These mountains are so steep, enormous, imposing, intimidating, daunting. These mountains are not the domain of man to travel through. They belong to creatures with surer footing or with better means of travel, goats and eagles, swifts and snakes. But humans, I can attest, need to go everywhere. As a race we were born for it. The horizon always beckons. And so we have taken to these mountains. The idea of which is just silly, loopy if you will, and these roads, folding over themselves as they try to climb higher, are the physical manifestation of the absurdity of trying to move among the giants. I find the roads to be beautiful. Art on a grand scale. Conquering the impossibly steep slopes with a gentle ribbon of asphalt.
I've been climbing mountains. There is no avoiding them nor do I want to. I've been following single lane dirt roads until I am way out there. Way out there is a day when no vehicles pass me, I talk to no one because there is no one to talk to. Only the alpacas and maybe an unseen shepherd join me at the lofty heights. I crossed a pass at 14,439 feet (4734 meters). The mountains and clouds stretched away in every direction. A cool wind brought the only sound. It was beautiful up there. The way down was steep and gravely. Too steep to ride safely so I walked holding my brakes. There was a lot of that. After 6 hours and 7000 feet of descending I crossed a narrow fast flowing river then started up the other side into a series of winding switchbacks. Mountains are wonderful for wandering.
While I wasn't climbing high I have been following small packed dirt roads across mountain faces. They are cut into nearly vertical mountain sides. Most days I get a few clear views but usually I am deep in a cloud. The wall on one side of the road disappears above me into a heavenly white. A car width away the cliff drops abruptly, disappearing into eternity. The roads trace the contours of the mountains, going deep into ravines where the stream washes over the road. Small villages appear a few times a day where I stop to get a plate of warm food and bananas. There are always bananas.
