Entertaining Interludes crossing a Patagonian Desert – El Chalten to Torres del Paine

On the vast open stretches of Argentinian pampa even a small headwind can induce boredom and I occasionally fantasised about a speedy arrival in Ushuaia after so much time on the road. These thoughts were normally fairly fleeting, however, and would be rapidly alleviated by a favourable change in wind direction, the appearance of a world class geographical feature or some kind of entertaining interlude. 

Guanacos in a Very Windy Pampa. Gregores to El Chalten.

“Viento en contra o al favor?”. Notably off-colour with some kind of fever, I was doubting whether I should head off into the desert at all. “Oh you’ll have a strong tailwind, definitely a tailwind”, replied the farmer. Not twenty minutes later I was experiencing the strongest headwind of my life.

Paso Rio Mayer in Winter – the Carretera Austral alternate exit from Villa O’Higgins

“Todos los pasos están deshabilitados (All the passes are closed)….It’s very complicated here in winter my friend.”, the Villa O’Higgins carabinero officer explained. “The river can be up 100 metres wide and 3 or 4 metres deep.”  After days of strangely warm weather and high rainfall in Villa O’Higgins, his words made some sense.  Maybe it was impassable?  After all he should know what he’s talking about, right?