WE ACCEPT PATAGONIA FOR OUR | Alpine school Bovec
ERIK ŠTURM AND MANJA PEČKAJ – Bovec, Slovenia
After almost three weeks of traveling, I notice that our way of traveling has already changed a bit.
Until Cerro Casstillo (the first break), we worked several kilometers a day (between 70 and 80 on average) and did not finish cycling until late in the afternoon (usually around seven). Of course, we took more time for lunch and similar things to get away from the strongest sun.
After the break, we do fewer kilometers (between 50 and 60), but we finish cycling in the early afternoon (at four or five). This leaves more time for us to enjoy the beautiful nature, fishing, sketching and simple pleasure. It's true that now, unlike before, we mostly have macadam trails, but I don't think that's the main reason for our change. When we got over the first quarter of the way so quickly, we somehow relaxed more, allowing ourselves more free days and enjoying the beautiful nature. We are afraid of passing by the admirable places without giving them enough attention, so our journey is slowly winding down!
Saturday, 10.12.
Under the beautiful mountains of Cerro Castillo, we had a day of rest after almost 14 days of cycling. We filled the day with short trips, cleaning and servicing the bikes, sketching and recharging our energy - filling our tummies with food.
Sunday, 11.12.
After the morning departure to the trekking route, which we had been looking for for so long that it started to rain heavily, we returned to the camp and had another day of rest - recreation. We visited the village rodeo games, which are very interesting and especially friendlier to the bulls (two cowboys on horseback have to catch the bull). It was nice to see the cowboy tradition when all the performers and spectators were specially dressed and prepared for the occasion. 
Monday 12.12.
A clear day awaited us this morning. We quickly set off towards our first full gravel day
We expected it to be much more strenuous and slow, but thanks to rested muscles and rear sides, we were quickly carried over the picturesque landscape. At the end of the day, we were looking for a place to stay. It is very interesting in Chile, there are meadows everywhere and camping is allowed anywhere, but what if everything is fenced off. You can see that nothing has happened on the other side of the fence for a long time!
So, at the end of the day, we slightly knocked down a fence (which, of course, we camouflaged back) and slipped past to the picturesque meadow by the river.
Tuesday, 13.12.
In the morning, we were swept along gentle slopes towards the beautiful Lago General Carera, the second largest lake in South America. We also camped here, a little from the town of Puerto Tranquillo.
We were treated to a tour of the tourist attraction – MARBLE ROCKS!
In the middle of the lake stand mighty rocks, shaped by the water in such a way that they look like giants on splayed legs. Due to erosion, large caves have formed in the rocks in contact with water, which you can reach by boat. It is truly an incredible natural phenomenon that gives you a sense of the majesty and power of nature.
Since this blue-blue pearl is also a treasure trove of salmon, Erik went fishing. He returned very quickly with another broken fishing rod (the rough lake floor was stronger than the rod)! Obviously, we are not destined to catch!
In order to at least do something good, he preferred to fix the gearbox on his bike. In the good faith to finally get it to his senses, the poor guy unscrewed it too much and the gearbox fell to the floor! But, as always, Erik's mechanical skills come to the fore at the most crucial moments and he managed to not only fix the transmission back, but actually fix it so that it worked better than ever!
Wednesday, 14.12.
The plan of an early move quickly fell apart when we left the camp. This one had an incredible location by the lake, but what if it was set back from the main road by 1.5 km of a very steep bank. To save ourselves an agonizing hour, we preferred to wait for the owner to wake up and take us to the main road. A good three hours later, the sleepy gentleman really woke up and rescued us from the steep slope. On a rainy day, we set out very late and slowly, but due to our good equipment, the raindrops did not stop us. On our way, we met many cyclists who were struggling with the same weather conditions as us. By exchanging a few nice words, we encouraged each other and cheered each other forward. So late in the afternoon we arrived at the long-awaited point – the Baker River by the Port Bertrand! This is a really incredibly beautiful turquoise river that rushes through difficult rapids and canyons with its 900 cubic meters per second. We camped next to it, enjoyed the beautiful views and enjoyed a little romantic fire.
Thursday, 15.12.
Today we treated ourselves to a day of exploration and slowly made our way along the Baker River towards the next town.
We stopped a lot, tried to fish with a patched rod, sketched and simply enjoyed the roaring sounds of the mighty river. In the afternoon, the rain forced us to continue the journey, which was not so poetic!
We set off on the last 30km before the town of Cochrane, which are known for very steep ascents and descents. We were just getting used to the cycling rhythm when Erik's chain broke off. After a few minutes of brainstorming, we remembered Andraž's lesson on repairing a ketna and got to work.
At this point, I would like to thank Andraž for the lessons on bike servicing, because without his knowledge, this journey would have been much more tiring! During the repair, we were caught by heavy rain, which did not subside until the end of the journey. Rain alone isn't such a problem, but when combined with a soggy road made of hardened mud, then you end up with two very muddy and soaked piglets! Thank God, equipped with very good The North Face jackets and waterproof bags, we arrived safely at camp with a hot shower!
Friday, 16.12.
Due to the bad weather forecast and still wet and muddy clothes, we had a free and calm day. We mostly spent it in the shared covered kitchen with hot drinks and snacks.
Onward tomorrow!