The Argentinian Yungas

October 27, 2023

Part 1 - Approach

The Yungas is a region that bridges the Andes and the rainforest. It is full of life and stretches throughout Peru and Bolivia. So far we bypassed them but there is a right time and place for everything. Argentina too has a small section of Yungas. This time we jump in.

To get there, we turn east at Humahuaca. Immediately we ride into a good old climb. The first part is treacherous. It doesn't look steep. But we are almost standing still. The sand is wet and drags us down. We check. The incline is nearing 10%. No wonder. Upon reaching the top, we spot the famous Hornocal. A 14-colored mountain seemingly cut into slices. What a sight. The descent takes us into a red valley. While braking, the bike keeps on sliding down. It's very steep! Below we find a homestay in a tiny rural village. What a perfect day.

Day two. Climbing again! But not before dragging our bikes through the mud. Lovely. There's nothing better than starting the day with a dirty noisy bike. The silence is deafening. The only sound comes from a braying donkey in the distance. We make good time to the top of the first pass. Which is good, because the day was going to be long.

The view is amazing. We are above the clouds. After a quick lunch we move again. The road is rough. Only rocks and washboarding. We are moving much slower than expected. The vibrations start to hurt our butts badly. We've been through this before, but somehow now... The bike feels like its breaking in half. It's that time. The storm within starts to come out. Aaah! Ok, suck it up. Continue. Clouds roll in. No rain or thunder. That's a win. Next pass in sight. 4550 masl. Done. Road still bad. Butt even worse. Next pass. 4518 masl. One more to go. After a small climb we think we're done. Not the case, unfortunately. Aimée needs a minute to digest the disappointment. Back in the saddle she pushes herself and the bike all the way up to the last pass. 4601 masl done. A small tear of exhaustion follows.

27K left. Fortunately all descent. Finally we arrive at the Yungas. Astonishing. Total 2 days, 93 km, 5 passes, 2938m elevation gain. Approach complete.

Route: Humahuaca - Cianzo - Santa Ana

Part 2 - The transition

Upon approaching the Yungas we immediately drop down. For the first time in months we arrive below 2000 masl. The depth is unfathomable. It doesn't seem to have an end. The more we descent, the more levels reveal themselves. Deeper and deeper we go. What a crazy experience. We curve our way through the lustres green environment. The Yungas are astonishing and teeming with life. The smells, the sounds, the colors, the oxygen. It is overwhelming. We almost feel high.

We stretched the day for much longer than would have been wise. But the beauty of our surroundings made us go and go. Typical to the area, the days end with rain. We arrived soaking wet at our final destination with thermal baths waiting for us. What an incredible day. A day we were gifted by travelling past several mountain passes over the worst roads imaginable. Would we do it again had we known up front? Probably not. But we would have missed out on some of our most invaluable moments. I guess therein lies the beauty of the unknown.

Route: Santa Ana - San Fransisco - Libertador General San Martin