We are off again with our bikes starting where we left off a few years ago in Puerto Montt, Chile. Our idea is to head south following the Carretera Austral, Chile’s route 7, and when that ends at Villa O’Higgins after 1,240 kms possibly continue on south until we get fed up or pass an airport, or even get to Tierra del Fuego at Ushuaia after 2,400 kms, who knows! Anyone looking at a map of the region will notice that there is a lot of water so it is not surprising that there will be three ferries on the first part of the route. Years back, when we first thought of cycling here, the Carretera Austral was just a gravel road that had been constructed under the orders of Augusto Pinochet in 1976 and finally opened for traffic in 1988 having been constructed by over 10,000 military recruits. Today large sections of it are paved but the gravel, ripio sections can still be rough. The area is sparsely populated with only about 100,000 people living in the whole area, and over half of those live in the largest city on the route, Coyhaique.
The map above shows the whole of the Carretera Austral, which we hope to complete on this trip. This blog just covers our first week between Puerto Monte and Coyhaique.
Puerto Montt to Chaiten
As we were heading for an 8.5 hour ferry today we were pleased to find it was another lovely sunny day with only a very light wind. The sea near Puerto Montt looked pancake flat. Bernie made sure he took his seasick pills 3 hours before the off as he is the world’s worst sailor which is why I had promised him we wouldn’t be taking any long boat trips! He was fine, even when the boat rolled quite a bit in the last half hour.
The views from the ferry were of distant snow topped mountains which was nice but being on a boat for 8 hours was dull with little to do but eat. How do people survive cruises?
We arrived in Chaiten just as the sun was setting. Having not cycled for a week, or really had any exercise, the steep climb on deep ripio (gravel) with unseen potholes in the dusk came as a shock to the system. The frogs in the undergrowth were getting very loud as we made it over the hill. We arrived at Mi Casa Hotel to find all the Argentinian motorbikers from the ferry. It is an old wooden building, more like an overpriced hostel, but we have only seen it in the dark. It was one of the only buildings to survive the pyroclastic volcanic eruption in 2008.
Chaiten to Villa Santa Lucia – 78 km 1071 m climbing, upto 40 degrees C
Finally, finally! after days of travelling we are on our bikes rolling down the road in the sunshine. Bliss! But as usual we ignored our own advice about not doing too much on the first day.
Despite not getting to bed until midnight last night we were up, packed and having breakfast by 8. We had booked into this rather overpriced hotel as they listed a restaurant and offered packed lunches (and there was nothing else available). We were fine with no dinner as it was late when we arrived but I insisted on the packed lunch and once they gave in they produced a really nice lunch for us to take.
We rolled through the totally flat Chaiten and passed lots of hitchhikers and a few other cyclists then headed south on Ruta 7. This was flatish and came complete with headwind and very large horseflies. The scenery was wonderful with snow topped mountains on either side.
I was surprised by the number of campsites and restaurants we passed. We stopped for coffee and cake at the Avion Cafe that has the crashed remains of a 1942 Douglas DC3 and chatted to the Cornish/London owner about it’s history.
It was pretty hot by midday about 33C in the sun so we sat by a river to eat our lunch.
We arrived at Yelcho en la Patagonia about 2 pm feeling very hot. So we spent a couple of hours in their bar drinking fresh lemon juice and deciding that the prices they were charging here for rooms and even the campsite were a rip off. So once we cooled down we set off for another 20 km to Villa Santa Lucia which sounded much more down to earth. It had been flatish up to this point so we foolishly didn’t look too hard at the map.
After 1000 m of climbing in the now 40C heat we had the grace to admit to each other that we had made a mistake and should have camped at Yelcho. I was almost on my knees by the top and pushing, although Bernie managed to ride up. Halfway up we had stopped at a cafe, that sold no cold drinks, where the people sitting outside showed us the video they had taken of us cycling as they had driven past. A bit weird.
After a high speed descent we booked into a small hostel in Villa Santa Lucia hosted by a lovely smiling lady. I was so tired my Spanish almost deserted me, but I did manage to book in.
On the map it looked like there were lots of places to eat but reality is always different. We were halfway through some cheese empanadas when Geatano, an Italian we had met on the boat, walked in having just arrived after missing a turning and adding 24 km and a big climb to his day.
Villa Santa Lucia to La Junta – 68.6 km 850 m climbing with headwind, 28 – 31 degrees C
We had a comfortable night at Hostal El Mate and the nicest breakfast yet.
Leaving just after 8.30 we found all the shops still shut so we stopped off at a cafe about 20 km down the road to buy things for lunch. I thought I was doing quite well with Spanish but I didn’t understand one word the lady said. Using translate on their sandwich menu didn’t work either because the translation was Lucky Jim etc. In the end we ordered a Lucky Jim and fruit juice to go. It turned out to be a massive sandwich with freshly cooked steak and avocado and homemade strawberry juice home sealed. Somehow it fitted into our food bag and didn’t spill.
The day was a little cooler than yesterday thank goodness, between 29-31C and very undulating. Gaetano found us at the top of a hill struggling to eat our huge sandwiches. We probably won’t run into him again now as he will be doing much bigger mileages than us.
With a shorter day we made our hotel in La Junta by about 4pm, so had time to wander around town and look in the windows of all the closed supermarkets. We did find one open eventually.
La Junta to Puyuhuapi – 45 km 665 m climbing, a few drops of rain, 15 – 18 degrees C
Yesterday I had noticed massive cumulonimbus clouds piling up over the mountains, so inevitably we had a very loud thunderstorm and heavy rain last night. Thankfully this had the effect of cooling everything down so we had a pleasant cycle this morning with the temperature not getting above 17 C.
We always seem to find the third day of touring hardest as our legs haven’t got back their touring muscles yet. So we planned a short day and had an easy, gently undulating ride to Puyuhuapi which sits at the end of a fjord, and is a pretty little fishing village determinedly ruining itself by building new houses everywhere.
We had hoped to do some food shopping, but having arrived at midday all the shops immediately shut for lunch and siesta. Maybe later! We are staying in a new build hostel next to a massive building site which will hopefully be quieter this evening.
We walked into town, which is really pretty with multicoloured houses and a small fishing harbour and found a busy restaurant with good food. Our wish for a quiet night was unfulfilled and a pack of dogs barked and howled all night under our window!
Puyuhuapi to Casa Campo, El Chucao – 66 km, 1626 m climb, 15 – 25 degrees C
Despite our grim night we were up and away by 8.30. It was a beautiful sunny day and to start only 15 C. We cycled alongside the lovely Queulat fjord with hills and mountains on either side. The road alternated tarmac and ripio (gravel) which was very dusty already despite the recent rains. The first 40km was nice and easy with very little climbing. We stopped off at a camping food van for coffee and cake and were just able to see the Hanging Glacier many others were walking up to. We have been to see quite a few glaciers and none of them have filled me with excitement. Especially Foxes Glacier mint in New Zealand which was more of an Orange Drop when we saw it due to dust storms in Australia.
Then we reached full time ripio and the start of the climb up Queulat Pass. Lots of steep hairpin bends but most of the rest was not too steep. It was getting hotter by now, 25 C. We went up to 600m but the overall climb of the day was 1,626m. I had wanted to spend my 70th birthday cycling up a mountain, and this mountain pass was the closest I was going to get.
It would have been a great climb with fantastic views round every bend, if it hadn’t been for the cars and lorries. Being the start of the weekend in holiday season there were lots of cars, 4WDs, trailers and lorries meaning we had to wear our buffs almost all the time to avoid breathing in the dust, and some of them were very inconsiderate on the hairpins where we had to cross to at least the middle if we were going to get up and around. One driver at least learnt some interesting new English words.
We eventually made the top having cycled all of it and sped down the otherside with its tarmac surface. We climbed over the barrier a little way down and had a late lunch with a mountain view.
We decided to stop at a campsite we could see on iOverlander2, Casa Campo. We were welcomed by Chris, his 2 dogs and 2 horses. For 10,000 pesos each we could camp, and for the same again he would cook us supper. Sounded great, as well as the hot showers as we were covered in dust. There was no-one else on the site when we arrived, except the horse who tried to eat our tent.
Casa de Campo to wild camp Rio Manihuales – 75 km, very strong wind,
I didn’t sleep too well for the second half of the night as one of the horses was standing right up against the side of the tent chewing loudly in my ear. After a while the shape of a horses nose pushed into the wall of the tent. I gave it a good shove and it thankfully trotted off.
After an oats, nuts and yoghurt breakfast we were packed up and were rolling by 9.30. It was going to be a hot day and we got the biggest climb out the way early. We had tried to stop for coffee at a cafe shown on the map, but like so many places it was actually shut. We did go into the tiny town, Villa Amengual, at the top of the climb and had some brunch in a hostel that looked shut, but she spotted us out of the window and hauled us in. The supermercado in town was a bit similar. The door was locked but when we knocked we were let in.
We were both struggling today with tired legs after the climb yesterday, so we were lucky that we had a strong tail wind most of the time. The scenery was different today as we went through tall canyons with high stone sides and through green agricultural areas.
We had planned at stopping at a campsite at about 60 km. We found it with all it’s flags flying and lots of signs, but again it was shut. Luckily the next bit was mainly downhill. A quick check on iOverlander2 showed us quite a few possible sites by the river. So that is where we are. We set up in a howling gale. It was too strong to cook so we had avocado, cheese and tuna wraps.
The site, next to the river and a long way from the road is great. We are in the tent listening to the river and the birds. Very relaxing.
Wild camp Rio Manihuales to Campsite Las Torres del Simpson – 60 km
We were camping in the most beautiful place, with Southern Lapwings honking overhead. I have since learned that they are ground nesting birds and were probably protecting their nests. The wind had died away over night so we had a pleasant breakfast of oats and brilliant pink yoghurt that tasted better than it looked, with some tea. We set off a bit later than usual as we wanted to buy some food in the next village and they seem to open late.
We did eventually find an open supermercado and a cafe where more lemon meringue pie was consumed. We knew we had a 400m climb coming and at the start of it the road surface vanished as it turned to gravel. This was at a junction. Both roads went to Coyaique but the surfaced road was slightly downhill but a little longer. We naturally took the downhill surfaced road.
We soon learnt the error of our ways. Of course it was easier cycling for our tired legs but it was also fairly narrow, with no shoulder and really busy with very fast cars who were not going to pull out. The scenery was great but the cars were not.
We eventually turned off on a rough gravel track to a campsite we had seen on iOverlander2 which had great reviews. We were welcomed in by the owner, Nacho, and told to set up anywhere green and shown around his home built wooden house with its central open fire for smoking lamb and traditional Chilean raised roof with open side vents to let out the smoke.
After hot showers, where I forgot to bring my towel and had to drip dry, we were invited to a Mate ceremony and lesson. We were shown how to fill the mate gourd, how warm to have the water and the correct way to pass it around the group. It was much nicer prepared properly, very bitter and sweet.
It was great having the big room to cook our food and chat to everyone staying as it started to pour with rain about 7. We had met Carly and Ben again who had made the same choice of road. There were also lots of fly fishermen staying.
Campsite El Torres del Simpson to Coyhaique – 41 km,
Once the heavy rain stopped last night it got really cold so we were glad of our thermals and down tent slippers that we wore in bed. We woke in the morning to the sound of about 20 Black Faced Ibis wandering around the lawn near the tent and honking continuously. They are surprisingly large close up.
It made a pleasant change to be able to sit at an indoor table to make breakfast and boil the water on a gas cooker. The owner, Nacho, was as full of fun as yesterday and managed to get Carly and Ben involved in a Mate time with Spanish lesson. We took the pegs out of our tent to turn it round so the sun would dry all sides before taking it down. After all the goodbyes we were finally away by 9.30 and bumped along the rough track, now full of large puddles, to the main road. This was much quieter than yesterday, so it must have been the effect of the end of a busy weekend causing impatient driving.
We had an easy ride with pleasant scenery until the final 10 km, when we had a 200m climb on a bad road surface made from bricks laid in herringbone pattern. I thought we had finished with hills at the top as we could see Coyhaique at the bottom and we roared down the other side. Our descent was slowed by roadworks causing a massive traffic jam which we bypassed by rolling though the coned off area where absolutely nothing was happening until a truck drew alongside and regaled us with a torrent of words which we guessed meant we were not allowed there and get back over and hold up the traffic as normal.
We arrived in the old part of Coyhaique which seems upmarket, peaceful and easy to ride around. It’s full of expensive western shops, cafes and restaurants and where we are staying. We won’t see the rest of the sprawling mass of the town until we leave.
As it was lunchtime we parked up outside a restaurant and had a really nice birthday lunch finished with a massive ice cream then staggered away to find the flat we are staying in for 2 nights. Later, after all the chores created by 3 nights of camping we headed out again to a small bistro for a birthday supper. Got to make the most of this! We are now so full we can barely move.
We will be continuing on down the Carretera Austral and another blog will follow soon. I hope you enjoyed reading this and we would be happy to hear from you if you have any questions. If you are reading this in an email you will have to click onto the website http://www.wraggemorleycycles.com to get the contact us form.