Day 15 – Miguel De Tucuman to Salta

It rained last night. So the roads were wet upon our start.
Again we started at 8.27 heading from the city straight out to the first and only Regularity out on the wop wops along lightly inhabited areas were the roads are hardly used. We got there quite early compared to others and got underway. The average speed was 50 kms.
Sounds ok but the road was really winding and steep with lots of uphill hairpin bends. Very tight and of course these slow the car down so much. Ok for the get up and go cars but we could hardly get up to the average speed at all. So 1.30+/- minutes and out of contention. Only a 9 km run so not long.
We talk about how the little race cars just love it and that it’s just a hill climb event. Denise is just not made for this type of work.
132 kms to a little place called El Jardin a village who’s Main Street was en-route to our time check. They welcomed us with much fanfare and it was just great.

From there we were asked to sign an advisory note for the next section of 118 kms. They advised that the road for the first 32 kms would be very slippery and that if your car had bad tyres, there is an alternative route.
Of course we took the rough road which began with rather a good surface but after approx 8 kms, the fun began.
It had rained heavily during the night and the roads became narrow like farm roads, very wet and made muddy by the previous cars that had passed through. It was great. We passed a number of cars who were being careful as Denise just hoed in and revelled in the muddy, slushy surface. She slipped and slid like it was ice. Exciting stuff especially as, if you had the time to look over the edge to see how far below the river was if we were to slip off.
It went on and on slipping and sliding through some fantastic scenery though we had to stop to take some photos. Up and down skidding uncontrollably sometimes.
It was really neat. This is what we signed on for.

There were many unannounced water spillways too so there was something of everything.
On one incline a car (road car) got stuck in thick mud. It held up many others and we got stuck in the same spot. But a couple of runs at it got us up and over and on to more of the same.
The entire 118 kms of this section was “rough road”. We laughed at the thought that many others would not get through. But in the end all who took it on came through ok.
With all this laughter and enjoyment in our cabin, we became aware that we were low on fuel. We had not anticipated that this road would be so bad for so long and the wheel spinning and slipping and sliding was guzzling the fuel.
Suddenly the thought of running out of gas without any spare on board, it was going to end soon.
We were following a couple of other cars who may have had spare fuel but couldn’t contact them to ask whilst they were on the move.
One car, a rover, stopped and the team got out to relieve themselves. we quickly pulled up alongside to ask for fuel assistance. They had a can of spare and they agreed to allow us to have some. We took around 4 litres and left one in the can.
We were elated and carried on as if all was to end well. However 8 kms from the petrol station we ran out of fuel again.
Stopped by the side of the road we flagged down the car behind us  who offered to tow us to the station, rather than syphon fuel out of his tank.
A kind gesture and gratefully received.
We eagerly filled the tank at the petrol station and Steve gave Denise a clean with a hose behind the building. She deserved it. Performed like a Trojan.
What a neat experience. From the dreary Tarmac road drives to this fabulous country trek.
On to our hotel, but still to do a couple of rounds around the Autodromo Martin M Deguemes. Again a neat little track in the middle of nowhere.
A lot of fun!
So after some dreary days at last we have an exciting and thrilling experience.
Loved it and hope for much more.
Tomorrow 510 kms and climbing to over 4000 meters. Altitude will affect some or all of us somehow, be it the cars or ourselves. Will report in due course.