Almost Cerro El Roble

Originally posted to El Cantar de la Lluvia on Monday, Saturday, August 26, 2006

On my last ride to that favourite destination of mine, the Cuesta La Dormida, I had noticed, in the distance, Cerro El Roble. I later found, thanks to Google Earth, that there is a road that leads to the top.

I set off under cloudy skies, hoping that, when I got to Til Til, the weather would be nicer.

And it was, more or less. I had my traditional empanada and diet coke at "Los Máximos Pinos" (where I overheard that the young kid on a tricycle was called "Máximo"), and carried on until the Rungue turnoff.

I got to the beginning of the road up to Cerro El Roble. A nice lady in a small guardpost informed me that there was snow on the road, and that I would probably not be able to get to the top. I said I'd go as far as I could, and then I'd come down again.



The road was in good conditions, and it was rewarding to see the peak get closer.

The scenery was a strange contrast of clay and grit, sun, rocks, mediterranean vegetation, clouds, snow and dripping forest.

When the snow started, it wasn't as I had expected. It was piled in well-delimited zones, about 20-40 cm deep. Other vehicle's tracks allowed me to carry on.



The tracks were narrow, and if I my front wheel had hit the side of the snowless track, I would have surely lost my balance. To avoid this, I stuck my legs out, and slid them along the snow, like stabilizing skids.



Every snow drift was deeper than the last. Inevitably, I was eventually unable to carry on. And predictably, I was stuck in the snow, up to the rear sprocket.



I would have to wait a few weeks before getting to the top.



I decided not to repeat the mistake I made in the mud, and took my riding gear off before attempting to pull the bike free. It wasn't that had.

Occasionally, the clouds parted in their mad, mad race over my head, and I caught glimpses of Cerro La Campana.



I took another trail, but this too was snowed over. I got stuck a second time.



Another track, this time on the west hillside. Horse tracks suggested that this trail probably carried on till the valley floor.



Finally, a large landslide had made the trail bike-unfriendly. A pity. I really wanted to find out what was on the other side.



And coming back, a view of the hill I was on on the last ride.



This small lagoon, near Rungue.





The snow and mud took the lubrication off my chain almost instantly. My mix of 80W90 gear oil and Silkolene Titanium will have to be changed for something more resistant.