December 23, 2024

After our legendary adventures as a group on Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy, it’s time to get back on the bikes. The departure is graced with a beautiful sunny day, which stirs a bit of nostalgia for these majestic mountains. However, we leave them behind gradually, as they remain towering over us for all 108 kilometers of the route to La Leona, never truly disappearing from view.

This is a blessing because the roads of Argentine Patagonia are long, monotonous straight stretches that leave little room for imagination. There’s nothing around us but Fitz Roy!

Our other constant companion is… the wind. In the first stretch, it’s much appreciated for its strong push from behind, but in the final kilometers, it becomes our sworn enemy. After changing direction, we face gusts of 60 km/h head-on. We’re already worried about what it might be like in Tierra del Fuego. Will we even be able to cycle there?

After another unexpected flat tire for Alberto—despite having filled the tubes with latex the day before—we finally reach La Leona, the destination of today’s stage.

The place gets its name because a female puma (called “Leona” here) attacked Perito Moreno (the surveyor who gave his name to the famous glacier we’ll visit in the coming days). It’s also known because the outlaw Butch Cassidy (along with Sundance and the prostitute Edda Place) hid here for three days after robbing the Banco de Tarapacá y Argentina. A tip-off came, but by then, he was gone.

It’s a beautiful spot by the lake, with a lovely four-person room that looks like it belongs in the Seven Dwarfs’ cottage (and we’re four).

Dinner was somewhat of a letdown—not very appreciated in terms of quality, quantity, or cost (extremely expensive). After a quick game of pool, we all head to bed to rest for another long ride tomorrow toward Perito Moreno. Four of us sleep like the Seven Dwarfs, and three in the camper.

Goodnight! We’re counting on a hearty breakfast to make up for dinner’s shortcomings, and we’re confident, based on the forecast, that tomorrow will be less windy.