January 07, 2025

A frosty morning wake-up for Toni (and Stefano, Alberto, and Pisley), who spent the night in glamorous tents equipped with amenities—yet still freezing cold (€100 per person for the privilege of freezing to death).

Today’s stage was 85 km, with 40 km of ripio (the dreaded gravel roads). For me, this marks my last encounter with ripio—finally! The route featured 1,000 meters of elevation gain, with many ups and downs. At the crest of each climb, we were rewarded with breathtaking views of stunning fjords.

Along the way, we encountered plenty of cows and a curious eagle trying to figure out what these strange blue-clad creatures pedaling along were.

Toni made a confession: yesterday, he had returned to the Grey Lake refuge because he thought he’d left his sweater behind at the kayak base. When he got there, the instructor pointed out that it was tied around his waist the whole time. Embarrassed, he hadn’t told us until now!

Finally, after much struggle, the moment of joy arrived at kilometer 60: the last meters of ripio. From here on out, it’s smooth asphalt.

It was lunchtime when we arrived at the lair of the Mydelon, a strange Patagonian creature unseen for 11,000 years. Near its refuge, we spotted its cave in the background, and in another photo, the Mydelon itself appears on the right. I finally met the Mydelon, and it struck a pose identical to mine  You can also appreciate how massive and fascinating its cave was.

After one final effort, we reached the rented cottages in Puerto Natales by 4 PM. They look like something out of a cartoon! Dinner was over the top, and after a walk, we headed to bed.

We’ve left the glaciers behind us, and tomorrow we head further south into the heart of Patagonia’s Magallanes Province.