105 kilometers waited to be explored and enjoyed. After 8 hours we had appreciated the route in a few other ways as well.
So, when 7 monster mountainbikes and 2 rolling doubts had gathered in the light of a Saturday morning in Santiago, we were ready to go. As bikers and walkers are not allowed to pass through the tunnels around the Andes, the first part didn't last longer than a couple of km before we got picked up by a car which drove us through tunnel lo Prado.
We repeated this once more through tunnel Zapato but not after a good ten more kilometres.By then we´ve been gliding down the first long downhill that faded out in a flat landscape with German houses and, I guess, Chilean horses all along a small road. A super serious athletic gang of 50 pro bikes passed us, and one of our monsterbikes in the group got so nervous that a tyre gave up, with a little help from a nail in the road. The new tube was soon replaced and pumped though and nine bikes made it to our first longer break in the small village Curacavi.
After some partaking of fast carbo we hit the road again.
The landscape changed and soon it we were presented with the first uphill challenge. Fortunately it was time for a new tunnel pick-up afterwards and the few who still struggled with the steep road got help to catch up with those who already completed the uphill mission.
Both Jon and I had a bikeriding past behind our reasons for joining the trip, though in different ways. With a history as a down-hill mountainbike rider, Jon longed for inclined adventure, while I am more of a fan of the exploring possibilities when riding a bike. To be able to literally feel the road you are riding, to smell the difference between the landscapes you are passing through and letting the route sound, sing and speak for itself with no other sonics that interrupt beside your own breathing. As well to be able to feel every single bump in your butt, let the hard wind tear at your eyes, to be able to smell the horse surprises you are weaving through and get a route soundtrack consisting of HGVs passing by.
Another landscape awaited us after another a long downhill, we passed a few quite good looking fields in different colours as well as wine yards as we kept going for a good ten or twenty more km.
Boredom was far from our minds, the road still wanted us to be entertained and soon we were about to handle another steep mission, uphill. We were treated well, having a broad view of the valley we had just passed through, when finally reaching the top. The fields and vineyards posed well in the golden light of the sun under a clear blue sky.
50, 60 and 70 km was consumed, as well as a second tube and three bike chains, when it was time to take another stop by Iglesia lo Vasques.
Every year, in November, a couple of thousand people from Santiago and Valparaiso walk from each city to this church, to pray to the saint. The road gets completely shut down for a day. While thinking of this and being grateful even for the two rolling doubts among our nine bikes we were served breads and eggs in front of the church and soon we hit the road, again, with the last part ahead us.
The group spread out over a couple of kilometers, but we all passed the Dino park, with their plastic dinosaurs almost in natural sizes and soon we just had 10 kilometres to go.
The sun was on its way down, people were heading home, as we amassed together with a few cars we rolled down and in to Valparaiso just before five o'clock.
It was a trip that contained experiences valuable and varied. But every single one of them was worth celebrating with a Chilean asado, BBQ, which welcomed the nine of us when finally reaching our Valparaiso. And Valparaiso welcomed us in it´s own way when shining in silver and metallic in a light carefully wrapped in delicate clouds; the hills winked with eye catching diamonds when a few windows reflected the light. A few moments later as the sun sunk even more, we found ourselves cycling in the spotlight of pink and purple light through the busy streets of a Saturday evening in our beloved Valpo.
Take care past and future Valparaiso walkers.
/Emilie.
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