After El Rosario, the climbs begin. It is constantly up and down, and by the end of the day I have climbed 1000 metres. With the 20-kilo trailer and the heat, without any shade, the climbs are brutal.
The cactus fields alternate with huge rock formations. After 4 days I pass through Catavina, a small village of 15 houses with some infrastructure. On the way there is Wifi in the restaurants, but otherwise no network. Shortly before Catavina, I have a special encounter with locals, who are always happy to help as much as they can. I am just about to take my lunch break at the side of the road, in the middle of the desert, when a car stops by me. A group of mariachi jumps out and starts playing. They had read about me and came to motivate me. It is not difficult for me to run a marathon with such mental support.
I have run a little more than a marathon each of the last 5 days and now I am almost 20 kilometres ahead. I will need this buffer when up to 3000 metres of altitude per day await me on the mainland. And I’m sure there will also be other difficulties during this adventure.