After yesterday's disappointment in not finding a track from Caleta Sarco to Labrar, we decided today to approach the Chimney's from the north and to repeat the journey from 2006.

The narrow streets of Freirina make it tricky to find the road out to the south, but after several wrong turns we had managed it. I'll stick with a summary report of the day, starting with S624, just out of town (last year's S590) where this time we also found some Eriosyce napina, with recent flower remains.

Next, S625 was last year's S596, the white waxed C. coquimbana. These looked similar to the plants found on the previous day at the mine and on 4 November at Mina Gloria. It seems likely that they form a continuous population as they are quite near to each other as the crow (or Turkey Vulture) flies. 

This time we made a stop (S626) at the deserted workings at Cobaltera and found some stones with cobalt blue sections that obviously gave the area it's name. It wasn't clear when the workers had gone or why - perhaps Google will reveal more once I have finished these Diaries. Nothing new to report on the cactus front, so we set off to our final destination, Labrar (S627). Unlike last year, a thick cloud obscured the tops of the chimneys and much of the surrounding country side. We appeared to have lost the car with Cliff, Mike and John and left a note, in case they had taken a wrong turn and arrived later. Disappointed that the weather had not been more cooperative for this photogenic location, we headed back north to Freirina.

Juan and Florencia suggested that we made a stop where last year they found a population of Eriosyce aurata and this was recorded as S628. The plants here were predominantly white spined and varied in size from a few cm in diameter to large plants of up to 15 cm diameter. E. eriosyzoides ssp. atroviridis var huascensis was also in evidence and in fruit and I had stopped recording the presence of Eulychnia, Miqueliopuntia and Cumulopuntia sphaerica (a stem section has attached itself firmly to my boot and required some force to stay here.

It was still early and we decided to take a detour to Huasco to take a look at our usual spot (this time S629) for Eriosyce napina and Copiapoa fiedleriana. This time, the area was really dry. Quite a change from 2004! However, the plants were found without too much trouble and with still time left, Leo, Juan, and Ian decided to see if they could beat Juan's record of climbing to the top of Cerro Colorado to take a look at C. humilis ssp australis. (S630). The new record was set at 18 minutes and evidenced with a digital image of plant and watch at the top. All very well, but I can't see much point in these 'endurance hikes' as only a limited number in the group can keep up with them. Still, each to their own. It would be a boring world if we all liked the same thing.

We went back to the Bavarian restaurant where we met up with Ricardo Keim and Ingrid Schaub and with Rudolf Schulz. The group kept growing ...... all as planned.