https://www.strava.com/activities/10784815695
So off for a good start, by taking a wrong exit at the first roundabout and had to return. Getting things right, I headed out of Lima on the Carretera Central.
The alarm was set and I was ready to get going. The problem, the alarm was set for weekdays, so I got up an hour late.
The terrain rai from km 0, but it not until Chosica at km 30 it get up to more than 2-3%.
From here it goes up with 4-6% for the next 90 km 🥵. Temperature hovering around 25-28C so quite ok.
It is a main road so a lot of heavy traffic.
The gradients were not an issue, but the relentless of just climbing takes something out of one.
Lima is dessert, and once the climbing starts one gets further inland and the surroundings become greener and greener the further up and inland one gets. The beauty of taking such a trip by bike, is time to notice such things.
Approaching 3000 m and one feels the lack of oxygen. From around 3500 m it’s starting to be really hard and temperature drops.
Approaching 4000 m a thunderstorm approached, I kept going. The rain started, then the hail came and then the thunder and lightning was just above 😬.
That’s when I decided to stop. Get some arm and leg warmers on and just wait out until the weather became better.
After an hour or so I was on the way again. The break had given some extra energy, but the temperature had dropped dramatically and time was running out to reach my destination before dark.
The rain came back once I approached the top and then snow. I was soaked and freezing and had to descend 1000 m.
A bit on Ticlio. Its a pass and on top there is a major mining operation. Descending one gets a great view of how big such a mine is. Mind blowing. Also one gets thinking about the environmental impact. There is a diesel train going to the mine in around 4600 m. It passed me on the way up. I don’t want to think about the CO2 impact of that.
On the way up being passed by truck, not going much faster than me, one thinks about how dirty that is. Everything that’s transported over land from Lima to the interior goes over that pass, and a diesel engine is likely not that efficient at those altitudes.
Anyway, I descended and became colder, and colder, and colder ….. a few km’s from my planned stopover I saw a Hospedaje sign, decided enough is enough and rang the bell.
Got a room with a bed and “warm” water for ca 10€.
I got a shower and started to get warmth in the body. After preparing the bike and cleaning stuff it was late and I skipped dinner and went to bed.
Slept awfully, not sure if it was the noise from outside or the altitude.
Anyway, got up at around 4:30, but couldn’t get going until 6 when I had agreed with the host I would leave. He was very accommodating though.
Leave a Reply