55,7 kms.  Total ascent 951 mtrs. Again a real mountain stage on a day that we mainly went downhill. Left at 07.00 hrs, since days are hot here, temperatures reached 38 ˚C. The ascent started immediately after leaving SanGil and lasted until we reached the highest point at 1970 alt. at 24 kms. After that downhill, apart for a small stretch after Aratoca. Especially from there the descent was in a fantastic dry mountain and canyon environment. Passed the National Park of Chicamocha. It looked like a very colourful American fair, with a crowd of people standing in line for a funicular (cable car) down into the valley, where the actual national park is, and where there are tracks to be walked etc. We had hoped to stay in the park, but this appeared impossible and we didn’t regret it much. A minute later on the road we met a brave young Canadian woman, Clara, who was cycling up the mountain and hoped to reach Aratoca today. She was riding alone and came from the valley below at 600 mtrs and Aratoca is at app. 1700, she still had a lot to pedal away. As usual among cyclists we exhanged some information and continued our ways. She is the first foreign cyclist we meet during this trip. Yesterday and the day before we met some Bogotan cyclistos, who were making a tour that is partly the same as ours. They carry much less luggage then we, or most western cyclists, do. Pescadero is a village right at the bottom of this valley, where the road crosses the river Chicamocha. As Bucaramanga is still 40 or so kms from Pescadero and the weather is hot and we had done our climbing for the day, we tried to find accommodation here. In the village there is nothing, but we have now checked in in a hotel at a gas station just a km after the village. A neat and clean room, restaurant (don’t think too much of it) on the premises. Not a beautiful environment, with big lorries parked in front and a building site next door, but the restaurant is a covered terrace over the litlle river. It is all situated in a narrow valley where there is a rather strong wind, which is not bad as it cools you down a little. And you don’t have to bring your empty beer glass back to the counter, since they are made from plastic and the wind also takes care of that. In this country it is not uncommon to find rather good accommodations at gas stations, no nonsens deals. What struck us that we were taken to the reception and to our room by a man who apparently is the security guard of the station. He is not wearing a uniform, but a real king size riot gun, and this makes his status clear enough. Again this is a first for us, never seen an armed civilan until now.

The track: Download 20100110_sangil_pescadero.gpx