Day 18 – 9th December . El Fin Del Mundo.

Arriving into Ushusaia - a welcome sight indeed.


Rio Grande – Ushuaia 221 kms

Total Distance So Far: 4,559 kms

My guide book told me firmly to put lots of high factor sun lotion on. Apparently there’s a hole in the ozone layer over Tierra Del Fuego, and people could be burnt to a crisp in a matter of minutes! I obviously rubbed in almost a whole bottle of factor 50. Five minutes out of Rio Grande it hosed it down. At least I had enough of the stuff rubbed in to last a week.

The first sight, or rather person I saw today was Lasse Samuelsson from Sweden. He said he decided to peddle around South America one day, and left a few days later. He told his family (sons and daughters) he’d be back in a couple of years in 2011, when he turns 70! He’d already done 8,000 kms starting six months ago in Sao Paulo. What a trooper. It would have been good to have a few beers and hear his tales of the road, so I hope to catch up with him again on my way to Punta Arenas in a few days.

I saw thousands of grey, bare, twisted trees. I was told these succumb to the cold. Looking at how twisted they were it looked like they died an agonising death. There were literally hillside after hillside of them going on for about 50-60 kms for as far as the eye could see.

My first 100kms was on easy roads meandering over hilly terrain. The rain was not an issue, as the striking landscape of twisted bare forests got my attention. All the time I could see the snow-capped range of Cerro Castor getting closer. It was the last mountain range to cross in order to reach Ushuaia, and the end to my southerly ride. The pass through the mountains ‘Paso Garibaldi’ cut its way around the side of many rock faces, and through the snow line. It was pretty chilly and easily the coldest part of the trip. I thought my guage was broken as it only read –4. It must have been the added wind chill from the bike speed and wind blowing through the peaks that turned my digits blue! I had liners inside my leather gortex ski gloves and the cold went straight through it all. The fact the scenery was so stunning, and it was only 100kms meant it passed quickly. I am gonna get some stick from Lidy having to come back through this in a few days! Hopefully it will be so cold her mouth will go numb! Coming out of the mountains and down to The Beagle Channel where Ushuaia sat squeezed in between the mountains and the sea, it warmed up to balmy 7 degrees. It was a very welcome sight indeed.


Lasse Samuelsson - 8,000 kms and 6 months into his two year adventure, started at 68 years young




Whole forests of trees had succumbed to the harsh climate.


One last range of mountains ahead to get to Ushuaia - a warm bed and a beer!