November 28, 2025
Wildcamp to Villa O Higgins
The optimum campsite is one which recieves the sun as soon as it rises, warming the body and drying the bivouac of condensation. Instead of remaining damp and shivering in the shade. The latter was my predicament this morning.
The sun remained a weak light in the trees which cast shade over the whole of the clearing wherein my campsite remained cold. The grass and camp wet with condensation, while the trees and hills opposite glowed in warm sunshine.
With numb hands cupped around the stove flame while making poridge, I waited for the sun which remained a twinkling light in the trees. The shade line was so long in moving towards my campsite, that the intended early start, ended up being 08.45 by the time all was done and packed up ready to hit the road.
The gravel road is in good order and I reckon 87 kilometres, the distance to Villa O Higgins, is possible today. Yesterday evening there was no traffic, possibly due to the last ferry of the day having gone and I thought today there would only be a rush of traffic following each ferry disembarkation. But shortly after starting, two big trucks pass, filling the air with dust in their wake and shortly, there are quite a few car tourists coming the other way.
The way follows a valley with a fast flowing glacier river opening up on the left, where a gap into the grassy riverbank reveals an excellent wildcamp possibility, which would've got the sun early, not far on from where I had camped.
Soon I'm climbing steeply up through a long series of switchbacks, one where I had to move off the side of the road as a grading machine came down, scrapping the surface level and free of loose stones.
The climb continues, carved into the mountainside as it twisted and turned high above the valley and by 11.30, I reach an attractive wooden frame shelter put there for travellers, where I stop for a late eleveneses.
Starting off again, I take time admiring the stream cascading down the mountainside a little way up from the shelter. Any cycle-tourer overnighting in the shelter, there is a stone ring campfire and kindling, has a good water supply close at hand.
It was a cloudless day and hot in the midday sun as I climbed onwards. Eventually, a summit is reached, followed by a long steep descend, levelling out with a lake on the right, sparkling blue in the bright sunlight. A cycle touring couple had parked their bikes at the roadside while picnicking upon a lakeside rock. He having been in for a bathe was drying himself off.
In addition to the regular passing cars were lots of motorcyclists. Not as hated as cars, because they don't stir up the dust as much and take up a lot less road space. A large group of them had stopped at a waterfall and some were cooling down by a bathe in a pool that spread out from the waterfall. One of three picnic tables near by were free, so I stop for late lunch. The head honcho asked me about my tour and did I do it all by bicycle. Later when they had ridden off and I had packed up to leave too, whilst taking a photo of the waterfall with the road at the side, the cycling couple passed earlier picnicking by the lake turn up riding into the picture. I walked back to meet them. He said they are Canadian whilst she was down at the edge of the pool with a big DSLR camera taking photos of the waterfall.
I have ridden this road twice in the past, but both times if it weren't raining, it was looking like rain with cloud low down the mountainside. Today as the afternoon wore on with a clear sky, I could see mountains I never saw before for the first time. An arid brown ridge like a camel's back dominated the view ahead, whilst a clear blue lake opened up below to the right, called Lago Cisnes, as the way curved around each crease in the mountainside.
Eventually, there is a steep descend and the road goes left at the bottom, over a bridge and continues along a straight causeway along Lago Cisnes for about 5 kilometres to cross another bridge over Rio Mayer; whereupon, the road swings left to follow the riverbank, with a small road on the right, going uphill which leads to Paso de Mayer, a crossing into Argentina used by some cycle-tourists, especially late in the season when the popular crossing south from Villa O Higgins closes.
It is a further 6 kilometres to Villa O Higgins and on the way in it is welcoming to see a signboard for a pizza restaurant, which, after checking in for 2 nights at a campsite and showering, I return to and have a whole vegetarian pizza with a locally brewed beer.
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