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:

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

    1. Thank you Garry! I love that song too – great sound track. I think there is a lot more to learn about that airplane but no Internet so that’s all I know. I can see you setting up a home in an abandoned airplane someday.😉

      Like

Leave a reply to Deb Cancel reply