It has been close to a year since I finished my cycle through Patagonia, and I’ve long planned to post something to help future cyclists who plan to take the long road south. In planning my trip, I found that information was scattered across lots of different websites and I was never too sure what to trust. Well here I have pooled all my knowledge on cycling Patagonia so that future voyagers can have a easier time. I havn’t written much about my experience on the road as you can read more about that in my earlier blog posts. Best of luck with your trip, may the wind be always behind you! (It won’t…)

I also wrote a short article for a Chilean English newspaper about how to prepare for a this trip: http://www.ilovechile.cl/7-cycling-patagonia/

Equipment

• Bike – Surly Long Haul Trucker

– Very happy with this. It’s comfortable, sturdy, easy to maintain and hopefully it will accompany me for many more trips

• Panniers – Ortlieb panniers (front and back)

– No debate here, Ortlieb make the best waterproof cycling panniers. One tip, bring along spares for the pannier’s attachments as on rough roads they gradually come undone (or alternatively be more diligent in retightening them!)

• Racks – Tubus racks front and back

– I’ve heard endless stories of cyclists opting for cheap racks and them consequently disintegrating the moment the road has a bump in it. Tubus racks cost more but are effectively unbreakable (unless you crash into a massive pothole…)

• Seat – Brooks B17 Standard Saddle

– Takes a bit of time for it to mould to your well-toned cycling arse, but your cycling arse will thank you when you emerge from 12 hour cycling days unscathed below.

• Tyres – Schwalbe Marathon Mondials

– 4 punctures over 3 months, which isn’t bad, but I’ve heard of people to go months without any punctures.

• Pump – Topeak Road Morph

– Too many pumps break but this one has won the trust of the cycling community – Make sure you get one with a gauge!

• Tools and spares

– Topeak Alien II Multi Tool

– Pedal wrench

– Spare spokes and chain-links (unused thank God)

– Spare old tyre (unused, but worth bringing for peace of mind)

– Lots of random nuts and bolts for the rack, panniers and other wobbly bits

– Always at least three spare tubes

– Puncture repair kit

– Chain lube and degreaser – get into a habit of cleaning the chain especially after its been raining

• Dry bags – Alpkit do a wide selection of dry bags. Great for preventing your clothes, sleeping bag, and any electronics from turning into a soggy mess. Also for introducing some semblance of order into your panniers.

• Rucksack – Osprey Kestrel Rucksack (48 litres)

– For God sake bring a rucksack! Patagonia has too many beautiful hiking routes to just stick to the road. It doesn’t even have to take up much space, store your tent inside your rucksack, put the rucksack into dry bag and tie it to the top of your rack. A 48 litre bag gives you enough space to carry out multi-day jaunts, I went for 5 days with some creative packing.

• Tent – Nallo 2 (Hilleburg)

– Make sure its waterproof and sturdy! If you’re a solo traveller, buy a 2 person tent, it means you can bring all your panniers inside at night and seeing as it’s your home, it’s nice to have a bit of space.

• Sleeping Bag – Mountain Hardwear Lamina -15

– Definitely preferable to have a synthetic sleeping bag even if they weigh more as you wouldn’t want a down one to get wet and turn into a soggy mush. -15 was probably overkill, but I definitely never had a cold night and it meant I knew I could survive any storm Patagonia might throw at me.

• Sleeping Mat – Thermarest mat

• Cooking stuff

– Pocket Rocket – Light, reliable and simple

– Small saucepan & cooking pot – in hindsight a one person cooking pot was too small for a hungry cyclist, I would definitely buy a two person pot for future trips

– Fold-up bowl

– Mug

– Spork

– Penknife

• Clothes

– 2 pairs of cycling shorts

– 3 pairs of underwear

– 4 pairs of socks (one of which were waterproof Sealskin socks)

– 2 sports t-shirts

– Merino wool base layer (top and bottoms)

– Thicker Merino wool top layer

– Light jacket (North Face Flux Power Stretch) – worn pretty much all day every day

– Waterproof (Berghaus Velum II)

– Warm synthetic jacket (Rab Generator Jacket)

– Cycling tights

– Waterproof overtrousers

– Trekking trousers which zipped down to shorts

– 2 pairs of gloves – light ones/warm and waterproof ones

– Cosy hat

– Cap

– Neck warmer

– Waterproof trail running shoes – for both biking and hiking

– Helmet

• Notes on clothing – The key to your warmth and happiness is to be able to completely waterproof yourself from the feet up whilst you’re on the bike. Although I had my initial doubts about the usefulness of waterproof socks and trousers, once the clouds opened I was glad to have them with me. I also recommend going minimalist, do you really need all your favourite jumpers when just one light trekking one will do?

Supplies

• Gas

– Gas canisters were available in the big towns e.g. Bariloche, Coyhaique, El Chaltén, Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas, Ushuaia – definitely don’t count on it in small towns, I was carrying three with me between Coyhaique and Chaltén.

– Seemed that most Chilean/Argentinian canisters were the modern screw-top variety

• Food and Water

– Most small towns will have a shop for food resupplies. In the southern half of the Carretera Austral, and on the steppe you have to carry food for 3-4 days.

– Water is spilling out of everywhere along the Carretera, I stopped purifying after a week as it’s probably purer than any other water you’ve tasted. On the steppe water is harder to come by, but there is always at least one source a day.

• Bike repairs

– My only incident was a snapped rack shortly after leaving Coyhaique where fortunately there were ample blacksmiths who could meld steel (don’t use aluminium racks!), you would have a harder time further afield although fortunately there are normally enough other cycle tourists to lend a hand if you’re in a fix.

– Make sure you have at least three spare tubes and a puncture repair kit

Sleeping

• Outside of towns I was always camping, and generally it was very easy to find somewhere by just pulling off the road. If it’s tipping it down, camping under bridges can be a good way of getting a sheltered sleep. Between Coyhaique and Chaiten several times I asked if I could sleep on people’s sheltered porches or in their gardens and was never turned down.

• In towns there are hostels, and in some of them you can camp for a cheaper price in their gardens (cyclists tend to congregate in these) – I camped in Cochrane, El Chalten and Punta Arenas

• There are also many abandoned houses and roadside huts both along the Carretera Austral and and on the Steppe where many a cycle tourist has spend a comfortable night – this is by no means a definitive list

– Several between Chaiten and Coyhaique – keep an eye open for them!

– Between Caleta Tortel and Villa O’Higgins there is a hut after the last big climb (if my memory serves me correctly) down a little road to your right with a cow skull hung up by the door – amazing place, you can get a fire going.

– On the first day leaving from El Chalten headed for Puerto Natales there is an abandoned pink farm next to a river

– Between Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas there are little blue huts every 20 kilometres or so in which a person can just about lie down flat.

• The one place you can’t not spend a night, is the Panadería in Tolhuín where cyclists get a free bed and tonnes of pastries courtesy of the incredibly generous, cycling-loving owner.

Trekking

So many trekking opportunities in Patagonia, here are the ones that I did including a few others that I wish I had down if I had more time!

• Cochamó (Chile)

– Hike 4 hours up to La Junta where hikers and rock climbers camp in the middle of a wild beautiful valley

– Lots of good day hikes from the campsite, the walk up Arco Irís allows amazing views of the valley.

-You can also continue walking all the way across into Argentina or do a big multi-day loop.

• Parque Pumalin – Various day hikes to explore the forest

• Parque Nacional Quelat – worthy short hike to see the famous hanging glacier

• Cerro Castillo (Chile)

– The walk up to Laguna Cerro Castillo. A five-day hike is also possible.

• Parque Patagonia (north of Cochrane)

– Beautiful day hikes in this newly created national park. Potential for epic link-up hikes to Parque Nacional Jeinemeni to the north

• El Chaltén

– There are the two iconic daytrips up the foot of Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitzroy, but my advice is to skip both and do the Cerro Huemul circuit which has a fraction of the people on it, and takes you up to Paso del Viento from which you look out over the entire Southern Patagonian Icefield. You can also add in a summit of Mirador Torre which gives you an amazing view of the entire El Chalten skyline.

• Torres del Paine

– Didn’t go this time around, but I highly recommend the circuit in the winter!

• Ushuaia

– Sadly didn’t have time, but I would have loved to have done the Sierra Valdivieso Circuit.

• Isla Navarino

– Dientes Circuit – Unique 4 day hike at the very bottom of the Americas. Poorly marked and subject to some really wild weather, it’s a true adventure, and a proper climax (or beginning!) to any trip. Even in March there were very few people.

– Get there by taking a Zodiac boat from Ushuaia to Puerto Williams – from there you can connect to Punta Arenas via a 36hr ferry.

Diversions and Route

Generally there are few choices to be made in regard to the route, but here are a few suggestions for those who fancy a diversion

• Lake District

– Here there actually is a pretty good variety of route – I opted to cross into Argentina and follow the Ruta de los Lagos, before crossing back to Chile from Bariloche via the Cruce de los Lagos (expensive but worth it).

– Alternatively one could stick to the Chilean side, and fashion an intrepid route via the lakes (i.e. Villarica, Ranco, Llanquihue)

• Joining the Carretera Austral – 4 options

– 1. Head down through the island of Chiloe to Quellón and then take a ferry to Chaiten

– 2. South from Puerto Montt via Ruta 7

– 3. Ruta 69, heading south from Ensenada which is East of Puerto Montt – this is a beautiful route which takes you through Cochamó and Rio Puelo before joining the Ruta 7

For 2 and 3, another diversion is to take the coastal road south of where the Ruta 7 ferry lands which is preferable to the busy hilly inland route.

– 4. Heading south from Bariloche to Esquel to then cross into Chile at Futaleufú

• Carretera Austral – North of Coyhaique

– South of Villa Maniguales the road splits, heading west to Puerto Aysén on the coast and heading east. I took the eastern road which is rougher and quieter with great scenery.

• Carretera Austral – South of Coyhaique

– Possible to take a ferry across Lago General Carrera from Rio Ibañez to Chile Chico and then follow the road on the lake’s southern edge. I opted to stay on the Ruta 7 and go to Rio Tranquilo on the lake’s western edge.

– From Rio Tranquilo it’s possible to cycle westwards 60km to see the Glacier Exploradores – this actually ranked as one of my worse sidetrips as the road was beyond terrible and the weather was awful. If you have good weather, it is a pretty cool place to explore though.

– A bit north of Cochrane the Ruta 7 forks and Parque Patagonia, a new national park, lies 20km down Ruta X-83 towards Argentina

– Whatever you do make sure you cycle the 20km to Caleta Tortel as it is one of the most unique and remote towns you’ll ever visit

• Arriving in El Chaltén

– If you can’t afford the two boats which connect Villa O’Higgins with El Chaltén then your only other option is to take the track east of Villa O’Higgins to the Argentine border and then join the Ruta 40 – this is apparently a very tricky section but might make for a good adventure!

• South of El Chaltén

– Highly recommended that you don’t take the Ruta 5 heading eastward to the Argentine east coast as it is dangerous due to the strong winds and the number of trucks, it would also be stupefyingly boring

– Much better to cross back to Puerto Natales in Chile before continuing down to Punta Arenas and then onto Ushuaia

• Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas

– Option of taking the Y-460 road which branches off Ruta 9 to rejoin it later – this nice diversion takes you to the sea through isolated ranches, potential also to take a ferry and explore some of the islands to the west also (havn’t heard of anyone doing that!)

• Punta Arenas to Ushuaia

– Once you take the ferry to Porvenir on Tierra del Fuego you can either follow the Y-71 route east all the way across the Argentine border to the east coast of the island or take a more intrepid and interesting route by joining the Y-85 heading south off the Y-71 before taking the Y-85 across into Argentina.

– South of Rio Grande option of taking Ruta F directly south back inland before later rejoining the Ruta 3 – again much more interesting and also safer being off the main roads.

– Lots of potential on Tierra del Fuego for getting very lost on tiny backroads. Find a good roadmap and plot an adventurous route – apparently it might be soon (or already possible) to arrive in Ushuaia by following the Ruta Y-85 to the end and then following mountain trails to Ushuaia.

• Isla Navarino

– From Ushuaia you can take a boat across the Beagle Channel to Chile’s Isla Navarino, the southernmost populated point of the Americas. Not much cycling to do here but it has the amazing Dientes circuit to hike.

A Few Other Things

• When?

– Summer in Patagonia runs from around November until March and so it is undoubtedly preferable to travel between these months since the weather is better, roads are clear of snow and ice, hostels/shops are open, daylight hours are long, and all the ferries are running. Importantly the ferries which link Villa O’Higgins and El Chaltén only run from November to March so outside of those months you’d have to cross at Paso Rio Mayer and do a big loop. I have been in Southern Patagonia in mid-winter before and it was wonderfully empty and beautiful but I wasn’t on a bike and I’m not sure I would want to be! But it wouldn’t be impossible.

• Language

– Outside the touristy towns English is not widely spoken, and knowledge of Spanish not only has its practical benefits of finding out where things are or if you can sleep somewhere, but also is enormously enriching in allowing you to talk to some of the amazing people that live in the region and also the Chileans and other Latin Americans that cycle the route

• Safety

– Crime – Patagonia is very safe, above all because there just aren’t that many people there! Only places that might be very mildly risky might be big port towns like Punta Arenas or Puerto Montt, but once out into the countryside or in small towns, people are very friendly and theft is pretty unheard of. Nonetheless I generally still locked my bike at night with a small cable lock just for peace of mind.

– Wildlife – Again very safe. I had very few problems with dogs, and any that did appear ran off quickly as soon as I raised an arm. Horseflies can be pain if you start in January, especially in the Lake District.

– Traffic – On the Carretera Austral cars are few and far between and are generally respectful. Take care on any stretches of highway as drivers can be quite aggressive and not give you much room. Be very careful if you get hit with a strong side wind on the Steppes especially when the trucks are lumbering past – I had to hitchhike 30km as the side wind was blowing me directly into their path

– Hiking- Always let people know what your plans are if you are heading off on a hike, especially if its not one of the known ones.

• Internet

– Most hostels now have wifi but its speed varies greatly

Anything I would have done differently

– Bring a bigger cooking pot, I underestimated the hunger cycling all day gives you!

– Bring more spare parts for my panniers, and check that the screws were tight more regularily – would have prevented me from having to tie them to my rack using bungee cords.

– Learn how to change a chain link (fortunately I was with another cyclist who could fix it).

– Never press on to a town when you can spend another night camping out in the open, you’ll spend most of your life surrounded by concrete.

– Give myself more time. Even 3 months was not enough, so many more hikes to do, isolated villages to visit, sunsets to see.