Gob Gregores to Las Horquetas

January 8, 2026

The rising sun was soon swallowed up in a dull grey sky as I turn out of the campsite onto the road shortly after 06. The 40 follows the Chico river for a good distance west with rough pasture and farms in blocks of tall trees on the riverside to the left with grey-yellow banks of hills to the right. Ahead a high hill protudes into the valley and to get around it the road curves right up over a rise and dips down across an ancient lakebed leading to a long climb which goes on and on, getting steeper towards a saddle sloping down from the high hill.

On the approach to the saddle looking back

The descent levels out with an undulating road across stepp following for a few kilometres until the greenery of the river come back in sight to the left with messatas on the far side.

Old truck at access track to estancia offering hotel accomodation. With declining profit in sheep in the latter decades of the 20th century, many diversified into agri-tourism offering evening meal, bed and breakfast, horse-riding and excursions.

Approaching noon with almost 70 kilometres covered, its become breezy with low cloud and rain ahead. Shortly, the road goes sharply downhill to a big bend in the river with a few campervans parked on the riverbank where there's a bridge and a gravel road going off south: the old route 40. Soon while contining west the rain is coming on, so I stop to put on the rainjacket and pull a plactic bag over the rucksack on the rack.

The rain's a consistant drip drip, the road a wet sheen with a bit of spray from the regular passing Chilean truck. As its about that time, I decide to drop down to one of the many culverts being crossed. The concrete opening provides good shelter to eat lunch of tuna on crackers plus half a packet of biscuits. A huge mistake that would later be regretted.

At this point 40 continues west for 50 kms before swinging north at Horquetas, something to look forward to against a southwesterly wind

The rain has stopped having moved on east, though the southwest breeze is blustery when setting out again making every bit of forward progress a struggle. Furthermore, though barely concievable its a gradual incline up the river valley. The distance to the river on the left widens during the afternoon with a wide opening in the barrancas on the right at one point, a huge cresent.

Progress the whole afternoon to 18.30 is little more than walking pace. I am exhausted and feel nausea. A strong gust pushes me off the side onto the gravel shoulder. Restarting the same happens a few metres on, so decide to camp by the culvert that I'm level with at the moment.

I clear a concrete surface by the culvert mouth and lay out the bivouac in shelter and sit on top of it feeling sick. Take a swig of water but I'm feeling worse and quickly get up and vomit up a lot of water and contents of lunch. Once I've thrown up all the acidty stuff which wasn't agreeing with me, I feel better and get into the bivouac and soon sleep.

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