Carretera Austral is properly the most popular road (Ruta 7) for bicyclist in this region. Traveling the Carretera Austral or Route 7 in Patagonia is a lifetime adventure. The legendary road in Chile offers incredible scenery, a unique ecosystem, and a thrilling feeling of being in the wilderness. If you want to go off the beaten track, discover new places, do wild hikes, and meet wonderful people, Chilean Patagonia is the right place for you.
Some parts of the road is a hell cycling on. Road conditions – ongoing road works, half of the way has been already paved, half is still in process.

It was the the dictator, the junta leader Augusto Pinocht who gav order 1976 to build the road for connecting remote village in the southern with rest of the country.

I left Villa Mañihuales early morning  january 4 heading some places up north, but my main destination is Chaiten. However, I haven’t planned exactly where the tent camps will be along the way. It’s about 350 km to Chaiten. The weather, road conditions, and how my legs feel will determine the pace.

The road is paved and not particularly challenging. Moreover, it seems the headwind has slowed down, I swear by how the grass, bushes, and tree crowns bend. I start cycling in a rain jacket but switch to my yellow, thin cycling jacket after a few miles.

Halfway to Villa Amengual, I meet a cyclist heading south, as usual. This man is from Canada, British Columbia, and his name is Favian. A very pleasant guy to talk to.

Favian the guy frpm British Colombia

Eventually, I arrive at Villa Amengual. First, I stop at a roadside cafe for coffee and later venture into the small town that seems completely deserted.

Scuilpture in Villa Amengual

The only things I see are four cyclists, two of whom I recognize from El Camping in Coyhaique.

Villa Amenugal Centro. Three mini markets and ome fitness center.

The other two are a younger couple, a girl and a guy from Germany and Switzerland. They are waiting for the three minimarkets in the village to open. They usually close in the middle of the day. We exchange information and realize we’re heading in the same direction and toward the same goal, Chaiten. I stock up on supplies and then change my jacket to a more waterproof one. The drizzle has started.

During our little chat, we decide that today’s goal is the beginning of the climb over the mountain and Parque Nacional Queulaw. It’s a 7 km long and steep serpentine road through the national park.

The younger couple takes off before I get everything packed. The road is incredibly beautiful, green, with pleasant valleys, waterfalls, streams, and good cycling weather despite occasional drizzle.

Rio Cisnes and Valley Cisnes. More berautiful and this is hard to beat

I catch up with them after a few miles; they are sitting and taking a break by a bus stop. Shortly after, the guys from El Camping pass by, and their pace is a bit too high for me to catch up.

The road winds between the giant mountains and beautiful rivers, with only a few challenging slopes to tackle. The younger man dressed in yellow often stops and does some stretching exercises for his back; he seems to have some issues.

Here I come in full action

Just after 5:00 PM, we crossed Arroyo, or Rio J Steffens and reach the intersection towards Puerto Cisnes, Ruta X25 – Ruta 7. This is where the climb over the mountain and the national park begins.

El Camping guys and this days end. Ruta X25-Ruta 7 Camp

The man in the yellow jacket doesn’t look too good. We look for a suitable place to set up our tents, and I see a curve on the other side of the road with a fairly large green area tand close to a sort of some kind of religious cure with flowers, candles and figures of Christo pitch the tent.

This is very common aftwer the roasds. Just after this pic a women stoped and and lit some candles.

Shortly after, the younger couple arrives cycling, and they also stop for the night.

I manage to set up the tent before the drizzle turns into a more sustained rain. The guys from El Camping, however, continue up the mountain to find a better spot. They come back after half an hour and find a place behind a gigantic sign about road construction.

Now, the rain is pouring down, and it’s hitting hard against my Hilleberg Allak 2 tent. I prepare my food inside the tent, and it’s macaroni, hamburgers, avocado, bell pepper, and a local beer I bought in Villa Amengual.

I fall asleep with my phone on my stomach and wake up to the sound of heavy rain. I look out and see that the mountains are completely covered in rain mist. Tomorrow is likely to be a tough day. Mobile coverage is dead, so a weather forecast is impossible.

This day has been a very pleasant cycling, Not to warm, notr much hewadwind and the surrandings hard to forget

Distance: 90,59 km
Average Speed: 14.70 km/h
Max Speed: 51.6 km/h
Cycling Time: 6.11 h
Total Time: 09:27 h
Medium Temp: 16°C
Max Temp: 21.0°C
Min Temp: 13.0°C
Total Climbing: 1027 m

Talk to you later
P-G
// The Global Cyclist 1726″

2024-01-02

Lima para pies

My feet also need some care, tight shoes, heat, and they work a lot. I try to find a store in Manuales that sells foot files… but no luck. In the end, I find a hardware store, and they should have sandpaper at least.

papel de lija or sandpaper

I explain in English what I need, using gestures, and they understand and laugh, but shake their heads. So, it turns into sandpaper that the owner retrieves from their storage. Two round discs that I purchase.

Note: Not my feet. Some Chileans have lent
their feet for observation.

Then back to my tent at the campground, I cut the two round sandpapers into 8 equally sized pieces. Then, I start gently sanding my feet and toenails, and they seem to be turning out quite okay.

What one doesn’t do when necessity requires help! a proverb that my beloved mother 💗 always told me

I also took a walk in the park, ”walk about” and I discovered that summer here is most likely like home. warm and hot days and chilly in the nights

Summer in Chile and Manuales is almost like home in Sweden

No name, Nobody knows?

No Name, someone who knows?

Manuales has a very nice park , quite big several acres for visitors to join

Wood art in the park

During my cycle journey especially from El Chalten and north the quantity and spread of lupins are huge. They are everywhere, and down here, they are not considered invasive species but rather used as a beneficial plant.

Lupines can be very beautiful

See Yeah Later
P-G
//The Global Cyclist

I stayed some extra days in Coyhaique because to manage my pollen allergy. I had medicin for that but it don’t have effect immediate. So I celebrate New Years eve here and just relaxed and watch some Icehockey.

January 1 – 2024

Leaving Coyhaique on the first day of the new year, and the sun is shining. The first mile is on paved road, then I opt for a shorter route towards Villa Ortega and Manhuales.

Pointing view over Coyhaique and river Simpson

This is Carretera Austral from Start in north to end in South and Villa O Higgins

After a few kilometers, I wonder if it was a wise choice.It’s a gravel road, and a poorly maintained one at that. At times, I can barely maintain speed, and the traffic is quite dense until 2:00 PM. The dust is swirling, forcing me to stop and turn my back when being overtaken or encountering oncoming traffic.

More gravelroad, never stops…!

The last 9 km before Villa Ortega transition from gravel to cemented and paved road, and at the same time, the views become truly extraordinary.

Paved rod for 9 km, Yippi Ki Yeah

I reach a small village, Villa Ortega, and find an open minimarket. I inquire about coffee and am invited into some kind of living room, where I also get to taste homemade cookies… for free.

Shortly before 3:00 PM, I continue towards Villa Manhuales.

Rivers, creeks, gravelroad and huge mountains.
That’s what I face every day in recent weeks. One becomes completely stunned by all the views.

Aming to arrive there just before 7:30 PM. I have 32 km of gravel road left before hitting paved road again. The positive side is the beauty all around, and the distance is somewhat downhill. I encounter some resilient cyclists struggling uphill towards Villa Ortega.

Can’t stop to be impressed of Chile surranding

When the GPS shows 57 km, I see large green traffic signs ahead, and I have now reached the intersection where paved road becomes a reality once again. With 13 km remaining, my schedule seems to be holding. Additionally, it feels liberating to loosen my grip on the handlebars.

7:20 pm I arrivde into Villa Manuales and the sun was still warm and the air cozy

The weather is wonderfully pleasant in the afternoon, and I can even hum a few Swedish summer songs. I find a campsite quite quickly and set up the tent while the sun is still warming. The tent fabric is slightly damp from the morning, so it’s nice to get it dry.

70 km today, and 46 of them on gravel.

Take care, and we’ll be in touch.

P-G //

The Global Cyclist 1726

 

I found one restaurant in Coyhaique which had open for christms dinner so I decided to join their menu. 8.30 pm I stepped into a hotel, Casino Dreams and on the third floor a huge restaurant, prepered table with white tablecloths, christmas decorations, glass, and cutlery.

Casino Dreams, casino, hotel and restaurant

I chose their Christmas buffet, which was something special and very tasty.

Short brief of christmas menu

Arroz Exotieo
Exotic rice

Ensalada del Chef
Chef Sallad

Colo com pimientos
Coló with peppers

Pulpa al olivo
Olive pulp

Apio con esparrados
Celery with spreads

Crostinis de vacuno eon salsa del pio
Beef crostinis with pio sauce

Ceviche de reineta
Reineta ceviche

Crostinis de gueso crema Y vacuno
Cream cheese and beef crostinis

Salmon en erustada de camaron y salsa espejo de jaiba cremosa …..
Salmon in shrimp erustada and creamy crab mirror sauce

Papas Danphinoise
Gratin dauphinoi
and then some deer barbeque

Not: Google has helped me to translate and describe the menu from spanish. I was not able to that!

I also had the opportunity to use the grill where venison roast was available.

Finished with their dessert table. After almost two hours I was done.

Desert table

On my plate

Returning to my campsite very satisfied

Felice Navidad
P-G
//The Global Cycluist 1726

21-23 December

It’s a privilege to witness what I’ve experienced on this journey so far. Patagonia can be harsh when the wind blows from all directions, and there’s nothing providing shelter. Carretera Austral, the road from Villa O’Higgins to Puerto Montt, is mostly just a very rough gravel road and not particularly enjoyable, but it’s part of this type of cycling adventure.

At the foot of the Andes lie large lakes like Lago Argentino, Lago O’Higgins, Lago Viedma, and many others, along with rivers and waterfalls.

The route from Cochrane to Coyhaique started with a seriously bad gravel road for 35-40 km, with hardly
any flat roadretches, but the views were something else.

Rio Baker floats down below

I’ve never experienced anything like it—each view more beautiful than the last, small picturesque and cozy villages, some offering camping and shopping opportunities. After the first day, the gravel road became somewhat more normal, and I could significantly increase my speed, though the steep hills still remained.

I also meet or been overtaking by two other cyclist who has same goal I my self… Not common

More nerds then me cycling south to north.

Lago Buenos Aires at Puerto Rio Tranquilo

I Puerto Rio Tranquilo stop for coffe and sandwich and a short trip to the beach or shore to view some strange formation nature and the water has created

Puerto Rio Tranquilo and Catedral de Mármol

Compared to the landscape between Ushuaia and Puerto Natales in Patagonia, this part is green, lush, and incredibly beautiful. Traffic is quite sparse, and they drive calmly, making the bike journey feel safe. In Villa Cerro Castillo, located by Río Ibáñez, there’s a backpackers’ camping site that I’m using, and across the street, there’s a cafe serving excellent coffee.

Camp Villa Cerro Castillio and mountain Cerro Castillio in background

Thanks to Carretera Austral, tourism in the area has increased, and Cerro Castillo National Park has become a popular destination. The weather is sunny and pleasantly warm, and the weather forecast promises the same for the day after Christmas.

After over 210 km, the gravel road ends, and I get to ride on paved roads the rest of the way to Coyhaique, allowing for even more speed. Five or six miles before Coyhaique, cattle fields spread out like prairies—endlessly large, green, and flat.

Grazeland before Coyhaique

I arrive in town just after 3 in the afternoon, and I’ve already found my camping spot, El Camping, only 600 meters from the central parts.

Coyhaique mountain

Before heading to the campsite, I take a stroll into the lively city center. The first thing I notice is a large grocery chain, Unimark.

As I navigate my bike among pedestrians and market stalls, I faintly hear voices and a way of speaking that increases my pulse.

At the next crosswalk, I ask outright,
 – Do you speak Swedish?
A couple in their mid-30s to mid-40s turns around and answers,

–

Maria and her partner

 – Yes, we do

My pulse increases even more because it’s a rarity to meet Swedes.

We chat for a while, and the woman, named Maria, from Dalarna but living in Stockholm, suggests that we meet later in the evening for a beer or two. We exchange WhatsApp numbers, and I feel a certain joy. We’ll catch up later to decide on the time.

Down to left beside the bridge over Rio Simpson lies El Camping ( Pic from El Camping website)

I then go and buy a cup of coffee at a nearby café and later head to Unimark for some provisions. Holy grail what a commerce. Shopping carts are more than full. it doesn’t seem like the Chileans have as bad an economy as Google reports or…? Like in Sweden time like this, Christmas.

After that, I make my way down to the camping site by Rio Simpson, and the descent is steep, seriously steep, with a gradient of 10-14%.

El Camping , my tent camp Coyhaique ( Pic from El Camping website)

The camping site is green with large grassy areas and trees.

There’s water at every site, showers, toilets, and a large dining room but no kitchen. However, I have access to a refrigerator and freezer. I plan to stay here for a few nights; it’s Christmas, and it doesn’t feel so pleasant to cycle during the holiday, plus I have plenty of time, Haven’t I…?

I’ll share more later.

P-G //The Global Cyclist 1726

 

21 December
Day before Day before Christmas Eve

While I been camping here in Cochran I’ve seen other cyclists also with panniers but not so heavy loaded like my bicycle so I decided to do anything about it.
What do I need every day, what Can I avoid and buy later?

DO I need three trousers and jackets plus rain cloth and some shirts and T-shirts?

Is it necessary to carry around three hard drives when you can use USB memorys for 500 GB?

Does it also make sense to have three maps in the handlebar bag when there’s Maps.Me, Locus, and Google Maps to use?

No, No and No.

I put out all my gears and stuff on the lawn and made six different piles. Four pannier piles, one North Face bag pile and the sixth one for equipment to send home!

It became 8,9 kilogram and lots of space over in the panniers and bag and much easier to manage.

Why is’ so hard to learn that you never need all stuff you pack? It’s typical of me, ”might be good to have just in case… etc.”

Merry Christmas from Chile

See Yeah Later
P-G
// The Global Cyclist 1726

16 – 18 December

Villa o Higgins – Cochrane

I wake up half an hour before my Motorola moto (g30) has woken up. Going out to the communal kitchen and preparing breakfast. Muesli, yogurt, eggs, bread with cheese and ham comb then coffee.

The weather outside is sunny just as the campsite owner had promised. In addition to this, he had also promised a gravel road for 230 km!

First 30-35 km road quite OK and beautifu, with breathtaking views of lakes, Lago Cisnes, Vargas and no problem to get water.

Lago Cisnes

Streams, rivers and waterfalls overflow. The problem is the road, or the forest road. Bumps, holes. Loose stones are what I have to fight against.

In addition, a grader has started scraping the road, leaving piles of gravel in the middle of the road, to the left or to the right. No kidding. Cannot maintain a higher average speed than 11-12 km per hour.

The sun is shining from an almost clear blue sky and the mountains around me tower up gigantic with their white peaks

After 45 km there will be a stop for late lunch, soup, bread and coffee and to the sound of a mighty waterfall, Puente de Luna.

Lunch Break at Puente de Luna

Continues stubbornly pedaling and fighting against the cruel gravel road. There will be many short stops. In addition
to this, a number of difficult hills that I have to steer the bike up. On one of the downhills, Tom and Sarah from the UK
ave caught up with me and we talk a bit and at the same time fill up the water bottles. Shortly thereafter, Tom and Sarah
stop at a roofed shelter that appears to be newly built.

Sarah and Tom at their overnight place

They intend to spend the night here. It’s just after half past six and my GPS shows that I’ve cycled 62 km.

Sarah and Tom are very special people. Mischievous, generous and especially Tom seems to care about others… I really like them

I continue downhill through the valley and up the next tough hill.

Scenic view

Can’t be better

When I reach the top, I find a patch of grass by the road and the tent is set up. The clock has struck 7 and the GPS has switched to 70 km.

After a late dinner, noodles, hamburgers, bread, beer and a cup of coffee, I fall asleep like a clubbed ox.

Tomorrow 17 I have some easier cycling towards the ferry landing that will take me across Rio Bravo to Puerto Yungay.

Distans: 71,79 km
Average Speed: 09,60 km/h
Max Speed: 38,4 km/h
Cycling Time:07,26 h/m
Total Time:11:41 h/m
Medium Temp: 15,0 C
Max Temp: 25,0 C
Min Temp: 04,0 C
Total Climbing: 1012 m

December 17

Wake up at 06:15 and it has been minus degrees during the night. My bike cover is covered in ice. First I eat breakfast and then I pack the tent. A few minutes past 8 am I sit on my Brook saddle and roll gently downhill for 3 km. A few small hills, a number of bridges and rivers to cross.

Can’t be better

The road is actually a bit better and above all quite flat.

A few minutes before 11 I see the ferry by the river, also hear some sound signals and the staff waves for me to hurry up. Bikes on board and parks the bike at the back.

The journey over or along the Rio Bravo takes 45 minutes. According to Maps.me there is supposed to be a café at the quay but it is closed.

Ferry arrives Puerto Yungy

Just keep going…. Uphill, uphill and more uphill. Among the hardest things I’ve ever done. The climb is sometimes between 11-14%.

But all slopes have an end and at the top there is a break for crates and Coca-Cola, while I have coffee and take a breather, Tom and Sarah come on their bikes. New talk and they move on. They are going to Tortel and I to Cochran.

If it was diabolically hard uphill, it was all the more beautiful downhill and the views can not be described well enough, must be experienced.

Gravel road when it’s worst

and best

At the bottom a T-junction and the Cochran sign indicates that I should turn right. The sun shines incessantly but the road is just as bad. Another sign shows that I have 101 km to Cochrane, feels hard! I continue for a few more miles before I find, as it seems, an abandoned or closed roadside restaurant with a guest room. It’s almost 8:00 p.m. The grassy areas inside affect my decision, open the gate and pitch the tent. Prepare the same dinner as last night, noodles, burgers and coffee. No beer and then I pass out again like a beaten ox.
Beck’s daughter only has time to read the audiobook I started for a few minutes before my eyes and ears go out.

Tomorrow just under 78 km to much needed rest. The bike needs to be overhauled, problems with loose rear wheel bearings and broken but so far, the handbrake at the front worked.

Distans:81,45 km
Average Speed: 11,20 km/h
Max Speed: 45,3 km/h
Cycling Time:06,02 h/m
Total Time:10:05 h/m
Medium Temp: 18,0 C
Max Temp: 32,0 C
Min Temp: 07,0 C
Total Climbing: 783 m

18 December

A long day’s hard work towards camping in Cochrane and the summer weather continues, as well as the enormously beautiful surroundings. Absolutely magically beautiful.

”Lill Kentha” my friend and travel companion likes the viewI thought I would get some easier cycling today but that didn’t happen if I don’t ignore the first 32 km. I follow Rio Baker for a while and meet a cyclist from the other direction. He mentions that in three hundred meters I will have to show my true colours.
6 km, over three hundred meters of elevation gain I will overcome.

Switch back almost all the way up to the very peak

Lupines grows allso here

Not as steep as I had first thought, but I can cycle longer distances in the lightest gear. Large parts of the road were serpentine roads.

”Lill Kentha” like the view

At the very peak a 45 minutes stop for soap,bread, chees and coffe and ”Lill Kentha” asked to join the view

Then downhill and really bad road, many small steep hills and in one of them there was a crash into the ditch when I tried to keep out of the way of a car from behind. When it’s uphill and bumpy the road is too low to keep a completely straight course and it ended up with ditching and now the brake lever for the front brake didn’t hold anymore. My elbow got a scratch, as did my right knee otherwise OK.

Just before, about 4 km before Cochrane, I thought I saw visions…. Asphalt road, shouted out loud ”Yippee Ki-Yay”

Paved road for 4 km… What… Yippee Ki-Yay

Half past seven after almost 78 km of gravel road on scandalously bad surface, I find with the help of a bicycle policeman a campsite in the middle of ”town”.
Cochrane is a small but nice town

Cozy place with lawns, rose bushes and shy trees. Theree is a kitchen, as well as a toilet and shower. But the heat of
the water was more suitable for polar bears. But a shower is always a shower.

Camp place middle in town

Decide that here it will be a few nights and tomorrow the bike repairman will be found. Likewise, I have to withdraw cash,
which has been virtually impossible since El Calafate.

Distans: 77,25 km
Average Speed: 11,4 km/h
Max Speed: 47,5 km/h
Cycling Time:06,01 h/m
Total Time:08:21 h/m
Medium Temp: 23,0 C
Max Temp: 36,0 C
Min Temp: 03,0 C
Total Climbing: 1118 m

See you later
P-G
// The Global Cyclist 1726

My worst 6 km

From the campsite on the northern side of Lago del Desierto, also the Argentine border control, it was only about 20 km to Candelario Mancilla and the Chilean border. Not a long distance, but we had to cross the mountain, through the national park, and that path is mostly empty river and stream ravines. Plus, a lot of elevation gain.

Fighting upwards and wet mud

Just face it, nothing to do but fight the nature

Uphill

I am proud that I managed this, and I have to thank all the training at Friskis and Svettis (F&S) and Studio To Be(S2B)  Örnsköldsvik for this.
But now, looking back, I wouldn’t have wished the challenges, the undone challenge. It was fantastic and devilish at the same time, and the nature experience was incredibly beautiful. It’s amazing to see how nature takes care of everything and ensures that the balance is maintained.

Luckily, especiall for me,  we were three of us – me and a young German couple, Janick and Charlotte – who could help each other at the toughest sections.

Thankfully, no rain and no headwind! If it was tough, the surroundings were even more beautiful, absolutely wonderful, almost magical. Just before 2:00 PM, we reached the Chilean border.

From here, about 15 km to the border control, and it was a gravel road. The first 10 km went fairly well, but the last five km were a brutal, devilish downhill in serpentine form, loose gravel, and large loose stones. No railings, and it dropped hundreds of meters down.

A fall here, and it would be a journey home!… In a bag. Moreover, my brake pads were almost completely worn out!

Downhill like hell and gravelroad with loose stones

Just before 4:00 PM I was down and seeing the blue waters of Lake O’Higgins and the mountains on the other side was an unparalleled experience.
At the border control, Janick, Charlotte, and the two French girls were waiting to have their passports approved. I had to wait for 45 minutes. But no problems, I got my stamp and 90 day to stay whitin Chile whitout ant VISA.

Then a short bike ride of 1.5 km to a campground intended only for bike enthusiasts like me and hikers. A huge green area, Lake O’Higgins below, free-roaming dogs, horses, and mini-pigs. A large shed that we could use as a dining room. There were toilets and showers with hot water. I fell asleep quickly this night.

Campsite Cancelario Mancilla

The weather, was quite good, the sun was shining almost all time. Camped here for two nights because the ferry only departs on Mondays and Thursdays. The departure time depends on the weather. Those of us heading towards Villa O’Higgins find out first at 11:00, then at 10:00, and late Wednesday evening, the camp owner says it departs at 07:00 the next morning.

It turned out that time was incorrect; it left from Villa O’Higgins at 07:00, so we had to wait until shortly before 09:00. The ferry, quite small, had 20 seats.

Waiting for ferry boat at Candeleria Manzilla

Bahia-Bahamondez-ferry-port

Main street Villa O Higgins

The lake, Lago O’Higgins, was extremely choppy, jumping and pounding for over 1 and 3/4 hours. But everything went well. From Bahia Bahamondez, it’s a relatively easy ride to Villa O’Higgins.

My computer room behind a gasstation.Internet was not Europe standard but´the
gasstation has fast and stable connection.

My next goal is Cochrane, about 220 km north of Villa O’Higgins, and then Puerto Montt. Cochrane is, by the way, the only place where you can withdraw cash… So, I’ll stock up on food before I head off.

Take care and see you,
P-G
// The Global Cyclist 1726