Friday the 13th

Now I'm not a superstitious man. I can walk under ladders, ignore black cats as they run across my path and have never paid much attention to Friday landing on the 13^th of any month, but now maybe.........

All started well enough on Friday ( the 13^th )We got our bike out from the garage down the road from the hotel. It had rained the night before and everything was a little damp, quite cold and overcast in Puno, but we had seen worst. We loaded the Shed and headed off. Now I had the idea the the shortest distance between two points was a straight line and our destination was Moquegua, south west of Puno about 160 miles. Route 3 on the road map looked OK. I even checked it out on Google maps AND asked the receptionist about the road, It looked OK to me.

Indeed it was OK for the first 90 miles, a little rough but ridable. Then we hit our first road works and the road was diverted left then right onto sandy (remember I hate sand) areas then back onto rough tarmac. All the time we where climbing to well over 4000 metres and it remained cold. The road works went on for about 7 miles and it was really hard going in some muddy conditions.

Then as if by magic the road works stopped and only a sandy stretch of road lay ahead of us. We continued on believing that normal road surface would re appear, it did not.

The road soon disappeared altogether and we were just left with sand. We discussed turning back and I knew we had enough fuel to return to Puno (we never passed one fuel station getting to this point) but then we agreed that the sand must end soon and pressed on.

Then we had our first off. The Shed is an enormously heavy bike and the tyres fitted are hopeless on sand. Our speed was always low so a spill should be OK. Thankfully Sandra rolled away from the bike but I had my left leg caught under the right pannier. I wiggled free, only after Sandra had obtained super human power and lifted the bike enough for this to happen. No serious damage done. We got our breath and lifted the heavy shed up. Now even at sea level this is hard work but at 4200 meters its soul destroying and lung burning, but we got her upright.

Sandra offered to walk the next part of the road as the surface was just like a beach, very soft sand. I don't know how long it was before we reached firm sand but Sandra got back on only for us to have another tumble, both of us OK, but I could see the worried look on Sandra's face and hoped I did not look as worried as I felt.

We decided that Sandra should walk as I rode the bike as near to walking speed as I could. This was impossibly slow and slowly the Shed and I would get ahead. I would never let Sandra out of sight of the bike but at times she looked a long, long way away and it started to frighten me and I know Sandra felt the same. It was looking in the mirrors at Sandra that I had the third off of the day.

I knew we where slowly getting into trouble, the altitude was causing both of us problems, the temperature was dropping, the fuel would drain into the sand every time the shed went over and we were both very very tired. I knew that we could only have the energy to pick the bike up this time. If it went over again we could not pick it up. As we lifted the shed from the third spill Sandra pointed out that from the west the clouds looked very dark and threatening. We had to get moving.

You have to keep in mind all this time we had only seen one vehicle and some two and a half hours had passed. We felt completely alone, then the rain started. It was freezing cold and we quickly became wet through. Clearly we could not go on, so I decided that we needed to pitch the tent and get as warm as we could and ride out the coming storm.

As we took the tent from the bike and started to erect it our body temperature dropped and we were shivering badly. At this point we were both very cold, tired and scared. Just then we saw a couple of motorbikes approach us. I think these guys where local sheep or Lama farmers. Neither could speak English but it was made very clear to us that if we camped the storm would take our tent and then who knows what would happen to us.

I asked them for an escort out of the sand and they indicated that it was only 3Km to tarmac road. With additional help to right the bike should we take another spill we packed the tent and set off in convoy. It was more like 8Km before we saw the tarmac road some 100 meters away, Then the fourth and nastiest spill of the day. This was very bad as Sandra caught her leg under the left pannier and she screamed out in pain. I and our companions lifted the bike and saw to Sandra. She was in a lot of pain and in need of some medical attention, she could walk but only just. I have never felt so bad in all my life. I just wanted to hug her but I knew that time was short. The rain ,which was now hail, and the winds were biting cold. Sandra climbed on the back of one of our escorts bikes for the short 100meter run to the road, screaming again as she did so, her leg giving her much pain.

As we reached the road, there was no time for pleasantries with our rescuers who may have saved our lives. Sandra was hurt, it was beginning to snow and we had over 90Km left to run over even higher mountains. Things looked bad. So it was with a quick wave and a very genuine and big thank you that we left our rescuers and set off for the long ride to Moquegua.

It was my hope that we would outrun the storm, but this was not to be. Thankful for tarmac at last we pressed on. Unfortunately we had to climb even higher and as we did it got even colder. The rain was now just hale and quickly my visor just froze up. There was no way I could remove the ice from it, I just had to lift it. This worked for a short time till the same thing happened to my glasses. All I could do was look above them and below the raised visor which had now icicles hanging from it.

It should be noted that I could not speak to Sandra at any point through all of this as our intercom wires had not been connected in our haste to get of the mountains. I did however get the occasional squeeze from her telling me everything was all right. I can not tell you how much those squeezes meant to me, we were in serious trouble and she was telling me she was OK, she's incredible.

I was starting to shiver uncontrollably as the cold got a hold. Each side of the road had a layers of snow and we still had to climb higher.

Then the snow started to lay on the road as a kind of slush. This meant that speeds had to be reduced and corners taken even more carefully than before. I was really, really worried. I know that I had cocked up big time and wondered if we were going to ever out run the storm.

Then in the distance was some bright sky. As the mountains fell away in the far distance I could see that it was bright and this meant safety. It took nearly an hour and a half to reach the other side of the Andes and as we started to descend at last the temperatures got higher. However, we never did manage to out run the storm, just got closer to its leading edge. But we had made it to the safety and the warmth (relatively speaking ) of Moquegra. We headed for the centre and found a hotel. Sandra very carefully got of the bike and as I put the bike on the side stand it fell over once again, the fifth time in one day. I just wiggled out and left the bloody thing there. Two friendly locals lifted it for us.

The hotel was full or the receptionist refused to let us in, so I returned to Sandra and informed her of the bad news. Her leg really hurt and we were both still unable to stop shaking from the cold. We hailed a taxi, Sandra got in and I followed on the Shed until we reached a really good hotel, where a warm bath and food awaited us.

I know I made some big mistakes today and it could have turned out much worst than it did if it was not for a couple of great chaps who helped us out. People will tell you its all part of the adventure and it may well be, but it could have and should have been avoided, for which I take full responsibility and it will not happen again.

The next morning I took Sandra to the local hospital to get checked out. Her leg still hurt very badly. The local hospital was fantastic, more staff then patients, straight in, no waiting, within 30 minutes she was given an anti inflammatory injection, had four X-rays of her leg taken and had her leg bandaged up. Out of the hospital within 90 minuets. The whole thing costing less then £20.

So here we are some two days later reflecting on it all. Sandra and I have had some long chats and oddly enough we both agreed that although it had been a very, very frightening experience, at no point did either of us want to quit. Neither panicked at any point. Wrong decisions were made, yes, but we both have come through it and actually are still looking forward to the rest of our adventure together.

If another Friday turns up on the 13^th on our trip........ We are going to the pub