Once eaten, always to return...

8th Feb. La Leona to El Calafate (67M)

We’d set the alarms for an early start in the hope that we’d at least beat the wind for part of the day, but as it turned out neither of us actually heard the alarms as the wind was making so much noise! Our pitch was sheltered and it didn’t really matter that we’d overslept as the wind had been relentless all night with no morning respite. At least the tent was dry and could be packed away easily. Porridge, lots of coffee and we were off again.

The initial 47 miles were OK, some tail wind, occasional very strong head wind and gusty side wind but generally OK. The road was quiet, we were back on good old ruta 40 and we often had views of Mount Fitz Roy over our shoulder.

After 47miles ruta 40 met a T-Junction with the westerly road into El Calafate. Up to this point, the 47miles had taken just over 4hrs, it then took us another 3.5hours to ride the final 22miles into El Calafate! No Joke. By turning west and straight into the ongoing head wind our pace was reduced to 3-6mph. The road was busier and although we tried our best to draft off each other to gain at least a bit of rest time, the gusty wind required constant attention. It was incredibly tiring, but really we had no other option, we needed to get to El Calafate. It was a very long 3.5hours. 

Eventually however we arrived in El Calafate, named for the berry growing in the area, which is said that once eaten will make you always return to Patagonia...we will see (it also gives you a very purple tongue). We found a nice sheltered campsite very close to the centre of town, that had been recommended to us by a few other cyclists. Hot clean showers, shelter and a few other cyclists (both new and previously encountered on the road) to catch up with.