December 2, 2025
Villa O Higgins 2
The rain was more persistent last night. Still, I slept well and woke up dry at the usual time of 05.55. Later, I see the rain has got in and the outside of the sleeping-bag is wet. So, bivouacing in the open without the cover of something like a tarp, bridge, or bus-shelter, isn't such a good idea.
I sat in the the hostel's warm kitchen-common room drinking mate while journal writing until 09, when Belgium Marc and Spanish Miguel, two cyclists met on the road a week ago and here now, came in clad in cycling rainjackets (the morning a mix of light rain and sunny intervals) and said they are cycling to the end of route 7, another 7 kilometres south of the village.
I was then going to go for a hike after hanging sleeping-bag etc up to dry under the veranda and having a late omelette breakfast, when a German motorcyclist, didn't get his name, but he played the charango well last night and has a good singing voice with a rendition of Cranberries Zombie, returned from the end of the 7, inspired a change of plan to a cycle ride to the end of the road too.
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A brisk northwesterly had risen as I set off cycling. The last stretch of route 7, or Carretera Austral, which translates as Southern Highway, is well sheltered being carved out of the mountainside most of the way with the fast flowing Rio Mayor on the outside fanning out the width of the valley to meet Lago O Higgins. I met Marc and Miguel returning not far south of the village. Marc mentions a waterfall along a rough track that continues a bit beyond the end of the road which I later continue to too, before returning and taking a timed photo of Kona and rider by end of Carretera Austral board. I was then glad to cycle north without expected headwind. The day remaining a moderately blowy Patagonia day.
Two cyclists tyres crunch to a halt in front of the hostel and Marc jumps up from his seat with excitement and shouts its Phebie and Grace, two English girls he had met on the road a week ago. I also saw three bikepacking bikes outside the supermarket; interesting because one of them is a Kona UnitX in a sleek dark green.
In the afternoon Briton Peter had returned from a hike and was chatting with Marc about places and routes in Northern India and the Himalayas as I listen. Both are hardcore trekkers. Then it was time for afternoon podcast listening, short nap and reading a chapter of book.
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