a self-supported bicycle tour through South America

So leaving Bariloche was good, and about time too. We had spent too much time there and money, as you do when you’re bored and just waiting for the bikes to be ready. The trailer we bought over the phone from Buenos Aires turned out to be pretty crap, as it failed to connect to the bike in a satisfactory way; so now we’re stuck with having to carry all the weight as before on the bike without off-loading any to a trailer. We had however, managed on the last day in Bariloche to sell the trailer to one of the local bike shop owners and recoup some of the money at least.

With very little to occupy our minds sometimes except to admire the stunning scenery and count the clicks, I remembered a couple of things that just come into my mind when I’m on the road or milling around the tent. Firstly, we had a blossom tree above our tent on the first night out from Bariloche with some bumble bees drifting around and this got me thinking; do bees sleep, and if so, where? And on that matter where do all the flies and midgies go as well?

Secondly, why is it that when we’re on the road cycling, is it that we can go for hours without any traffic and then when we do, just like buses two come along in opposite directions and they cross at exactly the point where we are; where there is the least space - chuffing annoying.

On the bushie front, we’ve had a breakthrough. Jen now forewarns me of her intended maneuvers and says “bushie on the left”, I reply with “roger” and move the bike to the right hand side as she drifts to the left, that way I managed to miss the goo that she ejects from her nose.

Anyhow, we’re continuing on the road south but for the next few days we’ll be heading west in order to cross into Chile before going south again joining the Carretera Austral. We’re pretty excited by this as we’ve heard so much about it and is fabled by so many cyclists; however, the road will be all unpaved and we’re hoping for a good compacted surface without the nightmare stone covered roads we have experience through the national parks here in Argentina.

On the topic of national parks, Los Alerces whose name comes from a tree, the Alerce (Patagonian Cypress) which resembles California’s giant Sequioa. has again been stunning, although tough going on the poor road surfaces, but then if it were easy going more people would be here and then it wouldn’t be so special. From all the people we’ve spoken with about our journey recently, all of them have commented on just how beautiful the Carratera Austral is, so we can only imagine how much better it is going to get and that said when we’re already stood in some of the most beautiful places on earth!

For those that don’t know, the Carretera Austral is Chile’s southern highway and stretches for about 1000km from Puerto Montt down to Villa O’Higgins through Chile’s wettest, greenest and wildest parts. It cuts through snow-capped mountains, ice age glaciers and blue-green fjords and is one of the worlds largest temperate rainforests. This is Chile’s final frontier and took 100 years to build with the final section being completed in 2000. At the end of the line we will cross back into Argentina continue to push through the harshest and windiest weather of all until we reach Ushuia.

Well that’s pretty much it, we’re currently having a rest day in Trevelin, the last town in the Chubut region with any noticeable Welsh character left and tomorrow will continue on to Futalefu and cross the Chilean border. We don’t expect to get too many more chances for web updates as the areas are becoming increasingly remote and just pure wilderness at times, although we will do our best as we know you how much you like receiving them. The bikes are holding up at the moment with only one genuine puncture on my bike from a sharp wire since Bariloche. Both of us are becoming increasingly stronger on the legs front, but the weather is definitely making life harsh with a night in the tent and a temperature of 3.9 celcius inside, and a morning with the tent all frosted and bike bottles frozen, not to mention our first snow flurry leaving Park National Los Alceres, and this is spring; apparently in winter it often reaches 20 below!