Distance today = 46.96 km; Total distance = 14,201.34 km; Location = Uspallata (37 km west of) – 32 47.049′ S, 69 37.441′ W; Start time = 0948, Finish time = 1814

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/241487724

It was a very long day, and I’m very tired, so I’ll keep this report short.

After yesterday’s drama, I had a somewhat disturbed sleep, and awoke feeling decidedly below par. Regardless, I had to get out on the road.

We drove back to where I’d stopped yesterday and I started running. It was all going smoothly, running past great gorges and canyons, lined by massive mountains. As I ran down the valley, I had a fantastic view of Aconcagua, the world’s highest mountain outside of the Himalayas. I was at nearly 3000 metres in altitude, yet it towered nearly another 4000 metres above me. What a mountain!!!

I’d covered about 30 km when we reached a border check point. It turned out that we’d missed the earlier passport control, which was nearly 20 km back. So I had to turn off my Garmin, and we drove back to get all the Argentinean documentation completed. This took about an hour and a half, after an already late start.

I then continued on, meeting a couple of British cyclists who were riding across Argentina and Chile. I let them know about the pass – they will either wheel their bikes on the narrow footpath through the tunnel, or get someone to give them a lift (something I can’t do). I only realised after the fact, though, that I could have run through the tunnel on the footpath. But then I wouldn’t have had such a story to tell!!!

Please note, the tracker is showing me in Uspallata, although my official run position is some distance to the west. This is because I will have no mobile phone reception until we get new Argentine SIM cards, which might have to wait until we reach Mendoza in three days time. In the meantime, I can only send the tracker position via the Wifi at a hotel each evening.