Escape To Cuesta La Dormida!

Originally posted to El Cantar de la Lluvia on Wednesday, August 16, 2006




I woke up after noon, and the sky was more or less cloudy, but there were patches of blue sky here and there. I decided to go in search of clear skies.



I took the Ruta 5 up north, and as I rode along, I remembered some dirt roads I had seen on my last ride and on Google Earth. They were mostly around the Cuesta La Dormida, the road that connects Til Til with Olmué.



Over here there was just a high and thin cloud cover. It would have to do.



To get a better picture of where I went, you should download this Google Earth placemark file. Be sure to turn on terrain elevation and set the terrain elevation detail to the maximum in the preferences; otherwise there really is no point in watching the series of placemarks.

Escape to Cuesta La Dormida - KMZ file for Google Earth

When I got to the turnoff to Til Til, there was a nice evening light bathing everything.







Difficult to imagine Santiago still under the clouds.

At the top of the Cuesta, the Carabineros were doing a random check. They always make me nervous; you never know when you're going to get some cop instead of a Carabinero.



There was still time before the sunset.







I took the road that branches off the top of the climb, towards Rungue. A dirt road, at last!



A few hundred metres down the road, a turnoff to my right. Since it was steeper and in worse condition than the rode I was on, I took it. I soon realised it would take me to the antennae that crown this hill.

I carried on past the telecom huts, following narrow trails.







I decided to go back to the top of the Cuesta.







The sun was setting. I dismounted under the high voltage pylons, which can amazingly be seen clearly on Google Earth.

Silence, orange and pink light everywhere.











And then, the sun set.







I got on the bike and rode on down. I took the engine out of gear, and frewheeled all the way down. Nothing but the wind, the dark, the sound of the engine idling away. A giant comfy bicycle, rolling along at 65 km/h.



I saw a car's lights coming up behind me. So as to brighten mine, I revved the engine slightly, and to my great surprise, I felt the bike slowing down slightly. As I let off the throttle, the bike regained its normal rolling acceleration. Very strange indeed. I repeated this a few more times, and every time, revving the engine and keeping it at high RPMs had a braking effect.



I suppose the oil in the crankcase must be transferring some momentum from one part of the gearbox to another, rotating in the opposite direction. I dunno.



I had an empanada at the usual place, and rode back to Santiago, cursing the bugs that stuck to my visor.