Climate Zero. Day 212. Desert Canyon, Illness, and the Road to Huallanca

#climatezero #biketouring #plantingtrees 📆 9 April 2024 — Climate Zero, Day 212 Climate Zero. Day 212. Desert Canyon, Illness, and the Road to Huallanca Forty-one miles through a gorgeous desert canyon before my fatigue could no longer be ignored. From *Chuquicara to Restaurant & Hotel Santa Rosa in Huallanca*, this was my second morning battling deep fatigue from a crushing GI illness—the latest in a series of infections that had each required antibiotics. By this point, I feared my gut biome was as battered as my spirit. Would it be able to recover? Only time would tell. Services in Chuquicara were minimal, and though the canyon’s beauty was beyond words—sculpted stone, rushing water, heat and silence in equal measure—I felt exposed and fragile. I could hear the river moving stone. I could feel something inside me struggling. And yet I felt that I needed to pedal, slowly, steadily, toward Huallanca and that's what I set out to do when it was still cool, sometime between 8 and 9 am in the morning. If you want to see what pulverized looks like in the Andes, this video may be it. My commentary is depleted, as am I, my face shattered. But there’s a lesson in that: set a goal and move forward, however humbly. In Huallanca I found what I hoped for and more—food, shelter, and even medical care. A field hospital team forgave my cash shortage and gave me an IV drip, pro bono. At Santa Rosa, kind women cared for me, checking in often and serving soups. After two days of recovery, somewhere in my subconscious I must have known I had to continue. The climb ahead—one of the highest of the tour, rising eventually to 15,400 feet—was unthinkable at that moment. But I got up on the final morning tha I woke in Huallanca and began pedaling again. 🎵 Music: Bensound License code: PE94ULBEWP4GDVXG 🌍 Climate Zero is a 17,500-mile solo bicycle expedition from 54°N to 54°S, planting 5,000 native trees to offset my lifetime carbon footprint and explore grassroots climate solutions. 📍 Follow the ride in real time: Live satellite map updated daily at [@here.by.chance](  / here.by.chance  ) via the link in bio. More stories, photos, and reflections at: www.andrebretoncycling.com “Begin, and you will have your dream.” — André Breton, after completing Europa 360 #bikepackinglife #bikepackingadventure #biketouring #plantingtrees #reuse #conservation #sportful #ninerbikes #54to54 #andrebretoncycling