El Chalten

This morning we were up early not because we had to be because we only have 280 km to go today up Route 40 to el Chalten. We are up because we have a few administrative duties to perform. For some reason Tim‘s insurance policy for Argentina did not go through correctly and we would need to renew this prior to leaving today. So we load up the bikes and headed into town to find the payment office for the insurance.We stopped and had a coffee and a cinnamon bun and then dropped into the office to pay.

After this we headed out of town and for the first time turned north on Ruta 40

We are back in the Patagonia steppe with the other ever present Andes is on our left side. The wind has been not too bad again. so we were able to enjoy the scenery as we crossed the several rivers that lead out of Lake Argentina.

Tim is relieved to see the mountains

After approximately 200 km, there is a turn to the left and it is then another 80 km blast towards Mount Fitzroy. We are constantly amazed at the distances between settlements as there has been nothing prior to leaving and arriving in the next destination. The road into El Charlton is long and straight but afords amazing views of Mount Fitzroy and the range.

Just prior to entering town there is a shipping container that houses the fuel pumps for vehicles. We stopped and refilled the bikes and rode into town to find our hotel. Having good our rooms we headed out for some dinner. We found a place that serves only steak sandwiches and beer which perfectly fitted our needs. Today seems short on information but the riding was spectacular and fulfilling. Tomorrow we have a day off, although I’m sure we will jump on the bikes again and head the 30 km north to visit lake