{"id":700,"date":"2011-03-02T12:46:28","date_gmt":"2011-03-02T15:46:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/?p=700"},"modified":"2011-03-26T16:08:52","modified_gmt":"2011-03-26T19:08:52","slug":"cycling-cristo-redentor-pass-argentina-chile-border","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2011\/03\/cycling-cristo-redentor-pass-argentina-chile-border\/","title":{"rendered":"Humbled by the Andes:  29 switchbacks&#8230;and then came the hard part"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_699\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-699\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9048-windingroad.gif\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-699\" title=\"IMG_9048-windingroad\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9048-windingroad.gif\" alt=\"Switchback heaven!  All the way up to 3,822 meters...our highest point on the bike tour\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9048-windingroad.gif 450w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9048-windingroad-195x130.gif 195w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9048-windingroad-350x233.gif 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-699\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Switchback heaven!  All the way up to 3,822 meters...our highest point on the tour <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Curva 3 and already I was short of breath.\u00a0 Gasping and gulping in precious oxygen.<\/p>\n<p>I reckoned we were at just over 2,000 meters.\u00a0 That\u2019s nothing in the Andes.\u00a0 La Paz, the highest capital city in world lies at around 3,400 meters (10,600 feet).<\/p>\n<p>In Peru, roads criss-cross the cordillera, snaking their way over high passes of over 5,000 meters.\u00a0 The vast altiplano, Bolivia\u2019s desolate wind-swept plain, has an average altitude of 3,750 meters (12,300 feet).<\/p>\n<p>And here I was huffing and puffing at a mere 2,000 meters.\u00a0 It hardly boded well for the rest of our Andean tour that I was already feeling the adverse affects of altitude.<\/p>\n<p>True, almost a year had passed since we\u2019d been at such a high altitude.\u00a0 We\u2019d gotten a tiny taste of the Andes way back in Venezuela, topping out at an unimpressive 2,446 meters.\u00a0 But that was in March 2010.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_8999-sign.gif\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-703\" title=\"IMG_8999-sign\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_8999-sign.gif\" alt=\"IMG_8999-sign\" width=\"450\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_8999-sign.gif 500w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_8999-sign-333x500.gif 333w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_702\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-702\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9006-curva3.gif\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-702 \" title=\"IMG_9006-curva3\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9006-curva3.gif\" alt=\"*Just* 26 switchbacks to go.\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9006-curva3.gif 500w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9006-curva3-195x130.gif 195w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9006-curva3-350x233.gif 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-702\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">*Just* 26 switchbacks to go.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Curva 3.\u00a0 Just 26 more to go.<\/p>\n<p>I needed a rest.\u00a0 My knees grumbled under the strain of the over-loaded bicycle, my chest heaved in objection and my heart pounded with fury.\u00a0 The day had begun at a sensible 800 meters.\u00a0 Now, after 1,200 meters of gradual elevation gain, the switchbacks kicked in.<\/p>\n<p>29 of them in total.\u00a0 TWENTY-NINE torturous curves!<\/p>\n<p>At curva 11 we rested and reflected.\u00a0 There was obviously a down side to this notion of <em>Nomadic Standard Time<\/em>.\u00a0 Traveling slowly, drinking in your surroundings, calling it a day after a measly 60 kilometers is all well and good, but there\u2019s a price to pay.\u00a0 And we were in the process of paying it.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_704\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-704\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9022-curva20.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-704\" title=\"IMG_9022-curva20\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9022-curva20.gif\" alt=\"IMG_9022-curva20\" width=\"400\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9022-curva20.gif 500w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9022-curva20-333x500.gif 333w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-704\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Will those switchbacks ever end?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_705\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-705\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9015-campsite.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-705 \" title=\"IMG_9015-campsite\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9015-campsite.gif\" alt=\"Just below Curva 20 we set up camp for the night.\" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9015-campsite.gif 500w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9015-campsite-195x130.gif 195w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9015-campsite-350x233.gif 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-705\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Just below Curva 20 we set up camp for the night.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>My body was rebelling.\u00a0\u00a0 I was asking too much of it.\u00a0 My heart lungs and legs quite obviously preferred that Amaya who shoveled in chocolates and wiled away her time on the internet.\u00a0 She was a gentler taskmaster.\u00a0 Who was this evil soul prodding the unwilling body up an Andean pass?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_706\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-706\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9033-mountains-eric.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-706\" title=\"IMG_9033-mountains-eric\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9033-mountains-eric.gif\" alt=\"Tough climbing, but stunning views take away some of the pain.\" width=\"450\" height=\"279\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-706\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tough climbing, but stunning views take away some of the pain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Inhale-exhale-inhale-exhale.\u00a0 Concentrate on your breathing.\u00a0 Remember what you\u2019ve learned in yoga class.\u00a0 I coaxed myself on.\u00a0 You can do it.\u00a0 Come on.\u00a0 Don\u2019t wimp out now.<\/p>\n<p>18 wheelers lurched by, straining under their heavy loads.\u00a0 The smell of burning rubber permeated the air as drivers fought to control their descent.<\/p>\n<p>Higher and higher we climbed until finally, at around 3,000 meters, the road leveled out and before us stood the entrance to a four mile tunnel.<\/p>\n<p>The tunnel was tempting.\u00a0 There was even a special SOS tunnel service that would take you through for free.\u00a0 We\u2019d benefited from this service just before arriving in Santiago.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_707\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-707\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_8990-sostunnel.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-707\" title=\"IMG_8990-sostunnel\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_8990-sostunnel.gif\" alt=\"S.O.S. Tunel?  NO WAY!  Just when we're forced  to, but not his time around.\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_8990-sostunnel.gif 450w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_8990-sostunnel-195x130.gif 195w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_8990-sostunnel-350x233.gif 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-707\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">S.O.S. Tunel?  NO WAY!  Just when we&#39;re forced  to, but not his time around.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But there we\u2019d had no choice.\u00a0 At the mouth of the tunnel the authorities pulled us over and literally forced us into the back of the SOS truck.\u00a0 Not that I\u2019d have RISKED MY LIFE just to ride my bike every single inch through the Andes.<\/p>\n<p>But here, at the Cristo de Redentor Pass, we had a choice.\u00a0 The old road off to the right snaked its way up the mountain and in to Argentina.\u00a0 More switchbacks and some serious climbing.\u00a0 And an abrupt end to the smooth tarmac.\u00a0 Think big rocks and sandy surfaces.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_708\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-708\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9042-amaya-track.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-708\" title=\"IMG_9042-amaya-track\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9042-amaya-track.gif\" alt=\"What have we gotten pourselves into now?\" width=\"450\" height=\"258\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-708\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">What have we gotten ourselves into now?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I summoned all my determination and set forth.\u00a0 I would turn my back on the tunnel.\u00a0 Opt for the hard way up the mountain, hoping my efforts would be justly compensated.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_709\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-709\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9043-caution-mountains.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-709\" title=\"IMG_9043-caution-mountains\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9043-caution-mountains.gif\" alt=\"Maybe we ought to have opted for the tunnel.\" width=\"450\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9043-caution-mountains.gif 450w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9043-caution-mountains-333x500.gif 333w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-709\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maybe we ought to have opted for the tunnel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The <em>High Mountain Road Extreme Caution<\/em> sign did not exactly set me at ease.\u00a0 This was going to be tough.<\/p>\n<p>After the first few switchbacks, I began to wonder if my lungs might explode.\u00a0 Eric appeared to be having a much easier time of it.\u00a0 He worked the pedals slowly, easing himself up the track.\u00a0 I, on the other hand, operated on short bursts of energy followed by long periods of panting like a winded dog on a hot summer\u2019s day.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_710\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-710\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9052-eric-pass.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-710\" title=\"IMG_9052-eric-pass\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9052-eric-pass.gif\" alt=\"A much better strategist for high mountain passes.\" width=\"450\" height=\"249\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-710\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A much better strategist for high mountain passes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At every curve I\u2019d beg him to give me a head start.\u00a0 Wait till I was half way around the switchback before he started grinding the gears.<\/p>\n<p>This idea met with some resistance.\u00a0 Not good use of energy, he claimed.<\/p>\n<p>And he was right, dammit.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_711\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-711\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9048-windingroad1.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-711\" title=\"IMG_9048-windingroad\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9048-windingroad1.gif\" alt=\"Did we really ride up that road?\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9048-windingroad1.gif 450w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9048-windingroad1-195x130.gif 195w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9048-windingroad1-350x233.gif 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-711\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Did we really ride up that road?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Eight long kilometers up the sinuous track.\u00a0 Eight kilometers of self-induced torture just to get a glimpse of a big statue of Christ and a cross perched on the top of a mountaiside.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_712\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-712\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9063-cross.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-712\" title=\"IMG_9063-cross\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9063-cross.gif\" alt=\"Was it really worth just for a big statue of Jesus?\" width=\"450\" height=\"473\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-712\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Was it really worth just for a big statue of Jesus?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Was it worth it?\u00a0 Absolutely.<\/p>\n<p>Aconcagua, South America\u2019s highest peak, loomed in the distance. I gazed down at the long track I\u2019d just conquered as a deep sense of satisfaction flooded over me.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_713\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-713\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9065-aconcagua.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-713\" title=\"IMG_9065-aconcagua\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9065-aconcagua.gif\" alt=\"The highest peak in South America.\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9065-aconcagua.gif 450w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9065-aconcagua-195x130.gif 195w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9065-aconcagua-350x233.gif 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-713\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The highest peak in South America.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I\u2019d pushed now and then.\u00a0 I\u2019d whined a fair bit.\u00a0 I\u2019d let fly a few un-Christain-like curse words fly.\u00a0 But I hadn\u2019t given up.<\/p>\n<p>Now it was time for some fun, flying down the mountain into Argentina.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_714\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-714\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9083-amaya-mt-descent.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-714\" title=\"IMG_9083-amaya-mt-descent\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9083-amaya-mt-descent.gif\" alt=\"The real reason to climb a mountain.\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9083-amaya-mt-descent.gif 450w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9083-amaya-mt-descent-195x130.gif 195w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/IMG_9083-amaya-mt-descent-350x233.gif 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-714\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The real reason to climb a mountain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Curva 3 and already I was short of breath.\u00a0 Gasping and gulping in precious oxygen. I reckoned we were at just over 2,000 meters.\u00a0 That\u2019s nothing in the Andes.\u00a0 La Paz, the highest capital city in world lies at around<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[16,34,12,49],"tags":[50],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.10 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Humbled by the Andes: 29 switchbacks...and then came the hard part - Worldbiking.info<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2011\/03\/cycling-cristo-redentor-pass-argentina-chile-border\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Humbled by the Andes: 29 switchbacks...and then came the hard part - Worldbiking.info\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Curva 3 and already I was short of breath.\u00a0 Gasping and gulping in precious oxygen. 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