Motorcycle Explorer December 2014 Issue 3 | Page 156

anywhere they wanted, but when your riding an overloaded BMW
which was 250KG before you put any gas or kit on it, then throw
on the big fella - a cool 275LB’s in the morning after a crap, and
all the kit and gear and add the fact I was riding road tires, it was
truly hard labour. The early going in the valley surrounded by
mountains was awful. I was certain that if I could just get to the
mountains the road would climb up and that would be the end of
the heavy sand. It seemed that no matter how long I rode the
mountains just wouldn't get any closer and by early afternoon, I'd
a right royal pain in my hole with the whole thing. One of the
worst parts of the run was the heat shimmer, it constantly gave
me the impression that there was gorgeous sexy topless
knickerless asphalt just ahead, but it never came, just more and
more hardship. Eventually as it always does the sand reduced as
the road climbed out of the valley, and as I climbed it was
replaced with gravel, “Thank fuck for that!”
I arrived at the town of San Antonio de Los Cobres, gassed up
and stocked up with as much water as I could carry. I thought to
myself, “I wonder if Cobres