Day 1,650
Minimal Danger
Ever since we entered Colombia back in 2023 I’ve been looking forward to spending Christmas with a group of tourers who, like us, have cycled much of South America. It felt like a rite of passage, to rest, eat, drink and chat about our respective trips. Back in Peru in 2023 we had a wonderful Christmas with a young guy, Silvan, his mum Pia, and another young couple of tourers who had just arrived that day in Baños. It was a great day, especially spending it with Silvan who we had met many times and shared so much. But this year is the big one, virtually the end of South America but all the people we had met since we started our journey in the Americas in 2022 had long since moved on.
Over the last few weeks riding the Carretera Austral we had met quite a few tourers, but due to our tyre issues we would be staying at Coyhaique whilst they all carried on. So we made a plan, rather than sit alone overeating, we decided to climb a mountain. Well, did you expect anything else from debsandtom.com?
Then good news for us, but sad for Bastion and Bella. Bastion’s bike, a £75 Facebook special decided to stop working so they returned to Coyhaique and after a chat decided they'd stay put til after Christmas. We were so happy, but for the tyre issue, we'd originally hoped to spend Christmas with them. Too much partying for them on Christmas Eve meant they weren't up for the hike so Tom and set off first thing.
Back in 2014 on our honeymoon we hiked the Queen’s Drive on the Remarkables in Queenstown, New Zealand, which, due to snow turned out to be a 10-hour challenge which pushed me to my limits. We were with our dear friends and fellow Minimal Danger Club members, Andy and Sally. Nothing fazes Sally, but even she had the odd wobble, but it was one of our best Christmas Days ever so we were hoping for another exciting day but maybe without having to hang on over 1,000 foot drops.
Cerro Mackay is really a hill not a mountain, and an easy walk for experienced hikers. At 1,205 metres high it looms above Coyhaique, but it wouldn't be a 10 hour nail biting challenge. Tom had done his research, we knew there was no real signage but other walkers had tied ribbons to trees and the well worn path made it an easy route to follow. At just under 5 miles round trip it was a great distance for a Christmas Day hike. After a couple of miles on gravel we approached the hill itself. Just the not so small matter of bypassing two very friendly horses who clearly expected a treat. Back in the UK when I mountain biked regularly with my local club we had a route we had named ‘Geese, dogs and horses.’ Every time we crossed the field with the horses we had to brace ourselves to escape, we often rode the route in winter, and take it from me, cycling along whilst hearing the sound of the horses hooves thundering towards us in the pitch dark, was nerve-wracking. Fortunately we usually had Chris ‘FATHER TEDman with us who would lure the horses away so we could sneak past. No such luck today, and I had a very very close encounter whilst they checked out my pockets just in case I actually did have a treat for them hidden away.
Finally free, I joined Tom who somehow had escaped the curious horses and off we went. The route gradually became steeper and steeper. No zig zapping up the hill, no, just straight up! We had a few downed trees to overcome, and sections where the track seemed to have been washed away and it was a scramble up, over, down rocks and tree roots, but generally it was easy going. The highlights for us were the trees and moses. It was simply stunning. Then Tom spotted what we were both confident was a puma footprint in the dusty soil. It was a little unnerving but we knew if it actually was one, the puma wouldn't be around at that time of day. Upwards we went, and it became steeper and steeper, and I started to worry about the descent. Tom just loves the steepness, “speed is your friend” is his mantra, but I'm more a ‘three points of contact’ type of girl. At a wonderful viewpoint and a brief discussion I decided to turn back whilst Tom continued to the top. It wasn't as bad as I feared and apart from the first few feet where I admit I slid down on my bum, I managed to stay up on my feet. An hour after I got back to our apartment Tom arrived, buzzing after running down that hill. It was a great way to start the day.
A few hours later with Bella and Bastion we ate our Christmas Dinner, a not so traditional feast of fish and chips and lemon meringue pie, tasty all the same. We drank a bit too much, amused ourselves listening to each other’s favourite music choices and finally stumbled into bed in the early hours of Boxing Day. Definitely a day to remember!
