Ricardo had advised me not to miss this road.

There are about forty tunnels as the road winds it's way up the valley.

This was a rare exception - a naturally lit tunnel. There were no electric lights in any of them so, if the tunnel curved it was impossible to see anything when going from very bright sunshine to total darkness.

You just have to stop and wait for your eyes to adjust.Having finished all the tunnels I stopped in a small village to get some more water. As I was paying the owner said there were three German cyclists who had just left.

‘How long ago?’ I asked.

‘Ten minutes’ she replied.

I set off and sure enough, a short way away I saw three cyclists.

It was thirty degrees and they were going uphill. At 7 km/h.

They seemed relieved to stop for a chat. Lisa, Martin and Kate were all headed for Ushuaia for Christmas.

It was going to be crowded there. I already know of two other cyclists, and now two more Germans, Andreas and Michaela, who are staying in this hostal.

If you are headed that way as well I suggest you book early to avoid disappointment. It would be a bit of a downer to have spent an entire year getting there only to be told:

‘Sorry, but we’re full. Do you mind coming back next year?’

Visit www.fowb.co.uk for more details on this and previous trips.