It was still snowing. when I got up this morning – ocular proof if required in the photo below, taken from my bedroom window.

Breakfast was provided, but I was more interested in the stag who overlooked the diners: not sure, but the horns seem wrong for a red deer, and fallow it ain’t. I think perhaps a male Pampas Deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus). The Marsh Deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) has similar antlers but has a black nose as I remember. Either way, a little way from home, but I may be wrong.

Villa Angostura early Sunday morning was quiet as I drove through, and the roads not too bad for the first ten miles or so.

Then of course we had to go up – lots of mountains round here, and it was yesterday again. There must be better ways of spending a quiet Sunday than battling snow storms in the pre-Cordillera.

We were briefly held up by. a lorry that had skidded and shed his load, but by the time I arrived enough had been cleared to go through single file.

The whole day was an alternation between driving snow and driving rain as we switchbacked our way to Esquel, interspersed with the occasional flash of sun which was actually even less welcome because of its reflection on all the white snow.

Stopped at a service station for an inedible media luna and an undrinkable coffee, which increased my desire for lunch inEl Bolsón. I had been looking forward to pizza and a raspberry beer in a place I know, but sadly it was shut midday. Photo included for Caroline.

I did end up in a trendy modern place where I had a very welcome guiso de lentajas (lentil stew), and a good local beer.

The second part of the journey was better, with less snow as the roads flattened and straightened out and I drove by some familiar places: the great museum at Leleque and Butch Cassidy’s ranch house near Cholilla but I was running late (the first half of the day I was averaging 30 mph) so I cracked on to Esquel.

My friend the snowman was waiting to greet me as I drove in to Esquel, and I found my bed for the night – a very comfortable hostería a couple of kilometres outside Esquel, on the road to Trevelin and Chile that I shall be following tomorrow. Once arrived I couldn’t find the energy to go back into town so dined on coffee, banana and biscuits. Cheap and healthy enough.

Tomorrow the plan is to cross back into Chile through the Futaleufú Pass. We’ll see.