There are two types of roads here in Argentina; alsphaltado and ripio. Ripio is pretty much a generic term for anything that is not tarmac. At best it is loose chippings, at worst it is bone-shaking rocks. Sometimes it can be like quick-sand with the bikes struggling to cut through and at other times it can be like riding fire-trails. Cycling bikes with such heavy loads makes ripio feel like racing across the gently rolling uphill cobbles of Flanders; one needs to keep on top of the gear or you will go nowhere fast so it is pretty exhausting stuff. Unfortunately ripio can go on for miles and miles.
My first introduction to ripio came on my second day as I left Villavincencio. Mike and I would have to finish off the rest of the 3000m pass to make it to the town of Uspallata near the Chilean border. At first It was great fun having to ride such challenging terrain, it is the reason I am here after all. Uphill sections are not so bad as you are already riding slowly. Downhill sections are ok too as the weight of the bike and the Schwalbe tyres just slice through the rough stuff. However, the next bike-day contained a 100k flattish section of ripio, which was just a killer as there was no respite. Even if you are riding strongly enough that it doesn't wear you down physically there can be corrugations which just destroy you mentally. The front wheel crashes into the corrugation and no sooner have you bounced the front wheel out and the back wheel hits grinding progress to a halt. Thankfully these corrugated sections are never too long but they are almost impossible to deal with over longer stretches.
Disappearing into the cloud (on easy ripio)
Riding above the cloud now (pass of 3000ms)
As Mike and I rolled through the Ripio on our tanks, we came upon another rider who had pulled over to put on his tunes. We stopped for a chat but I wasn't paying attention as I was just looking in awe at his bike. He was riding an aluminium Trek hybrid with 700c wheels on skinny Bontrager slicks. I couldn't get over it and I didn't reckon I would see him again as I couldn't fathom how such a bike was going to get him across 100k of ripio. We charged on leaving him to his own devices. On tough days you tend to let your imagination wander and I couldn't get the image of this token American guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt, Aviator sunnies and a base-ball cap disintegrating into the dirt. It was like something out of a Fatboy Slim video where at first one tyre punctures, then the next, then a spoke pops and then another. Soon one wheel just crumbles but he is still riding. Eventually the second wheel crumbles and so he just leaves his disintegrated bike on the side of the road and continues his journey through the desert on foot. Of course, at some point the blazing heat hits and he runs out of water, he strips his Hawaiian shirt off in an attempt to cool down. Eventually the heat wears him out such that he is soon on his hands and knees crawling and finally he passes out from thirst and burns to a crust in the heat.
Tarmac at last ... exhausted after 100k of ripioThis mini-movie just kept recycling in my head, so you can imagine what a shock it was to see Jeremy arrive into the hostel that night. We would become good friends riding together for ten days or so before he turned East and caught a bus for Buenos Aires. A really good egg from Buffalo; ex -army having dropped out of the 82nd Airborne division for being too much of a wise-ass. He has been travelling and living in different parts of the world such as China and Nepal ever since. He now does commercial fishing in Alaska during the summer season to pay for his travels. He has been biking around the world the last while. He started his South American trip in Chile and has been transporting an actual wine glass that he got at a bodega there to see how far he could carry it without it smashing. The ripio would suggest not too long but I think he still has it ... and his bike is still going strong despite having to replace about four spokes ... incredibly. So my bike-snobbery was not too misplaced after all.
Chat soon
Marco
Jeremy eating cold pizza and having some beers for lunch. It was 35 degrees and we are hiding in the shade provided by some locals. He plays the part of the token yank very well. Here he is without the Aviator sun-glasses but with his wine-glass!