Tres Lagos to Luz Devine (wildcamping)

One of the two French cyclists couldn't understand why I had come to Tres Lagos to return back and cycle the same road in the opposite direction. Well, I didn't want to remain in the shelter all yesterday afternoon and I would rather camp than sleep in the shelter. Furthermore, I helped the economy of the village by paying for camping and eating at a cafe.

I have headwind from the moment I turn out the campsite gate, but not as bad as they'll have when 40 turns off a kilometre east of the village and continues north. The wind is partly to my side until the road veers right and it becomes full on headwind, though nothing as strong as yesterday. There is no gusts so I can ride at walking pace, not helped by the road being predominately uphill, something not as noticeable when the wind pushed me swiftly along the other way yesterday afternoon. Today I'm forever climbing, up through barren brownish tan hills, reaching a summit to the disheartening sight of the road loop down and back up through more hills to yet another summit.

It feels like a long way and eventually its a relieve to see ahead the traveller shelter at the junction of the road for Chalten. It is already 13 hrs, having left Tres Lagos at 08.30, meaning four and a half hours to cover 35 kilometres.

My peanut butter and banana open sandwich

When I push the Kona inside the shelter and close the door, I sit down feelimg worn out and dizzy, that once I've eaten I've to lay down on the bench and after a while listen to a podcast and nap for a while. When packed up and ready to go again after a 2 hour stop, I feel better. The wind is still in my face, with slow going for an hour towards Lago Viedma, heartened by the knowledge that the road will have to veer left because of the lake and I'll have a tailwind.

View having gained a straight road with tailwind

I took this because of the Irish name Boyd

At a viewpoint with Rio Leone the river which drains Lago Viedma visible to the left.

It was good to reach the old roadhouse Hotel La Leone at 17.30, which once provided services at a raft crossing of the Leone river until a bridge was built in 1975. Now its a tourist stop with many old photos of the place and other memorabilia including a 5000 dollar reward wanted poster for Butch Cassidy, who with his accomplices The Sundance Kid and Etta Place stopped here upon their return from robbing a bank in Rio Gallegos.

Hotel La Leone from the bridge approach.

I have 2 empanades, a jammy square and a sugary drink which was supposed to be coffee, before pressing on 10 kilometres. The road following the Rio Leone to a welknown overnighting place originally called Luz Devine with a riverside campsite. Then abandoned it became known as The Pinkhouse because of its pink colour. This evening as I approach it has been painted white with a green sheet metal roof.

I lift the Kona over a chain and padlocked gate, ride down a track to the riverbank and find a place to lay out the bivouac in the shelter of a wind-bent tree.

The part out toward the river was over exposed, so I turned it to black and white

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