We get through the entry into Chile without much trouble. Luckily, the warnings that Chilean customs confiscates all food turn out not to be true. You can keep any food in its factory packaging. Fruit, vegetables and meat, for example, may not be brought in.
Our search for suitable accommodation in Ollagüe leads us to an unfriendly hostal. The room price isn't fixed and keeps being pushed up until we leave the house. But where to sleep? In these hurricane-force winds we have no desire to put up the tent. A local Chilean woman, whom we tell about our trouble, offers us an empty flat to sleep in. We gratefully accept. We are allowed to use her shower, we are given dinner, and our dusty laundry is washed too. So we soon forget the bad encounter and feel at home with this hospitality.
The next stretch by bike, from Ollagüe to Calama, demands a lot of us. No villages to buy anything, only dried-up riverbeds, volcanoes, salt flats, sand and dust. So improvising is the order of the day. To have enough drinking water to cook in the evening and to ride on the next day, Alexandre stands at the roadside, stops vehicles and asks for spare bottles of water. This works surprisingly well.
After 13 days of cycling we reach Calama. At last a bigger town, with shops, hotels, etc. As we want to cover the stretch from here to San Pedro de Atacama by coach, we decide to take a hotel near a bus terminal. We put the handlebar bags down by the receptionist, unload our bikes and carry our many bags into the lobby. The whole thing takes 2-3 minutes. In all the coming and going, a thief took advantage of the situation and made off with both handlebar bags. He must have been disturbed, though, because he left one bag on the floor by the exit. Ouch. Instead of a shower, the police have to be called. The hotel manager is suddenly gone, and for this reason the surveillance cameras can't be looked at. The suspicion grows that the hotel is in cahoots with the thieves. A 5-page report is taken down by the police, and Alexandre is issued a certificate allowing him to fly within Chile. To get an emergency passport, he has to fly to Santiago de Chile. The effort is enormous.
After a word with the hostal in San Pedro de Atacama, the German-speaking owner picks us up in Calama herself and drives us to her hostal. She also helps us with the various phone calls we have to make. From here we order replacements for the lost things through a friend in Switzerland, who will send them to us by FedEx.
So we end up staying longer and can wash our dusty clothes, free the bike chains of sand and stuff our bellies. San Pedro de Atacama has a big choice of restaurants, souvenir shops, travel agencies and minimarkets, and the food is delicious.
The next stage of our journey will take us over the Paso Sico into Argentina. These 514 kilometres are tough. The first 120 kilometres are still paved, but after that things get serious. Past the lagoons of Miscanti, Miñiques, Piedras Rojas and Aguas Calientes, after 3 hard days we reach the border with Argentina.
320 kilometres still separate us from Salta. We have reached the "Abra Blanca", at 4,080 metres, and a fast descent of almost 3,000 metres lies ahead of us. Within 2 days we cover 160 kilometres and reach Salta. The difference in temperature is enormous. Just 3 days ago we had breakfast at just above zero; here it's already almost tropically warm.
The head of the Argentinian border post, who had already given us a place to stay at customs, owns a hotel in Salta and offers us a lovely hotel room here. The view of the plaza is stunning. We feel privileged and enjoy the 3 days.
1,330 kilometres to Mendoza lie ahead of us. The landscape is dusty and dry. Almost no riverbed has water in it any more, and if one does, it's only a trickle. It hasn't rained for several months, and everything is parched and grey. The water needed for camping for 2 people now has to be carried in the water bag. For cooking (dinner, breakfast, coffee, washing up) we need 4 litres, 2 for washing ourselves and another 4 litres to ride on the next day. So at times we ride with an extra 10 kilos of "luggage" to the next shop, which is often more than 40 kilometres away. Our Katadyn water filter, which turns a brown brew into drinking water, is indispensable.
At the small town of Cafayate we reach the legendary "Ruta 40", a 5,301-kilometre north-south road through Argentina. For now we will only ride a small part of it, as far as Mendoza. In Villa Unión the long-awaited parcel is supposed to be waiting for us. The spare parts ordered 3 weeks ago (after the theft in Calama) were to be delivered to the hotel by the shipping company. Unfortunately our hopes are dashed. FedEx can't clear the parcel through customs in Argentina as agreed. The only options are to collect it ourselves in Buenos Aires or to hire a "broker". All our attempts to find the responsible official fail. We decide to ride on and tackle the problem again from Mendoza.
Gradually the monotonous grey of the desert turns into a varied steppe green. For the first time since the start of our journey 2 months ago, it rains, in San Juan. We enjoy the slightly lower temperature and look forward to the atmosphere awaiting us in Mendoza.
Here in Mendoza we book a flight to Buenos Aires. Without appearing at customs in person, the parcel won't be handed over. Several phone calls get us nowhere; FedEx can't or won't help us. We have to pay all the costs ourselves! In the end Alexandre comes back with the parcel of spare parts under his arm. The new credit card could also be collected from DHL the next day. The nerve-racking theft is now in the past, and we can continue the rest of the route fully equipped again.
It's bitterly cold, and we decide to enjoy the demanding descent only the next day. A good decision – sunshine and bearable temperatures promise a magnificent day's ride. Despite a headwind, we cover 30 kilometres in an hour and "wipe out" more than 2,000 metres of altitude.
Amazing! From "Los Andes" only an expressway leads to Santiago. Once again, cyclists are forbidden on this stretch. "Overlooking" this rule would have no consequences, because the rules for cyclists are interpreted tolerantly. But the longer tunnel coming up in 20 kilometres only allows "piggyback"; riding through is definitely not an option for us. So we decide on a bus straight into Chile's capital. We reach Santiago comfortably and without stress. The next few days are set aside for sightseeing, shopping, washing, etc.
The cycling conditions for the next 600 kilometres don't seem suitable to us. We soon realise that we don't want to ride on the expressway from Santiago. We decide on the bus (08:30 - 17:00) to Temuco. There we continue our bike trip. The first active volcano, Villarrica, which made the headlines with its eruption in March 2015, comes into view. At the moment only a little puff of smoke rises from it. The lake in front of it is deep blue. We ride on to Pucón, where we want to treat ourselves to a short rest at the "Termas Geométricas". These hot springs are laid out naturally in a gorge. The hot water bubbles out of cracks in the walls and floors. The various pools range from 31 to 45 degrees. A blessing for our tired legs.
Another pass to the Argentinian border lies ahead of us. The 300-metre difference in height seems like a "little hill" at first; but the gradients of up to 17% are enormous and can only be managed by pushing. The weather gets worse, so the Lanín volcano can only be seen shrouded in cloud. Our feeling that the weather is about to turn proves right. As we reach the top, it starts to rain. Already at 15:00 we decide to cross the Argentinian border only the next morning. During the night it snowed, and it's bitterly cold. All our warm clothes now have to be worn under our rain gear. The snow and rain have now turned into hurricane-force winds, so we are glad to find shelter for a short while in the customs building.
For the second time we cycle on Argentinian roads. We will spend the Christmas holidays in San Martín de los Andes. This town lies on Lake Lácar. The wind is so strong that, despite the warm temperatures, you have to wear a warm pullover. All the restaurants are closed on the evening of the 24th and all day on 25 December. Unfortunately we find this out too late and have to make do with "ham and cheese sandwiches" for our Christmas dinner!
The road to San Carlos de Bariloche follows the "Ruta de los 7 Lagos" along deep blue lakes. The area is called "the Argentinian Switzerland", and it looks like it too. The roads are paved, but they go up and down like corrugated iron, up and down, up and down, and take enormous energy from us. Just before San Carlos de Bariloche, in the suburb of Dina Huapi, we spend New Year without rockets or firecrackers. Instead, on the dot of midnight, the evacuation sirens sound for one minute. Anyone who was already asleep is definitely awake now and certainly won't miss the new year.
Cruce Andino: by boat on Lago Nahuel Huapi, then 3 kilometres by bike to the next lake, Lago Frías. A good decision to leave the luggage in the container for transport. A dirt road with a 20% gradient, peppered with round stones and gravel, awaits us. 4 kilometres of pushing up to the top of the "Paso Pérez Rosales" take all our strength once again. After a 26-kilometre "downhill" on this surface, we reach Peulla and so the Chilean border.
Shortly before the border we are attacked by "tábanos" (Argentinian horseflies). Around each of us fly almost 50 of these "bloodsuckers". Flailing about uselessly, we try to escape the attackers. A scene like Hitchcock's "The Birds". We certainly don't want to camp in this "infested" area and seek refuge in a hotel. The locals tell us that they advise tourists to stay in their cars and not get out. In the warm season (December to January) the horsefly plague is extremely bad, and the only solution is to get out of the sun, wear light-coloured clothing and move as little as possible. So the next day we ride from one shady tree to the next and wait motionless until the beasts leave us alone. Another boat takes us across "Lago Todos los Santos" to the landing at Petrohué.
By now the tábano plague has eased, and the good advice on how to behave has helped us make quick progress. We have now reached the third-largest lake in South America, Lago Llanquihue, and camp on its shore, right next to the Osorno volcano.
One day and 60 kilometres later, in the town of the same name as the lake, we find a "picture-book" campsite and treat our bikes to their first thorough service.
Puerto Montt is the starting point for various cruises to Patagonia and to the island of Chiloé. We too want to visit the island of Chiloé, which is said to be one of the most beautiful in the world. The ferry crossing from Pargua to Chacao is straightforward and needs no reservation – the fare is collected on board. In Ancud we join a guided tour to "Puñihuil". Magellanic and Humboldt penguins, cormorants, sea lions and steamer ducks all show themselves to us up close. An entertaining excursion that's worth it. On we go, in a never-ending "up and down", to Castro, the island's capital. Here we also see the first of the wooden churches Chiloé is famous for. They were built in the 17th and 18th centuries, mostly of cypress wood. In 2000, 16 of these wooden churches were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Quellón, almost at the southern tip of the island, we board a ferry and are taken to Chaitén. From here we ride for the first time on the "Carretera Austral", which links the north of Chile with the south. This rough dirt road has been being widened and paved for several years. The end of this project is still a long way off. This road is a popular destination, especially for travellers on two wheels. The first 100 kilometres are still paved, but after that things get serious. Mostly strewn with big stones, making progress by bike is a great feat of strength, and uphill it can only be managed by pushing. Past magnificent volcanoes, lakes, trees and mountains, our route leads south towards Ushuaia. The birds twitter encouragingly from the trees while we push, sweating, and the horseflies make sure we don't stand still for too long to catch our breath.
The descent to "Puyuhuapi" is stunning. The village lies at the end of a fjord. The sea is surrounded by mountains and forests that reach right down to the shore. From here it's "only" another 57 kilometres of unpaved road until we're back on asphalt. After another 40 kilometres, on the shore of Lago Los Torres, we can take a refreshing dip in 20-degree water.
Coyhaique offers us one of the last chances to top up our food supplies, overhaul the bikes and wash our clothes before we set off on the next section to "Villa O'Higgins".
The road on takes us past Laguna Chiguay. At what we think is the highest point there's a campsite, where we pitch our tent. More descents and climbs follow. At the top of the pass in the national park we spot a huemul (Andean deer), a species protected by the state. After the descent, the next section of the Carretera Austral awaits us.
After 3 days we reach Puerto Tranquilo. A small village that lives entirely from tourism. A mighty ridge of marble runs right through "Lago General Carrera". Over thousands of years, the climate, the movement of the waves and the acids in the rock have carved the marble into caves with a very special pattern. We too want to see these caverns, unique in the world. The worthwhile boat trip takes 2½ hours. The next day we visit the "Laguna San Rafael". Here the huge San Rafael Glacier flows into the lagoon. It is part of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Norte). At 45 km long and 2.5 km wide, it is the glacier closest to the equator that flows into a body of water. The glacier walls can be more than 70 m high. Masses of ice break off the ice shelf with a loud roar and drift in the sea as ice floes. A leopard seal has made itself comfortable on a piece of drift ice. Our visit leaves it completely "cold"; only its eyes follow us.
On the Carretera Austral from Puerto Tranquilo to Tortel, extensive construction work is going on. By now we know sections like this all too well – they take a lot of strength and time. We gladly accept a Chilean's invitation to a lift in his jeep. The 4x4 covered this 250-kilometre stretch in 5 hours, which would have taken us 5 days. We cover the remaining 25 kilometres to the ferry landing at Puerto Yungay by bike.
The weather has turned bad. As there's no sign of it improving and it's already 18:00, we (and 7 other cyclists) decide to spend the night in the refugio. The international mix of cyclists cooks under one roof and sets up places to sleep. Undisturbed, nobody snored, we spend the night on the floor. In the morning we have breakfast and pack our panniers, to reach the next destination dry. After just under 50 kilometres and more than 5 hours of cycling, we reach another, even smaller refugio. With the remaining "bunch" of fellow cyclists we already know, we spend another rainy night. The hut is so small that 7 people have to share the benches and the floor. Anyone who "just had to pop out" in the night could only move over the others' heads with great care.
We reach "Villa O'Higgins", the end of the Carretera Austral. The boat across "Lago O'Higgins" only runs 3 times a week, in good conditions. The weather has settled, so 2 days later we can reach the campsite on the shore at Candelario Mancilla. Once again we're not alone. All the cyclists we have met again and again from time to time have the same goal and have gathered here. The last, very demanding stretch of dirt road lies ahead of us. The climbs are steep and peppered with big stones. A service from the campsite owner: carrying the luggage in his vehicle (surely the only one here) or on horseback comes in very handy. The 4x4 jeep is loaded up to the roof. All the cyclists have their equipment taken to the Argentinian border. Even without luggage, we need 2 hours for the 15 kilometres. It only gets really demanding and exhausting on Argentinian soil. The trekking path is meant for hikers and only partly suitable for bicycles. The path is hemmed in on both sides by bushes, trees and boulders. Streams that can swell into raging torrents when it rains, and a knee-deep bog, have to be crossed. The walls of the washed-out, narrow switchbacks rub against our panniers. The last 6 kilometres to the shore of Lago del Desierto take 3 hours of pushing and carrying. Through the wooded thicket, the outline of "Cerro Fitz Roy" keeps appearing. When we reach the Argentinian customs post at Lago del Desierto, staffed by one person, a magnificent panorama opens up before us.
The hardships were truly worth it. A passenger boat takes us to the end of the lake, not far from the next campsite. We've made it over the "biggest hurdle"! Tomorrow evening we will reach "El Chaltén".
We cover the ride on to El Calafate in 2 days with a good tailwind. After a junction we are brought to an abrupt halt. Still delighted a moment ago, now a strong wind of 80-100 km/h blows in our faces. There's no fighting this force of nature. We can neither ride nor push the remaining 35 kilometres. Alexandre hitchhikes into town and organises a suitable pickup to collect Claudia, the bikes and the luggage at the junction.
Anyone travelling through Patagonia shouldn't miss a trip to one of the many glaciers. The "Perito Moreno Glacier" is one of the largest outlet glaciers of the South American Andes. We too joined a "transfer-only tour". But we liked the trip to the San Rafael Glacier more. Whether San Rafael, Perito Moreno or one of the other glaciers worth seeing, it's fascinating to experience the thunder of the breaking ice and the chunks crashing into the water.
After another change of country, from Argentina to Chile, we reach Puerto Natales. From here our route continues through endlessly long, uninhabited stretches. The dots on the map are either estancias (far from the road) or the tiniest of places. Tierra del Fuego is getting closer and closer, and the wind keeps getting stronger. 30 kilometres before Punta Arenas it has reached 85 km/h. Riding on in a crosswind like this is far too risky for us – one gust would push us off the road. We decide to camp in a park. We finish putting up the tent just in time, before a heavy downpour comes pelting down. The next morning the Stella Australis (an expedition ship) will sail for Ushuaia. Shortly before midday we reach Punta Arenas and buy two last-minute tickets. We're overjoyed. For 4 nights and 3 days we will be spoilt with fine food on the ship and take part in various extraordinary excursions. On the 2nd deck we move into a generously furnished cabin with a private bathroom. At 20:00 it's "cast off", and the expedition ship, with 162 passengers and 63 crew, leaves the harbour. The two excursions a day won't leave much time for boredom. Past penguin colonies, beautiful bays and glaciers, we glide leisurely at 20 kilometres an hour towards Ushuaia. Over 1,085 kilometres of water, we spot dolphins, condors, seals and lots of seabirds.
Time passes far too quickly, and Ushuaia is already in sight. A first milestone of our
1-year journey has been reached. We have reached the end of the world, but by no means the end of our journey. We have three days to pack up our bikes and sort everything out. We will be travelling to New Zealand for over 24 hours. The time difference is 16 hours ahead.
From 1 March 2016 we continue on a new continent.
Biker info for the route
- |
Active (73 days of riding) |
4,572 |
kilometres |
- |
Total climbing |
43,528 |
m |
- |
Average speed |
13 |
km/h |
- |
Riding time in motion |
364:53 |
hrs |
