Syd Stelvio – Gaucho Trail Day 10: Santiago del Estero to Salta – 508km

Day 10 began early for the field of the Gaucho Trail, which after the toil of the previous day was probably a little painful. The vibrant streets of Santiago were already busy, bustling with people off to work or school, so it could have been worse, we were at least up early for another exciting day on the road. That couldn’t begin until the game of carpark Jenga had been completed, with the cars somewhat shoehorned into their overnight accommodation, but there was no need to panic about getting out in any particular order, as the MTC was 80km down the road, at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit. Sadly, nobody would be going for a lap of the 4.8km MotoGP facility, but we did get to enjoy the fabulous museum.

The visit would be brief, the road was calling and at 08:45 the Peugeot 404 of Jon Bennet and Ashley Bennet was the first to begin the day properly, with a 142km run north in search of the first of a pair of regs that would take us through the morning. We were back on the long, flat roads of the Chaco, that seemed even more featureless than the previous day. All of a suddenthough, the horizon was broken up by the large silhouettes of mountains. Distant at first, and spectre like through the haze, but becoming closer and clearer, as the scenery immediately around us changed as well.

The view out of the window was now full of greenery, as the road travelled through Lemon Groves and past purple blossomed Jacaranda trees. We had made it through the vast plains of the Chaco, and were now in the sub-Andean transition zone and heading into the hills of the Sierras de Burruyacú. It was a sight for sore eyes, and after so much open space this new landscape was to be savoured. This though, is a rally, and we have no time to stand and stare, and not too far up the forest track the first reg began.

It was a slender track, between the dense undergrowth of the Yungas Forest. Overhead was a thick canopy of trees, whilst on the side of the road large Canna plants stood like triffids, their exotic flowers providing a home to hundreds of Eurema Butterflies, flapping their bright yellow wings in the dappled light of the forest. The quiet of their morning was about to be broken, as one by one the rally cars took to the section. The road surface had been found to be in poorer condition than at the time of the recce, with the rains having left the dirt in a mess of deep wagon ruts, and so the speed of the reg had been reduced. Navigationally there was little to do, but the section provided a technical challenge for the drivers, with patches of thick mud in places, hairpin bends and plenty of variation in the topography. Nobody managed a clean run through, but Mike Dreelan and Bob Pybus would come closest, collecting just two seconds of penalty along the 10km reg.

The second regularity followed just a few kilometres down the road, after a river crossing that was deep in places. The scenery now became more open, as the road climbed up the sides of the valley, and the forested peaks we had seen from afar were now clearly visible. There would be a mix of scores on this section, as some competitors incorrectly thought that the speed reduction on the previous reg applied to this one as well. Others took it at face value and completed the reg at the correct speed and thus suffered less penalties. The saving grace for anyone who had misunderstood, was that the reg had been shortened by 5k, reducing the time lost. Again, nobody managed a clean run on the climb, but Lars and Annette Rolner and Patrick and Pam Watts collected only a zero, the powerful Porsche and Sunbeam Tiger lending themselves well to the climb. One other car also managed a near perfect run, with Bill Cleyndert and Georgia Cleyndert having the best of the Vintage category in Bill’s Bentley 3-4 ½.

The road continued to climb after the reg, and then descended over some treacherous washouts, where care and patience was needed to navigate a safe passage to the long dirt track that took us along a large plateau, and eventually back to civilisation. For most it represented an enjoyable drive, but the path was harder for Nigel Dowding and Mary Antcliff, as their Aston Martin had a leak in the fuel tank. Nigel had rigged up a temporary fix, using a jerry can as a temporary tank, but with its minimal capacity the Aston kept running out of fuel. Our rallyists are a generous lot though, and through donations from passing competitors they did eventually make it into a fuel station and take on enough supplies to see the day out.

The day would be completed with a long test at the Autodromo Martin Miguel de Guemes, on the outskirts of the city of Salta. The large circuit is nestled in the hills, in a beautiful setting under big, dramatic skies. No surprise that the Rolner’s in their Porsche set the fastest time, closely followed by Patrick and Pam Watts, despite Patrick breaking a suspension mounting pin in the Tiger. Rally leaders Filip Engelen and Ann Gillis were third fastest, with the Cobra of Steve and Charlie Gray fourth, who had put a monumental effort in to recover their day after they had run out of fuel during the morning, At the other end of the results, there were a handful of wrong tests, including David and Dawn Hewitt who had to pull off the track with mechanical issues in the Datsun. They and everyone else will get to have another crack at the circuit when we leave Salta on day 12, after enjoying some rest on the non-driving day in the city on day 11. Everyone will also have the chance to give their cars some much needed TLC, as after nearly two weeks on the road and many miles covered all ofthe cars need a bit of attention, with some requiring more attention than others. Let’s hope everyone can find the facilities they need.

Syd.