April 12 (evening) - Some river, 60 kms NE of Quetana Chico

Thirty-three clicks today. Late start b/c enjoy coffee and tea and bread. Was up all night thinking about everything. Couldn't stop. Including thinking about these two passes en route to Quetana Chico. People built them up so much. "Subida subida subida" and "Steeper than Isabel". So I was worked up.

We hit pass one today, which gave us a view onto our past. A vast region over which we'd come. Pass 2, tomorrow, will be our future, hopefully including "U".

Today's pass was serious but after the high road from Cerillos nothing is too much. Was in first gear for a lot of it -- bloody steep! No switchbacks, just straight up the side of the mountain. At one point felt the blood leaving my head, on the verge of unconsciousness. By god I'll have none of that. So I willed my heart to pump more blood. I heard big drums banging and then a familiar bass chord and then a guitar with a riff and still another guitar on top... "Too alarming too talk about."