Dakar 2014. Salta, the mountains and the last day in Argentina

Sergey Dolya writes: "We spent two days in Salta — one day was a weekend, then a rally took place. After the special stage, the riders returned back to Salta, so we did not have to move to a new city. Nevertheless, getting up early in the morning, we drove 200 km into the mountains to shoot a section of the highway at an altitude of 4,000 meters. At the highest pass, we overcame the boundary of 4.2 kilometers and caught a light "gornyashka". Fortunately, there was oxygen in the car. But Roma did not have oxygen: for seven days in a row, the cylinders were rolled in the car, but on the very day when they were needed, the technicians forgot to put them in the car. Fortunately, this did not prevent Roman from passing the track with dignity and climbing several more positions in the race. There was also a curious situation with Sergey Savenko: he did not have enough fuel until the end of the site and had to drain diesel from a tractor from local residents..."

(44 photos in total)

Source: Livejournal/sergeydolya

1. There were rains in Salta in the morning. There was no precipitation in the mountains that started 30 km from the city, but all the peaks were covered with clouds

2. After 70 kilometers we climbed higher and the sun came out

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5. In some places, the road was looping so intensely that it was difficult to find a straight section longer than 15-20 meters

6. Dried up riverbed

7. Finally, a village appeared, not far from which the race track took place

8. The village turned out to be deserted and abandoned — everyone left to watch the race

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10. An area with local "new buildings"

11. This time the place for filming and review was very comfortable — there was no intense heat and a light breeze was constantly blowing

12. Taking advantage of the benefits of accreditation, we settled down on a small hill, from where we could see both the track and the spectators, and the picturesque view against the background

13. Mountain dwellers, it seemed to me, are not as friendly as their compatriots below. Some even turned away from the camera

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15. A clear kid

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17. Suddenly a lama appeared in the crowd and also began to watch the race

18. The only thing that distinguished the lama from the rest of the audience was that she did not have a camera. In general, when I imagine how many photos of racing cars there will be in Argentina after Dakar, I feel bad

19. The hill on which we sat down, the racers drove around on the right. This made it possible to take pictures with wiring and add speakers to photos

20. Unfortunately, it was impossible to check the result on the camera screen because of the sun. It was so bright that in 30 minutes I was burned more than in all the past ten days

21. Therefore, when the Rum appeared, I decided not to risk it and put a short exposure

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24. We drove back almost the other way. Rather, the route was the same, but because of the weather and the sun, the views changed beyond recognition

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28. On the roofs of all private houses, you can see water tanks for heating. Some typical new buildings even have a special block on the roof for these purposes

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30. Snowy peaks

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32. They could not resist and went out for a walk in the valley of cacti

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35. So that you understand the scale and height — the view that opens from a dangerous turn on a mountain road

36. The Gorge of the Bull

37. Because of the abundance of needles, cacti look almost fluffy from afar. But if you get closer, it becomes clear that there is no question of any "fluffiness"

38. Some varieties bloom

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43. This time a podium was set up in the bivouac and all the riders had to greet the residents of the city before getting to the camp

44. The last impression of the day: a picture of how steaks are cooked in the Dakar canteen for more than 1,500 people

Today is our last day in Argentina. In a few hours we will cross the border and find ourselves in Chile!