Carretera Austral Day 12: Coyhaique to El Blanco | 22 miles, 1,716 feet elevation | A Shorty

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Just a short ride today but kind of a hectic one as we left town. We peddled alongside lots of airport traffic. In just a couple weeks or so, we will be in one of those shuttles headed to the airport. But for today, we peddled.

We’ve been told to begin stocking up on food and pesos since the farther south we get, the more remote we’ll be. Food will be harder to come by and cash is king (credit cards not accepted.) We had two things on our to-do list in Coyhaique and we weren’t able to get either done. 😫

Google Maps isn’t as reliable here as in the states. That’s been a bit of a challenge. Google Maps will indicate where a store or restaurant is on the route when there isn’t one.

We found a couple mini marts and made do but couldn’t locate a money spitter. It’s just crazy getting out of a big town and even a greater challenge with inaccurate Google Maps.

We rolled into El Blanco about 3pm, set up our tent and then headed to the only restaurant in town, a very small roadside food stand.

We weren’t at all sure of what we ordered but it was very tasty and the gentleman was happy to chat it up with us in Spanish. He spoke to us like we understood and we kinda did. A little.

Rain is coming in tonight and tomorrow’s a longer ride with the Cuesta Diablo on deck. Sooo…we may delay our start tomorrow.

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

Carretera Austral Day 11: Villa Manihuales to Coyhaique | 46 miles, 4,688 feet elevation | Ripio!

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New Spanish vocabulary word: ripio

The fire that Jose built in the wood burning heater in the community room was incentive enough to get out of our tent on this chilly 40 degree morning. Today would be our longest ride with the most elevation and on ripio (gravel).

These stoves/heaters are at the heart of every hostel and campground community room and common throughout Patagonian homes as well.

I made breaky in the community room while Tom took down the tent. We said our thanks and goodbyes to Jose and were on our way.

During the ride, again the mountains gave way to vast landscapes. We climbed a good bit getting to our highest elevation thus far on the trip and then bombed down some sweet descents. Tom got some good video on the GoPro today.

The ride got rough near the end. The “nice” ripio turned nasty with thick gravel and traffic increased throwing up a lot of dust and rocks. Not fun but grateful that wasn’t the whole ride.

Coyhaique is a major hub on the Carretera Austral and the capital of Chile’s Aysén Region. Almost every cyclist, hitchhiker, kayaker, and traveler eventually funnels into Coyhaique as it’s the last large city on the Carretera Austral south of Puerto Montt where the Southern Highway began. The further south we ride, the more remote it will be.

Although Coyhaique is surrounded by the most pristine wilderness areas, the city is among the highest in air pollution in Latin America due to the wood burning stoves. As such, the city has both a frontier and an urban feel to it.

It seems like it would be a good place to take a rest day but we are eager to get back on the road and save a zero day in case of bad weather. We’ve learned Patagonia with all her beauty can throw challenging weather at us at any time.

Digs for the night? We went all in at the Patagonia House. It. Was. Spectacular. And in every sense of the word.

One more tidbit. I finished listening to the audiobook entitled “A Wild Idea” by Jonathan Franklin about the life of Doug Tompkins. Spoiler alert… Tompkins did wayyy more than found The North Face.

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

Carretera Austral Day 10: Villa Amengual to Villa Manihuales | 38 miles, 1,978 feet elevation | 500k

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We’ve now got 500 kilometers behind us on the Carretera Austral, not quite half way but a milestone to be sure! And we’re not rushing through the ride.

Today was a day of changing landscapes. Yes there are still mountains that surround us but they have made way for plush valleys, ample forests and scenic river beds.

One of the best things about today was finding this fabulous campground. Jose was so friendly and accommodating; it was clean and his wife just opened a restaurant next door. Perfecto! Sooo tasty for our Valentine dinner.

There is a simple community room with a wood burning stove and kitchen.

Banos etiquette: we have learned (taking pics of signs posted in the Banos and using the camera app on Google Translate) toilet paper (no matter your bathroom business) should not be placed in toilets. Instead there are covered trash cans in the bathrooms. Also many times it’s BOYTP (bring your own TP). Hence the importance of a TP stash. Jose however has this huge roll of TP available for campers. TP stash preserved!

Lots of pics from today’s riding on the video below and our Doggo of the Day.

Tomorrow we head for Coyhaique one of the largest cities on the Southern Highway for a resupply and an inside stay.

Also, the Balmaceda regional airport is located near Coyhaique. Once we finish our ride in Villa O’Higgins we take a couple bus rides back to the Balmaceda airport and fly to Santiago and then on to Lima. So essentially from here on out, we will see the scenery a second time going the other way from a bus seat.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all!💖

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

Carretera Austral Day 9: Queulat National Park to Villa Amengual | 41 miles, 4,219 feet elevation | Cuesta Queulat ✅

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We’ve ridden many beautiful routes over the years, but today’s may have been the best yet. Clear weather and sweeping views made every pedal stroke worthwhile.

Our legs paid for the views, however, as we worked hard up multiple switchbacks. Today’s climb is described by Austral Bikes as “a long, demanding climb on rough gravel, with loose stones, potholes and constant gradients that will truly test your legs, your lungs and your patience.” And they weren’t wrong. 😂

The elevation brought views around most every corner. And although flowing falls and streams played a calming soundtrack while we worked our way up to the top, occasional vehicles and pesky biting flies broke our rhythm.

Once we left Queulat National Park we practiced Spanish geography lesson while riding and quizzing each other about the words on the road signs Rio (river), Lago (lake), Puente (bridge), Ruta (route), Arroyo (stream) and finally, the word of the day Cueste (hill).

And sometimes there are just symbols on road signs and that works too. This one says “watch out for the huemul.”😂

Views continued throughout the day and pics don’t do them justice but they really are etched in our minds forever.

We ended our day in Villa Amengual, but not before one more climb just before town. Ouch, my legs were shredded.

As mentioned before the Carretera Austral is a planned ongoing effort to connect communities in southern Chile. Villa Amengual is a relatively newer community. It isn’t a frontier town that became connected; it’s a town that was created in the early 1980’s because connection finally arrived and it has a newer feel to it.

We landed in a small mom-and-pop owned hostel that offers meals. Loved the flowers. 💖

And finally I give you “el perro del día” just outside of our hostel.

Two big climbs complete and more pure Patagonian landscapes to come.

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

Carretera Austral Day 8: La Junta to Queulat National Park | 41 miles, 2,562 feet elevation | Look Who Showed Up Today!

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Mr. Sunshine!☀️

Not gonna lie, I was happy to get a break from grey skies and rain and feel a little sunshine.

The morning started off a little wonky when I poured yogurt in my coffee because I didn’t read the label carefully. There were curd like thingys floating around in my cup. However the nice lady poured me a new coffee without too much embarrassment. I won’t make that mistake again.😂

Nice ride today with mostly smooth pavement and little traffic. We cycled to and through Puyuhuapi and were surrounded by the Andes mountains or water all day.

Unfortunately tickets were not available today to visit Queulat National Park but we did get a glimpse of the hanging glacier from our campsite.

We met Theo from the Netherlands just after setting up our tent. The emblem on his shirt piqued my interest as I saw a purple panther team mascot on his it. It reminded me of St. Pius X, a school where I taught for seven years. Theo, a retired Geography teacher, is riding northbound on the Carretera Austral and started all the way down in Ushuaia, near Tierra Del Fuego. Theo and his wife have TWO sets of twins. Wow! He gently let us know we have our work cut out for us tomorrow.

Sharing a few pics before we get on the road. As always I’m posting a day later. WiFi and cell service are scarce and when there is WiFi, many times the bandwidth is limited.

It’s all rainbows and unicorns until the switchbacks and rough gravel start. And they start first thing tomorrow morning. 😬

Thanks so much for following along, thanks for your encouragement and most of all your prayers.

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

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

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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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: