Hammer and Chisel

I've not been able to post for quite some time, a combination of wild camping and very full days. It takes around 60 mins (90 if camping) before setting off on a morning to pack, load the bike and attend the daily breakfast briefing. We often do not get to our destination until 6pm and by the time we have unloaded, carried out maintenance to the bikes and showered there is not much time to do anything other than get something to eat and head to bed.

I've tried making a few notes each day, with the intention of expanding on them later, but looking back at what I have written it is not very coherent. I'll try to piece together what I've been up to.

After leaving Mendoza there were a few days of fairly long straight roads - basically getting some distance out of the way and heading north. There were of course still some highlights, more stunning scenery and lots of good food.

We did our first real mountain pass on the way to Cafayate. It was single tack piste, with very high shear drops, so I was not entirely comfortable. When I did take my eyes of the road the views were stunning, and the heights did not bother me quite as much as I expected.

My mechanical knowledge is also improving, I now know what shims and tapered bearings are and have theoretical knowledge of how to change a chain and sprockets. I've also found that hammers and chisels can be used to fix bikes.