Tupiza Passage

Scorpion Crest

This photo is looking back from the day's first pass, which we named after the little fellow I found beneath my tent.

From Scorpion Crest looking ahead -- west -- we got a good view of the road to come. It dipped into a valley and then climbed a ridgeline, which it maintained for some distance.

The ridgeline turned out to be quite scenic and rolling. We named it Sundance Saddle; this is the view south from the saddle.

Sundance Saddle

Further on we came across a shepherdess. This photo was taken after we had humiliated her dog, which initially leapt into the road upon our arrival as if to scare us. Big mistake. We put the bikes down and came after the dog instead -- sending it running for its owner.

The turnoff for Chilcovija. The road in the background is for the mining settlement; it is not our road. Just above the road you can make out a volcano.

A few kilometres further we stopped for lunch. A driver named Simeon who we had met in Tupiza caught up to us here. He leaned out the window and called to us. "Butchcassidysundancekid!"

A kilometre further we came upon a grassland, or pampa, where water is piped up from the acquifer. We loaded the canteens and water bladders here, taking more than we thought we would need, to be on the safe side.

Water capacity is the ace card. Each of the two larger bottles is 1.5 litres; the smaller is 1 litre. These plus two 3-litre bladders yields a capacity of 9 litres. Sometimes we would stash an additional 1.5 litre bottle in the panniers.

The road eventually yields to a view and rides a crest down into a river valley. Scott is visible on the upper part of this road.

Brice heading further down the ridgeline toward the river valley.

The river flowed through a narrow pampa poplulated, as always, with llama. They have poor manners, always staring at you.

The road left this flat pampa and followed the river upstream into a gorge. The road hugged this gorge and began to climb steeply in places as the gorge narrowed and the water spilled sharply down. Each turn yielded only to a view of another turn a little further ahead.

It was becoming late in the day and we were ready to find a climax to this uphill stuff. We just wanted a view to a pass so we'd know what we were contending with.

The top of the gorge opened up to a higher valley. The road turned south up the valley, and here we spied our pass. It was getting late but we could see a group of people walking up the pass. If they weren't bothered by the late hour, then we wouldn't be either. We decided to go for it, guessing we would have just enough daylight to descend a bit on the other side and pitch camp.

Paso Cruzero

Looking back from near the top of the pass.

Brice catching up to the people we saw from the bottom.

One of the group pointed out where we should go to reach our next town -- Cerillos. He said it would be a quick trip, but we knew to discount such estimates. On a bike, up here, nothing is particularly quick. All we wanted was to be on the right road, and to find a place to camp. Flat and, preferably, sheltered.

I took some notes atop Paso Cruzero, as at all other passes, junctions and other landmarks. This road is so sparse, and so lacking in markers, that we wanted to record everything for anyone goofy enough to take this route in future. The altimetre read 4248 metres; it usually undershoots (by 300 metres on Paso Agua Negra back in Chile) so this is probably closer to 4500 metres.

We bid adieu to the group and plunged down the pass. Soon we came across a junction -- with clear signposts. To the right the road led to San Vicente, where 'Butchcassidysundancekid' met their end. To the left, San Pablo.

We went left and descended still more in the waning rays of light. The slope contained a small basin where we could pitch the tents. Here lay another junction, also signposted. To the left, Ca.... To the right, San Pablo.

We pitched camp and left the decision about which way to go to the morning.

Landmark	time*	temp (°C)	odometer (kms)	altitude (m)	(Google Earth)
Camp	9:30 am	20	0	3713 (temp change)	3884
Scorpion Crest	10:32 am	30	4	3912	4063
Sundance Saddle	11:55 pm	30	15	3815	3896
Chilcovija Junction	12:56 pm	31	25	3830	?
Water source (pampa)	1:30 pm		29	3800	4001
New View	3:37 pm	26	38	3916	?
Paso Cruzero	6:02 pm	14	56	4248	?
Camp	6:30 pm		58	4163	?