Distance: 121.41 km
Ride time: 7:30:29
Average: 16.18 km/h
Total: 26817 km
As I left Cafayate I had two street dogs follow me for the first 10 km. Luckily they were nice dogs, not chasing at all but simply following along. On a steep downhill section they had to give up though. I was almost sorry to loose my two new friends.
I was entering the Quebrada de Cafayate which I heard from several sources would be a spectacular place. The red rock formations in different shapes were indeed a beautiful sight. I was only able to cycle a few kilometers at a time before I had to stop again and take more photos.
I was not alone enjoying the beautiful surroundings. The tour buses where out in full force as well. After weeks of cycling in “the middle of nowhere” I’m reaching more touristic parts of Argentina again.
I knew the road would be descending from an altitude of 1600 m in Cafayte to 1100 in Alemania at the other side of the valley. On the other hand there was a strong wind coming up the valley, resulting in the hardest downhill I have ever cycled.
I made a quick stop in Alemania (population 14 families) to refill my water bottles. I was now within 100 km of Salta where the goal is to arrive tomorrow. Under normal circumstances 100 km should be doable in a day, but out here near the Andes the wind or a long climb can soon enough make those 100 km pure fantasy.
I thought I might as well push on for a few more hours to be sure I will be able to make it to Salta tomorrow.