Keep Calm and Pedal On

Carretera Austral Day 7: Villa Santa Lucia to La Junta | 42 miles, 2,451 feet elevation | Policia!

Riding Stats | (Link to Tom’s Strava)

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That’s right… old rule-following Grandpa and Grandma over here got stopped by two Chilean Police officers today. 😅

The two youngish, cutish officers tried to explain we needed to ride single file on bicycles. They spoke no English and we, little Spanish, so that was kind of comical.

The funny thing is we most ALWAYS ride single file however just this one time we were riding side by side on a single lane bridge without any oncoming cars. Personally I think they wanted to get a good look at Conrad the condor on the front of my bike.

They were smiling as they tried to explain but they went all out with their police car lights on. No pic of the officers but taking this one of Tom riding at his left side on the bridge might have been the problem.

More rain today but we had a fabulous unexpected breaky prepared by Giesela. It was simple yet so carefully prepared and it was so perfect before setting out on this rainy morning.

Another fellow cyclist joined us for breakfast. Meet Gavin from Canada! He recently graduated from college (microbiology I think?) and generated so many laughs and warmth at breakfast.

Youngsters are so positive and fun to be with. They rarely worry and just figure things out. I hope Gavin and Yannik (whom we met a week ago) meet at some point. We still often think of Pippin, Sarah, Amelia and Zach, our “kids” from our bike tour in New Zealand last year at this time.

So yes, the rain continues but we had periods of sun so at times the layers came off. I snagged this pic off of Facebook. It’s in Cerro Castillo and we will be riding through there in a couple days. Look at the snow! Loco Patagonian weather! 🤪

Chilean drivers continue to be among some of the most courteous we have ever encountered giving us plenty of room when passing and even slowing down. There are only a few tour buses to contend with and VERY few RVs, thank goodness.

Although I didn’t get any decent pics because it was raining when we arrived yesterday, we are staying at the most fantastic place, Espacio y Tiempo. Thanks for the recc, Beth! And thanks to Austral Bikes for the discount. Ironically, Senora Palacios Holguin who checked us in, attended Purdue University in the 1990’s. Small world.

Hoping to get to Queulat National Park tomorrow and that weather clears so we can see the best of what she has to offer. Thanks for following along and especially your comments and prayers. 😘😘

Click on the image below to view today’s video AND our Doggo of the Day 🦴🐕🐾:

Carretera Austral Day 6: Lake Yelcho to Villa Santa Lucia, 15 miles, 2,067 feet elevation | Good Things Happen

Riding Stats (Link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

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Good things happen on bike tours but the day doesn’t always start out that way.😂

We woke to steady rain drumming on the tin shelter above our tent. We peeked out of the tent only to find a growing puddle forming just uphill, poised to spill straight through our campsite. While scrambling to assess the situation, the camp stray dog tipped over a full trash can left by previous campers, and a small, rat-like creature happily moved in to enjoy the buffet. That’s a lot to think about the first minute of the day.

We jumped up and moved onto action by emptying the tent of its contents and stacking it on the picnic table. Tom quickly took the tent down and moved the bikes under shelter while I made coffee and peanut butter bread for breaky.

Soon we were ready to start our 10 mile climb, in the rain and mid 40’s. 🥶

The good news is that none of our dry items in our tent got wet, the climb kept us nice and warm on the rainy cold day and we found a fabulous hostel with the kindest woman (Giesela) who owns it. And in answer to our morning prayer, we arrived safely.

All of the contents in our bags stayed dry but we were so wet and cold from the five mile windy descent when we met Giesela.

She quickly showed us where to lock up our bikes, where to hang our wet clothes (right by the wood fired stove she keeps burning all day) and then to our room (that has its own bathroom🙌🏻). All done without mastery of a common language and instead communicated with smiles and gestures.

The community room has such a good vibe. It’s warmed by the stove. Giesela comes in and out with her daily routines that include making bread, hanging linens inside (no dryer) and welcoming guests.

After grabbing a couple empanadas and a bag of chips and some fruit from the mini market we returned to the hostal to enjoy our dinner, very grateful to be out of the continuing rain.

On our way into town before we found the hostel, this nice lady made us a coffee to warm us. We went back for her yummy empanadas.

And a little well deserved dessert for the Debster.

Thanks for following along. On deck tomorrow is our longest ride this trip and more rain.

Click on the image below to view today’s video:

Carretera Austral Day 5: Chaiten to Lake Yelcho, 33 Miles, 1,112 feet elevation | Tarmac and Tailwinds

Riding Stats (Link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our southbound ride on a Google Map)

We continue to be amused by the laid back doggos that populate southern Chile. This is our Dog of the Day and he was waiting for us as we left our cabana this morning.

After a food resupply in Chaiten and once the rain ended we jumped back on the Carretera Austral about 11am. It was an easy day riding with a tailwind on pavement all day under cloudy skies.

About 12 miles past Chaiten we saw the iconic remains of a WWII-era plane.

It was the fuselage of a Douglas DC-3 military transport aircraft that made an emergency landing (not a crash in combat) in the mid 1970’s. The Chilean owned aircraft experienced a mechanical failure on a flight between Palena and Puerto Montt and the pilot managed to land the plane safely nearby. The plane was damaged beyond repair and was subsequently abandoned.

This site has become something of a roadside attraction and, over the years, the fuselage was even repurposed by a local resident as a small home after being moved a short distance from the original landing location.

So far Patagonia’s landscapes seem severe. The weather is fickle and the skies meditative. It’s also mysterious, yet inviting. Patagonia you have multiple personalities.😂

We’ve planned an even shorter day tomorrow with two inches of rain forecasted, dropping temps and a mountain pass on deck that includes a 10 mile climb. 😉

Click on the image below to view today’s video:

Carretera Austral Day 4: Lago Negro Campsite to Chaiten 26 miles, 1,860 feet elevation | Hike and Bike

Riding Stats (Link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our southbound ride on a Google Map)

Is it really only Day 4? It seems like we have already experienced so much. Tom thought it a good idea to get a little hike in before our ride and I agreed. With low mileage days we have the time. But first, something to drink.

Though an overcast day, our lush surroundings and the low clouds felt like a comforting blanket on our hike to Lago Negro (Black Lake).

Even the overcast days are beautiful and have a mystical feel.

Our destination for the day was the small coastal town of Chaiten, where we planned an inside stay due to forecasted rain.

If there is a word to describe Chaiten, it is resilience. In May 2008, a volcano erupted that destroyed more than half the town with flooding and mud slides. More than 5,000 residents were evacuated overnight and the the Chilean government discouraged citizens from returning to rebuild.

Slowly residents DID return, and they rebuilt the small northern frontier town that is an essential gateway to northern Patagonia for both logistics and resupply.

Great ride today – a little tarmac and a little gravel. There are always hills. 😂

Bring on Day 5! Thanks for following along.😊

Click on the image below to view today’s video:

Carretera Austral Day 3: Hornopiren to Lago Negro Campsite, 18 miles, 1,955 feet elevation | Will You Ferry Me?

Riding Stats (link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our southbound ride on a Google Map)

We decided to pack up early and quickly find coffee and our ferry boarding area. But first prayers in front of the sunrise peeping over the mountains.

Today’s journey was unique in that we had a three hour ferry ride, then a six mile bike ride to the next ferry ride (a shorter one) and then a final bike ride to our campsite. This is what the route looked like.

There’s a little anxiety that comes with “make it to the ferry” or else, but one hour proved plenty of time to make the boat. However that didn’t leave much time for snacks or pics in the lush rainforest we cycled through.

Under Smurf blue skies, the views from the ferries were stellar and it was a relaxing way to take a break from cycling.

After the second ferry the pavement ended and the gravel — and hills — began. We opened up the front-fork suspension and suddenly the trail stopped fighting us. The bikes skimmed over the babyheads like water over pebbles. Soooo much easier on the last 11 miles and the day.

After some research, Tom started using a new campsite app called iOverlander to find both established sites and wild camping spots. It’s crowd-sourced and takes a little getting used to, but down here it can be a lifeline. Cell service is often nonexistent in southern Chile, yet if you download the regional map ahead of time the app still works and suddenly you have other travelers quietly guiding you to places you never would have found on your own.

Tonight we are camping in a National Park and have just about the whole area to ourselves.

All in all it was a “ferry” nice day and we are learning more about our bikes, the route, and even a little more Spanish each day. 😉

Click on the image below to view more pics and today’s video:

Carretera Austral Day 2: Contao to Hornopiren, 28 miles, 2,523 feet elevation | Less Miles, More Climb

Riding Stats (link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our southbound ride on a Google Map)

Right out of the gate we had a three mile climb. Hello legs!

And the hills just kept on coming, one after another but they were all on pavement so that makes it easier. Gravel starts soon.

Our destination for today was the town of Hornopiren, a town from which the ferry launches and most consider the gateway to the fjords. We have tickets for tomorrow, purchased months ago as the ferry fills up quickly. Thank you Tom for your exceptional planning! 😊

Tom waited patiently while I “grannied” up the hills and we took breaks to skip rocks in the stream and snack.

After arriving to our campsite, we set up the tent, enjoyed hot showers and then a walk into Hornopiren for some town food and bevvies. And yes… there were more Sopaipillas.

We were so well taken care of in the restaurant and were reluctant to go back to the tent since it doesn’t get dark until after 9pm so a walk into town was in order to locate the ferry ramp.

In celebration of our second day, we stopped in a small pub on the way back to the tent to plan the next couple days.

So grateful for another day. Thanks for the follow!

Click on the image below to view more pics and today’s video.

Carretera Austral Day 1: Peurto Montt to Contao, 39 miles, 2,133 feet elevation | First Day, Great Day!

Riding Stats (link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our southbound ride on a Google Map)

Let’s start with this thought: sopaipillas are bread from heaven. We had our first taste of them today and oh my are they ever tasty!

Our shuttle driver arrived early and Tom very carefully loaded the bikes and bags in the back of the van. Finally we were off to Peurto Montt to find the start line of the Carretera Austral! And find it we did.

We put the bike bags back on, Tom went to the money spitter 🏧 for more pesos and we were off.

It was sunny day, a bit windy and we were surrounded by water, flying Chilean flags and the most free roaming doggos (all friendly) I’ve ever seen.😂 Not kidding – a LOT of dogs, although no chasers.

Beautiful animitas were lovingly placed along the route memorizing the loss of loved ones.

Staying true to taking our time so as to not “waste time” we rode at a slow pace and wanted to get our bodies acclimated to the new bikes. We sit completely different on a mountain bike. There’s a new saddle, different handlebars and coordinating our gear stow is a bit spicy. The only things we brought were our own SPD pedals. It takes a day or so to get squared away with new bikes and gear organization.

One of our favorite experiences when bike traveling is meeting people. At the ferry we met Gilles, a Frenchman who last year rode his bike from Vancouver to Panama. He is finishing the ride this year riding from Panama to the southern tip of Argentina. Amazing!

Just one ferry ride today through the Estero Reloncava Inslet.

There were so many places to stop and enjoy the remarkable views and I’m pretty sure we stopped at every one.

We ended our ride in Contao today and grabbed dinner in town (fresh salmon and merzula) before finding a campground and setting up the tent.

This was Yannik’s (from Bielefeld, Germany) first day too. He’s planning on spending the next year in South America riding his bike, learning Spanish and doing all the things people on tour do… smile!

Digs for the night!

Click on the image below to view today’s video recap of our day.

Carretera Austral : Getting Here

Ya don’t get to visit a magical place like Chile without a bit of planning. Ours started in May 2025 with a What’s App call and ended with three flights totaling more than twelve hours (not including a nine hour layover in the Santiago airport). 🫣

We’re no longer in blustery Indiana and have arrived to summer in the southern hemisphere where we begin riding the Carretera Austral route tomorrow.

One of the smartest things we did in preparation for the bike tour is rent bikes and coordinate with Austral Bikes. We’ve rented their mountain bikes and bike bags and although they offer everything you’d need in the way of sleeping bags, tents, stoves, etc. We opted to bring our own gear. They will pick up their bikes and bring down our duffles with clothing we didn’t take on the bike when we finish in Villa O’Higgins in early March.

Whereas yesterday we travelled, today we dialed in the bikes and bags.

You may notice something new in the cockpit of my bike. Meet Conrad the crocheted condor who’ll be riding along with us on the CA. I’m hoping Chile’s national bird will invite friendly convos so we can practice our Spanish.

Speaking of español, is there such a thing as pidgin Spanish? ‘Cause if there is, that’s what we are speaking. Determined to learn as much as we can about Chilean culture, her flora, fauna and her people, we are giving Spanish our best effort and actually so far, either people we meet speak some English or are happy to work with us. And well there is always Google Translate.

Tom’s efforts in planning the logistics of the ride and subsequent adventures in Peru and Ecuador have been over-the-top amazing. If you know Tom, then you know there is a multi-worksheet spreadsheet involved that can be shared and accessed offline.

To reward his exemplary efforts he enjoyed his first empanada and a tasty meal of Chilean salmon. BTW did you know Chile is the world’s second biggest producer of salmon (after Norway). I sure didn’t.

So far our biggest mistake has been buying three litters of sparkling water instead of regular water so we might be burping a lot tomorrow but at least we’re likely to avoid water contaminants with us being bacteria-intolerant Americans. 😂

Per usual, we plan on blogging daily but anticipate many areas without cell or wi-fi, so there will be some catchup over time.

Thanks for joining us on our journey. We are so grateful to be able to do this and appreciate your interest and prayers.

Hasta pronto! 👋🏻

Wrapping Up our Tour Aotearoa Bike Ride

This one was a tough ride to wrap up. Not because we didn’t have anything to say about it, but because we had so much to say. New Zealand stole our hearts and we weren’t quite ready to “wrap it up” or let it go.

We chose this ride in August 2024 on a whim, so to speak, knowing little about it and being undertrained due to the time of year in Indiana we would start (winter for us, summer for NZ). However, we rolled right onto the route with joy, vigor, confidence and curiosity. And she didn’t disappoint.

As always, we maintain a data sheet that includes daily mileage and elevation, where we stopped for the night and links to our daily posts that include a video. However, a snapshot of the ride can be seen below. The aforementioned spreadsheet may be helpful to future TA riders, but just remember, we ride, not race and we are both 65+ years old.🤣

What will we miss most about our ride and New Zealand? As with any other extended bike tour we’ve finished, we’ll miss that feeling of accomplishment at the end of a solid day of riding. We will miss the spectacular views in New Zealand and the changing landscapes and seasons as we rode from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island.

The simplicity of living on a bicycle suits both of us well and, of course we’re not going to complain about the cost of living in New Zealand and the strength of the American Dollar. The well equipped Holiday Parks (campgrounds) and the remarkable cleanliness of the country, whether we visited a superette, a petro station, a restaurant, Air B &B or a long dropper – it’s 99% clean. Kiwis take care of their property and their environment.💚

Most of all, however, as always, it’s the people, both the locals and the riders we met along the way , that were the highlight of our ride. The TA was unique from other extended tours in that, from the first couple days and throughout the ride we leapfrogged with our “tramily” or our trail family. Sharing the experience with others, looking out for one another and learning more about their life stories (as well as getting reccs for future cycling) is at the top of both our lists of what we will miss most.

What are we eager to leave behind? Tom says packing up and carrying a wet tent (due to atmospheric condensation) most everyday. I say the narrow roads with no shoulders. We both emphatically agree we will NOT miss the sandflies.

For cyclists considering the TA , there’s a bit of logistics to plan since it’s a linear trail and for many, at the opposite end of the world, literally. There are also at least three, and as many as five water transports for which to plan.

I’m grateful for Tom for both his tour planning AND his approach to bike maintenance. Whereas I’m a “if it’s not broken, don’t fix or replace it”, he’s proactive with preventative maintenance and that’s the main reason we had zero mechanical issues with our Salsa Cutthroats. Trust me, his approach is the one to take.

Click on the image below to view a ride recap video.

And oh by the way, if you ever get the chance to visit New Zealand, her neighbor, Australia is worth a look. We flew to Sydney after our ride and spent six days exploring. Sydney is easy to get around using their public transportation system of ferries, train, light rail and bus. She’s friendly, historic and absolutely stunning. And they have bike rentals, a cool bridge climb and I’m sure you’ve heard of the Sydney Opera House. All are worth a look!

Tour Aotearoa Day 40: Mossburn, 86 miles, 643 feet elevation | We Can, We Are and We Did!

Riding Stats

Accommodations

Route Tracker

We weren’t planning on finishing today but a morning tailwind, sunshine and adrenaline pushed us to Bluff on the longest ride of the tour so far. And we wanted to do something big for our last day!

So here we are… in Bluff. The finish line of the Tour Aotearoa.