What is the maximum angle a car can sustain forward motion without flipping over?
It was suddenly no longer about the size or positioning or the looseness of the screw on the road but at what angle we could sustain forward motion without flipping over.
We were on our way to Cerro La Buitera; other worldly rock formations carved by wind and rain and sand where native condors have made their home and can be seen flying in the early morning and evenings.
About an hour from Bariloche, we wet heading deep into a set of mountains north of the Cathederal, and Tronador range, on another ubiquitous unadopted stone road.
To begin with we had remarked on the quality of the road- no missing parts or sudden dips or boulders, dusty but a relatively compact and stable surface without the sharp twists and turns of Tronador. Oh how wrong we were!!
The ‘what I call a bridge’ was about half way along our drive. Initially my companions were unimpressed- no this couldn’t be the way forward it was not suitable. After trying further up the track and a interesting 3 point turn which included a pushed out of a sandy bank we returned to the look more closely at the bridge.
It was made of what looked like scaffolding poles ( and what felt like rolling pins) my companions crossed on foot while shouting back ‘come on Sarita, come on! Come on!’
From here the road deteriorated rapidly and at the point of the potential flip had become a sandy half- pipe and all three of us were shouting ‘izquierda ( left) Sarah! ’ but which sounds in Spanish very like’ I is scared Sarah!
Just a few stream fords and skips over bolders and …. we arrived at the farm at the base of the mountains and within 5 km of los Buitera.
At the farm there were more instructions from Nora and Gisela about not speaking - they are indignant at the price hike for tourists and now i am ' family' they will do all they can to avoid it!! To do this I have fould my best ploy is to be rude and just be looking and scrolling on my phone and too engrossed to answer any questions which they do on my behalf!!
The rock formations run across across about 10 km, we visited ones in a 3km span a steep hike up the mountainside.
The rocks were truly breathtaking and resting in the shade of some trees with a view of Gaudiesque monuments we saw a condor fly out from the top of the one and soar away into the mountains, we were so lucky to as it was about 4 pm - nowhere near dusk and the thermals they enjoy.
I took a path to another view and beside the words STOP painted on the rock face looked down on a flat area river smith by wind and rain and sand except for two mushroom sculptures.
As we prepared to set off down the mountain we see another, or possibly the same one returning !!
The condor is one of South America's most emblematic birds. With a wingspan of up to 10 feet, the soar above the high mountaintops and glide majestically in search of prey. The Andean Condor sports a distinctive black coat and trademark white collar and take advantage of the ascending air currents for their majestic glide above the high peaks.
A short distance away from Bariloche is Cerro La Buitera, one of the best places to see condors in the wild here, sering as a shelter and nesting place for the iconic birds. The thick walls that form part of La Buitrera are toba rocks that were formed with volcanic ash. The erosive action of the water and the wind worked small circular holes into the thick walls and created perfect homes for the condors, some 1,400 metres above sea level.
Hiking to Condor nest - Bariloche & Lake District
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