February 3, 2018
Wildcamp on the Rio Bravo: Chasing the ferry and a bit of serendipity
As we were retiring last night our solitude was disturbed by the arrival of a family of six in a small 4x4 pulling the most interesting looking little trailer. They quickly, and quietly, set up camp and did not spoil our evening at all.
We had a good night's sleep in the quarry and were on the road at about a quarter to nine. A little bit too soon for Leigh because she hadn't finished her breakfast yet. After a stop for her to get to her biscuit cache we started up the big climb for the day. At the bottom was a sign indicating that the ferry from Puerto Yungay to Rio Bravo ran at ten in the morning, noon and six in the evening. The first two kilometers of the climb were pretty rough and steep and we agreed that we would never make the noon ferry. As the climb progressed the gradient became easier and the surface got smooth and firm. After a while we realised that if we could average ten kilometers an hour we could still make the noon ferry. There was still a few hundred meters to climb but the surface was as good as it gets so we pushed on and pulled into the ferry port at about ten to twelve. As it turned out, there was also a three pm ferry which we could have caught.
Puerto Yungay consists of the ferry port and a small overpriced and understocked cafe. Imagine my surprise when the first people I saw were Jackson and Elizabeth. We had hoped to catch up with them again in Villa O'Higgins and so while it was so good to see them again but the meeting was tinged with sadness. Their cycle trip had come to an end because they had taken ill between Rio Bravo and Villa O'Higgins and had returned to Puerto Yungay to catch the ferry to Puerto Natales from where they had booked a ferry to Puerto Montt. The short times we have spent with them have been one of the little pleasures of this trip.
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The ferry ride across the fjord took about forty five minutes and was pretty uneventful. We've taken so many ferry rides in the past year that they seem to blur into each other. Once on the Rio Bravo side we tackled the seventeen kilometers of pretty good road heading for a wild camping spot that Elizabeth had told us about. Its a little rocky beach on the opposite side of a river to a small glacier and has a magnificent view and is well sheltered from the road. There are a few grassy spots under trees and we grabbed the prime spot on settled down to a relaxing afternoon. I had a lovely but chilly swim cum wash in the swiftly flowing river while Leigh took the more sensible standard option of washing using our folding basin.
At about five o'clock another young cycling couple arrived (they must have got the three pm ferry) followed by another cyclist soon before eight pm (he must have caught the six pm ferry). Still, the campsite is quiet and we had a restful evening.
Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 1,095 km (680 miles)
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