Over The Black Water Pass

6 am. Or possibly 7am ... Leaving Huanta (near Aldo's farm) behind. Last village in Chile. It's only just light and the man is still guarding his vineyard ... ripe table grapes are worth a fortune.

Into the gates of hell! Well, it looks a bit Lord of the Rings. We enter a long, long canyon in the bare rock. Very few trees. Customs post ... passes the time! Faffing about. 8.30. Through.

And the sun has hit the mountains. Dusty unmade road now. So we have to hang back or choke. Stop for photos ... Yves going crazy about the rock colours ... the blue/green river. Dam and lake at 10,000 feet. Then the mountains go psychedelic and multicoloured... a mad palette. Not like Earth. Like another world ...

See guanaco across the river ... something smaller, faster? Fox? Glaciers around us. We leave Yves trying to shoot a bottle of Giorgio's new white with a backdrop of glaciers ... And hurtle up the track that says 'Strictly No access at any time' ... Giorgio; the Italian ... the fast route to the top ... always!!!

At summit 16000 feet. Paso de Agua Negra. V. Strong Wind and groggy, sick film crew. Barbara also poorly. Me and Giorgio fine so ... The windy tasting. Is this a height record for tasting one year old Syrahs? Must ask Robert Joseph.

Change cars at the little glacier. G goes back home ... we start Scary Descent. We hope we can trust our driver. She veers near the edge, getting out her sweeties ... it's a steep gravel track, no barriers at all ... and a very, very long drop. Shut eyes time. Argentina side not so pretty ... roadworks!

Long, long way, then ... a mine! And the Frontier post ... ... still waiting. 5 pm. We have over 2 hours to Mendoza, capital of Argentine wine.

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