TravelBlog » Over the Andes the Hard Way

Over the Andes the Hard Way - Ross Bland

Welcome to our Blog!!!!
Here you’ll be kept updated on our progress and experiences through the whole expedition. To raise funds for Diabetes UK, our aim is to cycle 1700 miles (ish) totally unsupported from Lima in Peru to Salta in North West Argentina in just over two months. You’ll be able to keep track of our training (or lack of) which will most likely highlight how unfit we really are and so proving how much of a challenge this adventure will be. On the trip itself (during the few times that we’ll be near a computer), we’ll post blogs illustrating to you our progress between certain mile stones, and as well as the highs and lows, hopefuly prove to fellow diabetics that diabetes should not hold anyone back from going on such adventures.

Every donation really helps in driving our moral which is vital in helping us in achieving our goal so please take the time to visit our just giving page at:
www.justgiving.com/overtheandesthehardway

Thanks for your support!!!

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Joined on: July 12th 2009
Last Login: November 30th 2009

Blog Entries: 12
Photos: 440

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Blogs & Travel Journals

by Over the Andes the Hard Way, order by Date newest first.

By Over the Andes the Hard Way
November 30th 2009

Uyuni - Tupiza (On the ´rim´ of defeat) South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Tupiza

Out of Uyuni only to battle the harsh conditions

We are now on the home stretch, with an estimated 450 Kms to go. Uyuni was reasonably fun, though our journey out was abismal. We thought we should take a slight detour to the train cemetary not far from the city, and what we thought was on the way. I think if we had not arrived there by bikes, it would not have been worth it. It was a very odd place and not surprisingly full of large old rusty trains. But that was it, other than about 15 4x4s and a host of tourists like ourselves. From there we took [View Full Entry]

A bit of down hill which inevitably means more up hill later

By Over the Andes the Hard Way
November 24th 2009

Pisiga to Uyuni via the Salt Flats (3/3) South America

In high spirits after leaving Pisiga

After such a productive day crossing back into Bolivia, we did not expect progress as slow as the next day. No one in Pisiga seemed to know how to get to Lilca, a town we were initially aiming for on the western side of the Salar de Uyuni, the largest of the two. Everyone we asked were completely useless, including a soldier we came across. They just shrugged their shoulders and pointed in a vague fashion somewhere down the only road in sight. It seems that they are sometimes too ashamed to say they don´t know, so they make something up. [View Full Entry]

Where we got lost. The gap between the road and the salt flats

The bit between both salt flats was not easy

By Over the Andes the Hard Way
November 23rd 2009

Chile to Pisiga, Bolivian border town (2/3) South America

Finally at the top and into Chile!

So having made a slight detour to the park ranger´s office after entereing Chile to acquire some info, we ascended into the remoteness of a Chilean national park. This road was utterly rubbish. In fact, it is not even a road but merely a sandy track with yet more washboard features. This meant getting frustratingly stuck in large deposits of sand and being forced to push/ drag the heavily laden bikes through to the next section of washboard where our patience and perseverance were shaken to breaking point. This was coupled with the fact that the track was steeply climbing to [View Full Entry]

By Over the Andes the Hard Way
November 23rd 2009

La Paz to Chile via Vol. Sajama. (When two became three) (1/3) South America

Out of La Paz

Little did we know that leaving La Paz would mean no internet until now, in Uyuni, on the edge of the Salt Flats. So we apoilogise for the lack of updates, but here are three stages for your amusement. We also want to point out that Bolivian computers being true to form, we have had further problems with photos, so again, it may be a while until we put up more pictures, which is irritating. It was a slight relief leaving La Paz as it was noisy and dirty, though we had an enjoyable rest day there. It was also the [View Full Entry]

Before long we were off the very much loved tarmac

By Over the Andes the Hard Way
November 11th 2009

Puno - La Paz (Border crossing) South America » Bolivia

Into Bolivia at last!!

ATTENTION: DESPITE THE THOUSANDS OF INTERNET CAFES IN LA PAZ, WE ARE STILL YET TO FIND ONE WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO UPLOAD PHOTOS. WE WILL KEEP TRYING TONIGHT BUT THEY MAY BE LIMITED. This is very frustrating, as the photos are the best bit, so sorry, you´ll just have to chew over this:- We were delighted to read all of your comments. It really does help us on our way knowing that there are so many people keeping up to date on what we are doing. So, we have come from Lima to La Paz in just over three weeks [View Full Entry]

By Over the Andes the Hard Way
November 7th 2009

Cusco to Puno at Lake Titicaca South America

Rumicolca (A pre-inca attempt at building an aqueduct)

Leaving Cusco was obviously nescessary but one of the most difficult challenges thus far! It was an easy ride out of Cusco down hill and what ensued was a fairly problem free day though jam packed full of local attractions. We took refuge from the baking midday sun in the reasonably interesting Rumicolca ruins, a pre Inca, Huari Empire aqueduct. We had lunch (a very reasonably priced bowl of chicken soup) in a small seemingly sleepy town called Andahuaylillas. We felt we were obliged to take a wander around the local colonial church, a surprisingly impressive building but all in all [View Full Entry]

An unusual camp. Dinner in a volcanic bath?

By Over the Andes the Hard Way
November 1st 2009

Abancay to Cusco South America

Not far to go!!

As per usual, we left the hostel in Abancay later than expected and after a hearty lunch began our trip to Cusco. We were not expecting another hellish ascent in the sweltering heat, but this time we were relieved to be on tarmac once again. Some slow yet rewarding cycling culminated in another superb camping area. Hidden from the road by a cluster of small eucalyptis trees, we set up camp with ´Ray Mears´ Ross taking the time to construct a shelter from a bivvy and a few carefully cut pieces of wood, just incase it rained. It didn´t, and we [View Full Entry]

By Over the Andes the Hard Way
November 1st 2009

Ayacucho to Abancay South America » Peru » Ayacucho » Ayacucho

Hairy Roads out of Ayacucho

This "little" stretch of the journey was the toughest thus far. It came as quite a disappointment to us that the roads were not roads, but dusty tracks which really put our bikes to the test. We soon arrived at a small town called Chincheros, where we attracted a fair bit of attention mainly from the youth of the town who were once again, mesmerised by the rugby ball. Unfortunately this meant that we had a relatively substantial audience for yet another inner tube fix. Due to the pressure from the prying local eyes, a swift and precise execution of the [View Full Entry]

By Over the Andes the Hard Way
October 22nd 2009

Chincha to Ayacucho South America

Turning to Ayacucho at last
Turning not to be missed, off the Pan Americano and into the Andes.

Something we forgot to mention on the last blog was that on arriving at Lima, we decided that the most suitable route we should take to Ayacucho slightly differed from the one illustrated on the map...Instead, we shot down the coast, and headed into the Andes just south of Chincha. We have since added a map showing this route. We left Chincha later than planned (again) and managed about 20kms before darkness loomed and set up camp again about 100 metres off the road, out of sight, in another desert envioronment. We had much cycling to do the following day. We [View Full Entry]

By Over the Andes the Hard Way
October 18th 2009

Lima to Chincha Alta, first stage South America

P1010028
Outside Casa Del Monica, with Monica, her mother and Andres, her cousin.

So this is our first of hopefully many opportunities to update you on our progress. Thus far, thanks to a well paced ride yesterday, we are on schedule. Thanks to BBC Radio Shropshire, on arriving at Lima, we met with a nice Peruvian English-speaking teacher called Monica. We stayed at her very traditional home with her non-English-speaking parents for two nights. The treatment we recieved from the whole family, including her cousin Andares, and their family friend Jonny, a taxi driver, was much like how I would imagine Ancient Greek Xenia would have been like. One of the beds we were [View Full Entry]

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Over the Andes the Hard Way | Ross Bland | Travel Blog

Over the Andes the Hard Way - Ross Bland

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