After some rather epic riding to reach Cajamarca it was time to take my foot off the pedal and take it a little easier. My next three rides were all between 30 and 40 miles, gentle rides from town that town. 
Low-key, rather uneventful days except for getting caught up in a thunderstorm one afternoon. I don't have any photos to record the moment as I had other things on my mind, like my impending death. It was a genuinely terrifying moment as lightning forked around me. There really wasn't any shelter so I kind of stopped at the edge of the road forlornly for a couple of minutes then, as the lightning abated, I rode on desperately. 
Clothes drying after yet another drenching. But glad to have survived! 
After these three pedestrian rides it was time to be adventurous again and I went off-piste onto gravel tracks to take a higher pass that would save a days riding had I stuck to the roads. 
A fantastic days riding ensued with spectacular scenery and very little traffic. The track up to the pass was hard packed and easy to ride and after a few hours I'd reached a new high for my journey, around 13,600ft or 4,400m. I must be wel acclimatised as I didn't feel any adverse effects. 
Switchbacks are an everyday part of Peruvian riding.
Hardy beast. 
I thought I'd done all the hard work on the ride up to the pass and was looking forward to a screaming descent into the village if Mollebamba. No such luck! The track down was horrible - steep, rocky and frequently crossed by waterways.
It was really hard to control the bike at times as, tyres bouncing off the rocks, the bike veered off in different directions. At one point I came perilously close to falling off the edge of the track; in several stretches I had no choice but to walk the bike down.
I was mighty glad to reach the small village of Mollebamba, my end point for the day. 
This is my typical accommodation at the moment - hospedajes, low budget hotels, usually 15 soles for the night, £3.75. 
These little Andean mountain villages are utterly charming but there isn't always a lot of food on offer. This evening I resorted to boiling some eggs to eat with bread and a bit of fruit. No real hardship, you just have to lower your expectations in terms of choice and level of comfort. 
Riding out of Mollebamba, 6:30am the next day. 
This was to be a hard day in the saddle but still smiling (if barely awake). 
The challenge of Peruvian riding. This is the one country where I've really met my match and I have to say that the relentless nature of the terrain is wearing. I'm used to being able to push on at will and set ambitious distance targets but here this approach will burn me out. Incessant climbs followed by precipitous descents means there's very little downtime to switch off. 
Nevertheless the scenery is a constant positive distraction and you do get the occasional break... 
None shall pass. A major landslide had completely closed the road off so I, and these motorbike riders, were stopped in our tracks. A slightly frustrating three hour delay but time to rest up and tinker with my spongy brakes. 
Another charming Andean village. 
Funeral procession.
Friendly locals desperate for their photo to be taken. 
Switchback heaven. I dropped from 11,000ft to 2000ft over 48 miles - great fun though I couldn't help thinking 'I've got to ride back up again at some point!'. 
Descending deep into a canyon the environment became barren and desert-like. Lots of cacti. 
A couple of near misses from stones falling off screw slopes encouraged me to to put my helmet on! 
Contender for the worst room of my trip! I really should have bargained down this room but the owner was so friendly, giving me glasses of fruit juice on arrival (I think I looked a bit of a mess and close to collapsing!). A further unexpected bonus was that the water tank for the shower was exposed to direct sunlight so I had my first warm shower in over a week. 
A very interesting landscape to ride through but you wouldn't want to stick around here for too long. The villages had a bleak, ghost town feel to them and were all eerily quiet. 
Narrowing canyon. 
As I climbed back up the valley greenery reappeared on the slopes.  |
| Another landslide. This one had a diversion over the top so there was no delay. |
Smiling as I was just short of Caraz where I've had my first rest day in ten rides.
With just over eight weeks left on my trip I have to admit I'm struggling a bit right now. Having come so far and already seen so much my motivation levels are slipping a little despite the incredible places I'm travelling through. Any OXFAM donations or messages of encouragement will be gratefully received!
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