Marmelejo

I am lucky to have friends that believe in the concept of 'The Mission'. It helps get my lazy backside out my bed after a night that was late enough to notice. As the end of the year approaches here in Chile the months disintegrate with public holidays, last week was bisected by just such an event. This called for The Mission.

A while back some nutters headed up the hill to go cycle in horizontal snow, quite unsuccessfully. Now that the mountains are rapidly reverting to being mainly brown, the same said nutters decided it was time to reinact the mission to Marmelejo. If you thrown enough criteria and anything you can make it unique, well Marmelejo is the most southerly + 6 000 m peak in the world. No, we didn't expect to summit, but it gave us an excuse to get out the city. Besides, apart from jocks on the outside, every mission needs a subject that justifies the rude awakening.

This time last year, my bike was pondering the meaning of life. Wednesday was its rite of passage to respect. It was swamped, iced and rocked by real mountains and lived to tell the tale. To tell the truth it didn't work so lekker by the end of it, but nothing that a good wash and plenty of lube can't cure. After a little TLC, it is shiny again (btw, according to Raul, shiny is a state of being rather than a reference to bling). Shiny!

We were rewarded by spectacular views, solitude and that 'I have been on a mission' worn out body feeling. Oh, we saw a Chilean mountain fox as well, it looks very much like a Tooting Broadway urban fox, except I think it has a cooler back garden. Ok enough chit chat...

On the way there...





















The iced part, power slides in a bicycle... cool!
















Time for lunch, Marmelejo in the background, this is at just over 3 000 m, halfway there ;)
















Marmelejo in the clouds...brrr

















Spot the fox (yes I know Spot is normally the dog, and the red ball is behind him)

An excellent way to break the week, and a fitting way to bid farewell to such awe inspiring mountains.

Wishing you mud...