Chile Forum

slojo wrote:Woo! Made it to Puerto Varas, bike's going good so far, next stop should be Chiloe - any recommendations?

Is your plan to take one of the ferries from Chiloé to Chaitén to then pick up the Carretera Austral? It's about US$35 to take the bike, and it's about 7 hours from Quellón in southern Chilóe to Chaitén.


http://www.ayacara.cl/Barcos%20Quellon-Chaiten.htm

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OK here is how I responded to your PM so that others might take note for future rides:

.... I do recommend riding the Carretera Austral from Chaiten and staying on it toward Coyhaique rather than going into Argentina at that point near Futaleufu. The Chilean CA ride is just much prettier and wilder. Mostly unpaved so it will chew your tyres a bit.

I am in Coyhaique right now. I will recommend a place here to stay with good breakfast and great host: Las Salamandras. Cost is 8500 pesos.

When you ride south from Coyhaique you have at least 6 opportunities for going over into Argentina:

- There are several normal frontier crossings at places like Paso Triana, Coyhaique Alto, Balmaceda, etc. The Argentine side of these crossings is not that intriguing. In fact here is a recent picture of what it would look like if you took one of those passes into Argentina:



- Ride south on the CA to Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez and you have two options: the land ride to the south east toward Perito Moreno, or the ferry to Chile Chico. The land ride is somewhat pretty and very few people go that way though I guided a bike tour through there in year 2000 and the riders loved it. The ferry --- requires advance planning due to the small number of sailings (only 1 or 2 a day usually). And you miss the nice ride around the lake.

Image of Puerto Ibáñez a few days ago



And some of the land ride if you were to take the option of going most directly toward Perito Moreno in Argentina.



- Instead, continue on CA in direction of Murta (can usually get fuel and food and basic lodging there, likewise at Pto Río Tranquilo) but otherwise no need to take the short detour to Murta. The trip between Villa Cerro Castillo and Chile Chico is one of my favourite rides in the country and you will see the effects of the 1991 volcano eruption (it is erupting again right now but mildly -- if it goes nuclear you can pick the more northern passes to get into Argentina and if there is ashfall be very careful about your routes and options. )

For a qualified rider you can easily ride from Coyhaique to Chile Chico in a day but it might be more fun to break it up into two.

Another alternative is to not ride to Chile Chico but instead down to Cochrane for fuel and perhaps for the night. From the end of the lake (Gral Carrera) to Cochrane has its dramatic moments and it's a fun ride. Stay in Cochrane, get a full tank, and then go back a bit north to the hard-to-find/easy-to-miss turnoff for Paso Roballo. Somewhat wild country, many guanacos and other wildlife. You will soon sense the remoteness and it's a rush on a bike. Cross into Argentina still in the wild places and drop into the drier lower lands near Bajo Caracoles. You should not attempt this crossing without adequate reserve fuel.

That gets you onto Ruta 40 and you know the rest... you can coast all the way to Tierra del Fuego... ha ha.

Some pictures from a trip up there in 2009.

Heading up the Río Ibáñez river valley:




further up the valley where the volcano filled river with ash and killed the trees


near same area where old and new fenceposts can be seen, showing the 3 or so feet of depth of the ash from the 1991 eruption. The ash makes for very smooth surface over the ripio so you may appreciate that


Confluence of the rivers Nef and Baker if you happen to head toward Cochrane


Just north of Cochrane, looking north.


Along the Paso Roballo road generally east of Cochrane.