Another 7 am call to breakfast then off to the southern sector of the park in the hillsides above Saermiento Lake. Our objective, survive 2+ hours of mountain biking both on the open, wind blown hills and through the forest. No lunch bags today though.
Last night a fairly substantial rainstorm, heavy enough to wake us, blew through. Road conditions today were, for the most part, pretty good. One section was basic asphalt – luxury! And maybe one becomes immune to the thumping and being tossed around.
Sarmiennto Lake is a closed lake thus it has a very high PH resulting in no plant life or fish. Given the wind was whipping the water into a froth, acidity level would be secondary to plant survival.
Javier our guide also had that spirit and passion of previous guides albeit his focus is mountain biking. His fleet of top end bikes (hydraulic brakes, hydraulic on-the-go seat adjustment for changing during uphill versus downhill sections, shocks front and back, etc) awaited.
With the wind still up and the temperatures down (about 9C, 48F) what to wear was a challenge. We had a second set of clothes for the post ride trip home given fording streams would necessitate a change. The question was how much to risk of the second set on the ride just to stay warm. Segment one was a 30+ minute warmup (ha!) across lightly wooded fields with only small elevation changes. Broken branches and rocks littered the track forcing instant upgrades of our basic bike skills. At the end of the circuit it was like a strippers convention and excess clothes were put in our backpacks.
Stage two introduced climbing (painful quads, searing lungs) and downhill (frightening, challenging). The braking system was so efficient one ran the risk of going over the handlebars if the lever was squeezed too tightly (and what’s a natural reaction when one thinks they’re going to lose control – right). Fortunately no crashes, including crossing the streams, and everyone got to the finish safely.
Stage three was described as tougher and technically challenging. Hence half the group rode back to the farm on the road and four continued back up the mountain. Mark and Doug were in the latter group and I’m here writing this so obviously I survived although my ride to walk ratio on the uphill was 60/40 at best. And someone had to be the group’s caboose on the downhill. Is there a medical term for when heart rate exceeds body weight?
Tired, sore, wet and thrilled we rode to the farm where a full lamb BBQ awaited. Local custom is one digs in hands only. We dug like veterans. Lunch ended and the heavens opened with the rain going sideways. Perfect timing.
Back on the bus most everyone nodded off, the result of an out of the ordinary workout and a great meal with wine. What a day!
The Bennetts On Tour 