South America in Versys 650 – Latin America on a motorcycle (08): the quest for DOT4 … –

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Latin America on a motorcycle (08): the quest for DOT4…

South America in Versys 650 - Latin America on a motorcycle (08): the quest for DOT4 ... -

After my epic week without brakes until Sorata (read MNC of February 8, 2012: Latin America on a motorcycle – Episode 7, the (difficult) gold rush), I went to have the front brake of my Versys tinkered with. I find a pretty cool mechanic who, with the help of his neighbor, repairs the front fender and tinkers up the hose …

After my epic week without brakes up to Sorata (read), I went to have the front brake of my Versys tinkered with. I find a pretty cool mechanic, who with the help of his neighbor repairs the front fender and tinkers up the hose so that it brakes at least on the right disc…

The problem is that there is no more brake fluid in the jar, that I don’t have any with me and neither does he … I then suggest that he use it in the jar. rear brake. It’s okay, I can go back, but watch out anyway: I have to pump well 5 times before it starts to slow down, a bit like a drum that has taken on water…

No matter, I’m driving cool towards La Paz, but I’m not really going to go back there. So I stop to refuel. As usual, I ask a guy to go buy me gasoline (read) and it’s an opportunity to chat.

He shows me a small village 20 minutes away. So here I am at the end of the afternoon in Penas, 50 km from La Paz. The landscape is magnificent and I quickly meet Andre, an Argentinian who has been traveling for 6 years by bike. Then arrive three Belgians who have returned from a climbing session … including Joël who comes from my grandparents’ village and knows my family! Huge, all that in the middle of Bolivia … Finally I stay for the night and I am invited to sleep in the dormitory of the parish.

Everything is found and everything is repaired

I would have stayed longer but six months of travel is short, we do not see the time passing! So after a little walk to the market, I rush into Alto, the poor district of La Paz, where everything is located and everything is repaired.

I see a guy tinkering with some motocross, I stop and ask him if he has brake hose … After 20 good minutes of research in his brothel, he takes out the object so desired.

An old rusty flask half full of DOT4

But he doesn’t have DOT4 brake fluid and I don’t dare put anything else for fear of damaging the whole system … I go and see his neighbor who doesn’t have any either. Then he thinks, walks away and comes back with an old rusty vial half full of DOT4. Hallelujah! Neither one nor two, the bike is repaired and brakes again well !

I decide to go to Sajama Park, 4 hours away … except that I will try to go there by the tracks! I pass the village of Corocoro and cross large desert plateaus. It’s beautiful, it reminds me of my .

Except that here, I regularly meet people to show me the right way! The day has progressed well when I arrive at a river to cross. A bus has been silted up there for 6 hours and the passengers are trying to get it out … I hesitate a long time before passing, but the water is shallow and at worst if I get silted up, 17 people hope to be able to help me against a small nest egg…

I start and I can already see some smiling. I enter at high speed in the water and finally pass without worries. 2 minutes later, the bus also leaves, but in reverse. Well done to them !

6 hours of track and carnival in Corocoro

The weather is getting worse, I will just have time to find refuge in the next village, where the inhabitants open the school for me to shelter me. I was hot ! Sajama is only 6 hours of track, but it is often flooded and leads me straight towards a big river … There it is clear, I do not try it: the problem is not depth, but sandy soil.

Here I am forced to turn around and cross the famous river where the bus got stuck … To save time I take a shortcut but this time I get stuck and I spend almost half an hour getting out of the motorbike.

I return to Corocoro where I come across a carnival in the middle of the afternoon! People are smart, drink, eat and dance. A real feria atmosphere! Then I join the tar in order to recover the bridge that allows me to cross the river.

Two days of travel instead of 4 hours

Sajama is still 100 km away and it is already 8 p.m., so I decide to camp in front of the roadside restaurant where I ate. So I will have taken two days instead of 4 hours to go to Sajama, but it was great !

The next day, what a joy to arrive at the small village of Sajama located at an altitude of 4200 m. I leave my things with Dona Theodora – whom I highly recommend – and go to the mountains. It is 5 p.m. and I’m heading towards the Sajama volcano which rises to 6540 m. The idea is to go to Camp Alto.

Left at 5 p.m., I walk for two hours and camp at an altitude of about 4400 m. The next day, I take my little walk in the high mountains. The progression is difficult because of the altitude, but such a point of view is well worth a little effort !

Wild camping on the Parinacota volcano

After a few hours I pass the Alto camp and continue up to 5100 m, where the snow appears and where you need gear. I go back to Sajama for a good night’s sleep. The next day, I wake up with an idea that ran through my head all night long: I would go camping on the Parinacota volcano, or even attempt the summit if the weather and my physical condition allow it….

At the end of the morning I go to rent shoes, crampons and an ice ax and I buy some food. The sky is clear, it’s rare in this season, so let’s go !

"I’m charging the Versys, heading for the moon"…

I load the Versys, direction the moon … The sand track is really difficult and I have to stay in the towers to pass the volcanic sandbanks. I leave the motorcycle at the base camp at an altitude of 4700 m and continue on foot to the Alto camp at 5100 m where I pitch the tent.

At 8 p.m., I sleep like a baby. But the night is short: up at half past midnight and an hour later I begin the ascent. It’s cold, very cold … Progressing in the mountains in the dark and without anyone to motivate me, it’s really difficult … But I move slowly, the temperature continues to drop as the night progresses.

Between 4 and 6 a.m., I almost gave up 100 times because of the cold. Then the sun finally rises and warms me quickly. I discovered the place where I wandered for 5 hours: it’s splendid! I have a beautiful view of Chile on the other side of the mountain, then on the Pomerape volcano which also rises to more than 6000 m.

More than 300 meters of vertical drop … It is now 8am and I am facing a wall of snow. At the beginning I try zigzagging, but nothing helps: I am out of breath and at the end of my strength after a few steps. However, I don’t have a headache or a stomach ache, so I decide to continue as much as I can. No matter if I don’t make it to the top, the view here is already magnificent.

"After 10 hours of effort, I am at 6340 m!"

I change my strategy: I attack the mountain from the front in ten-step sessions before taking a break. The test will last 4 hours and by noon I’m at the top! White clouds prevent me from seeing anything, but I’m there! After 10 hours of effort, I am at 6340 m.

But 10 minutes later, you have to go back down: the sky is clouding over and it’s not the time to stroll! 3 hours later I’m down after descending this damn volcano on my feet, buttocks, stomach, teeth !

I take a nap in the tent at 4 p.m., I pack up, I find the motorbike at 5 p.m. and at 6 p.m. I’m in Sajama. After such a day, I deserved a beer !

I take a few moments of the carnival like a zombie and I will quickly find the arms of Morpheus for a long night. Another intense week: I promise, next week I’ll take it easy !

Maxime BARAT

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