat on the rocks with them waiting for the clouds to disappear just for a moment. Unfortunately luck was not on our side today. With light snow falling it was time to get out of the region and start the 10 km trek back to the campsite.

 The photo above is what greeted us, cloud and rain covering the 3 Torres. It didn't matter as it was a good trek to the viewing point.

 And that's a photo of myself standing in front of the lake beneath the 3 Torres.

The photo above shows the famous 'Buck Benson' and the rest of the crew taking shelter from the rain and freezing conditions at 3 Torres.

Walking back down the rocky path was quite dangerous with the lose gravel/sand scattered everywhere. The temperature was 4 degrees and the wind was now belting us from all directions. I had my face scarf on, beanie, long pants, long jacket and wet weather gloves on, and felt perfect. We made our way back through the forest and reached the ½ way point within 1 ½ hours. That was 50% quicker than the trip up the mountain. We sat down on the benches and took out our salad, bread rolls, biscuits, ham, cheese and fruit and had a nice lunch. I really needed to get off my feet and give my legs a break. I starting to think, 'I hate walking'.

The weather was turning again and we needed to press on down the mountain. The view along the mountain, down into the river and into the valley 10 kms away was incredible. The clouds, the rain, the sun trying to break through every now and then made the journey worthwhile.

Once we reached the last section of the mountain, the path finally went downhill. It was here where 3 gauchos and their horses passed us. The horses were carrying gas bottles, litter and other goods from the ½ way point back to the hotel below. We stopped heaps of times taking beautiful photos and slowly clawing our way back to our campsite. By the time I made it back to 'Tent Hilton' I was stuffed. My legs, ass muscles, back muscles ached with pain. I have no idea how I'm going to manage 135 kms on dirt tomorrow. We arrived back in camp at 5.30pm. That makes it a very long day out in the mountains.

Dinner was a nice meal in the hotel and the most expensive on tour thus far. Compared to back home it was still cheap.

The wind has now picked up and I'm laying in my tent wandering whether I'm going to lift off. This is the strongest wind I've felt in the tent on this tour. It's now 12 midnight and the wind is going crazy outside. A bad night's sleep is coming my way.

Saturday 6^th December 2014. Stage 101. National Park Torres del Paine to Puerto Natales. 134 kms, paved 13%, climbing 1256 metres, summit 300 metres. Gale force winds puts many on truck.

I finally got about 5 hours sleep last night due to horrific winds and constant rain. Thankfully my tent is waterproof. We rolled out of camp at 8am for the long ride to Puerto Natales.The first 8 kms was a walk in the park and then the shit hit the fan as they say in Australia. We were hit by a force 10 gales right in the face. For the next 15 kms it took us 2 ½ hours due to being forced off the bike and into the dirt on more times than I care to count. We had bike riders scattered all over the road, struggling to walk their bikes and struggling to keep upright.

This wind is the strongest wind I've ever been out in, in my entire life. It got so strong there was Brian, Deb, Carmen, Barry, Kristin, Hilde and myself sitting behind a clump of dirt to get out of the wind. The other problem was that the wind was so strong it was forcing the gravel off the road and belt into our legs and face. I had to put my leg warmers on as the gravel was hitting so hard it was painful.

We waited behind the clump of dirt from 11am to 1pm before the fire engine came back to pick us up. Hilde and Marius attempted to ride again but were stopped about 2 kms up the road. It was lifting water off the lake and blowing it straight across the road an onto the riders. This is just downright dangerous and not worth taking any risks by riding in these conditions.

 The photo above is of Kristen getting ready to head off on her birthday in ferocious winds.

 During the ride out of Torres del Paine we had to push our bikes because of the crazy winds.

The photo above gives you a better idea of how crazy it was out there riding. When you see the water being whipped off the lake high in the mountains, you know you are in a serious situation.

We arrived at the lunch stop and found about 8 other riders taking shelter in the office of the National Park Service. The next decision was who was going to take the lunch truck back to the camp and who was going to wait behind for the other truck to come back and get us. If there can be one good thing to come out of all this, the National Park office had heaters, and WiFi to keep us company.

Barry, Carmen, Leyte, Brigit, Dr, and myself stayed behind and waited till 6.30 pm for Roberto to come back. We made it to camp at 8.30am very tired. The wind is still force 10, my tent is up, I'm too tired to have a shower, and I only rode/walked 23 kms so I don't care.

Tomorrow is a long day and I hope the winds are favourable. We're staying in a bush camp so that could mean anything.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.

Sunday 7^th December 2014. Stage 102. Puerto Natales to Bush camp Villa Tehuelches. 148 kms, paved 100%, climbing 1124 metres, summit 345 metres. 2^nd last day on tour and 8^th victory comes my way in gale force winds.

After arriving in camp so late and getting to sleep close to midnight I wasn't really in the mood for a race. We rolled out of camp at 9am on the dot and commenced a long gradual climb out of Puerto Natales. By the time we reached the top of the climb there was only Alfred, James, Reinhardt and myself left at the front of the riders.

The tail wind was already force 10 gale and we were now screaming along and couldn't see anyone behind us for miles. I told Reinhardt that we should not get involved in the race between James and Alfred as they are about 1 hour apart at the top o f the rankings on tour. We both sat back and watched Alfred time after time make strong surges up all the climbs trying to dislodge James. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't drop him. I didn't have a problem staying with them and kept out of the fight for the majority of the day. 

During the ride the other day I manage to get a photo with JR. He's one of the great guys on tour. 

With tailwinds pushing us along at 50 kph it didn't require much effort. Actually its quite frightening how dangerous these winds can be to a 70 kg cyclist. For the ride to lunch we had a strong a tailwind and were waiting in anticipation as to what the afternoon would bring us.

The lunch truck was at the 65 km mark and we arrived there at 11am. Since James is leading the race there was no reason for him to do any work on the front of the bunch, it was up to Alfred to break James and win the stage today. We rolled into lunch and filled up our bottles, and got some fruit and hit the road again. No sooner had we hit the road and we were flying along. We were hitting speeds over 60 kph and still being forced faster and faster by the ferocious winds.

With 40 kms to go we could see a dust storm up in the distance. It was at this point the road turned south and now the wind was hitting us directly on our side. As we entered the wall of brown dust it was very very dangerous not being able to see more than 10 metres in front of you. At one stage the wind was so strong James was blown completely across the road and then a car sped by. He was so lucky not to be cleaned up. Reinhardt had the same problem trying to keep on our side of the road. Alfred was having all sorts of problems due to riding on knobbly tires which are terrible on the road. For the next 10 kms we literally rode at a 45 degree angle to the road. We had to lean over like a motor cyclist does going around a bend to keep the bike on the road and us on the right side of the road. It was a fight of skill and mind to keep upright.

After 10 kms of fighting the wind, my arms and neck were hurting, my face was covered in dust and I was in the lead with James behind, followed by Reinhardt and I couldn't see Alfred at all. I felt sorry for him as he was struggling in the wind and losing valuable time to James in the race to the end of the world.

Since I had a lead I kept pushing along until James caught up. I sat on the front and James got a good ride off me. I helped Alfred earlier on in the tour and now I thought I should do exactly the same for James. I could see Reinhardt about 200 metres behind, so I upped the pace as I wanted this to be victory for both James and myself. I pushed harder and harder sometimes dropping James, so I slowed down to make sure he was with me to the end. I know there are those who say I should not have helped him, but then I say, Joost has helped Alfred on many occasions, so I was doing exactly what has been going on from day 1.

At times we were being belted by the side winds but I kept on the front driving hard. With 10 kms to go I turned around and couldn't see Reinhardt anywhere. I wasn't going to let up and kept fighting the bike and the wind all the way until the road turned in our favour and dipped over a crest to reveal the small town of Villa Tehuelches. I can tell you it's a good feeling when you know you did a good job for a friend. We rolled into town and made it to our campsite just as the express fire engine pulled up. We arrived 10 minutes ahead of Reinhardt and about 30 minutes in front of Alfred. James was very happy with the outcome and came over and shook my hand thanking me for the work I did today.

I helped unload the truck and set up 'Tent Hilton' for the last time on this tour. Tomorrow we head to the town of Punta Arenas where we are staying in a hotel for 2 nights. As soon as I arrive tomorrow, Roberto and myself will head for the bus station so I can purchase a ticket to Ushuaia. I will not be riding the last 5 days with bike dreams but will be flying out of Ushuaia on the 13^th December 2014. The cyclists will be arriving on the 14^th December 2014.

I had a great day today, and tomorrow will be much of the same, strong winds and rain.

We had a secret Santa tonight where all the cyclists purchased a small gift for one of their fellow cyclists. Each person was allowed to spend no more than $10 US and had to write a short poem.

I got a great book called, Che Boludo. Basically it's Spanish for dummies. The poem goes like this;

I pedal for adventure,

I pedal for the thrill,

I've pedaled my fat arse

Up every bloody hill.

From Ecuador to Argentina,

I've seen some amazing sights,

and now my journey's nearly ended,

I've got to catch a flight.

The wind is now dying down and the temperature is hovering around a cool 1 degrees. It's time to jump in the bag and get a good night's sleep and enjoy my last cycling day with 'Bike Dreams' and all the friends I've made on this amazing tour.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.

Monday 8^th December 2014. Stage 103. 101 kms. Bushcamp Villa Tehuelches to Punta Arenas. Paved 100%, climbing 558 metres, summit 230 metres. 9^th Tour victory ends my time with Bike Dreams.

After watching episode 3, season 5 of 'The Walking Dead' I was ready to get a good night's sleep. The wind was still blowing the tent all over the place but I was too tired to worry about anything. Thank God I don't have to sleep in that bloody tent again.

Because I'm leaving the tour in Punta Arenas I had to get up a little earlier to organise my papers, passport, any money I had left in the 'fridge', tires and my carry bags. It's obvious I've got too much stuff with me and will have to ditch some before I catch the plane out of Ushuaia on the 13^th December 2014. With all my gear ready and a belly full of corn flakes and a banana I was ready to roll out of town with the group and have an easy day to celebrate my last day of riding with the group.

The photo above is of myself with Michelle on my last ride day. Michelle is a young lady from Brisbane, Australia and perhaps the winner of the ladies section of the tour in 5 days time.

With the wind at our backs, and a fast smooth road a group quickly formed up ahead. I decided to tag along for the ride to see what eventuates. As soon as we hit the first hill, Lupcho attacked and went off the front of the peleton and created a gap of 20 metres. I immediately chased him and so did Diderick and Jan. We pulled away from James, Alfred and the rest of the group pretty quick, as we built up a lead of 30 seconds within 2 kms. After smashing my legs yesterday I was intending for a nice cruise to the end of my tour. Once you've raced a bike, you can never get it out of your system. 

I started doing work at the front of the group but Jan wouldn't help. I attacked again and Jan went off the back. Soon it was only Diderick, Lupcho and myself working hard to stay away from the chasing peleton. On the next climb I attacked again and Lupcho went off the back of the group and chased for a km to get back on. I then started doing small turns at the front of the bunch. Every now and then I'd have a look behind to see if the group was closing in on us or the gap was widening. After 10 kms I couldn't see anyone, it was now up to us 3 to ride to the end or drop someone else.

My legs were still burning from the 148 km ride yesterday and I didn't know whether my legs would hold up to another day of severe cross winds and high speed riding. With 10 kms to go Lupcho dropped his pump. Diderick and I kept going and that was it for Lupcho. The next time I saw him was pulling into the lunch stop.

The photo above is of Barry and myself ready to start my last day of the tour. We started together 10,000 kms ago and have had one hell of an experience. I'm indebted to him for his friendship.

Diderick and I kept sharing the workload and pushing hard all the way to the end of the stage. We pulled into the lunch stop at 60 kms with 1 hr 30 minutes on the clock. Now my legs were well and truly stuffed. Other riders started arriving a couple of minutes later to relax over a nice lunch. It was freezing cold and hanging around was not on the menu. We quickly ate and got back on the road for the final 50 km push to Punta Arenas. We all made it in one piece and found our hostel. Barry and I are staying around the corner at another hostel which is pretty nice. 

It was so nice to have a shower, put some kind of clean clothes on and head back to the other hostel for some lunch. By now all the riders were arriving and starting to go to hotels in town and off their respective hostels. Barry and I went for a ride up town and located the SUR bus ticket office. I bought a ticket for the 10th December 2014 for Ushuaia. It looks like everything is now going to plan and I should arrive at the 'end of the world' first, beating all the other cyclist who will be pedaling there. 

It's now time to clean my bike, put some good tires on the bike and throw out the ones with 10,000 kms on them.

Tomorrow will be a day of eating and catching up with the other cyclists and saying goodbye.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.