Adventure Andes SPTSM25006
It's a cool start this morning about 8 degrees but the sun is poking it's head through the clouds and it will warm up. First thing we head to the Motoaventura garage to collect the bikes. Some paperwork followed by some fettling of the bikes by the riders and we are ready to go. We head out of Osorno towards Entre Lagos and the lakes of Puyehue and Rupanco. This is cattle country and there is no end of fields full of cattle munching on the lush green grasses here - which is great because the steak here is awesome and readily available! We make a quick stop at lake Rupanco and then head onwards towards lake Llanquihe where we make a nice coffee break. The weather isn't looking so good and the Osorno volcano is covered in cloud, but we decide to go up anyway just to check it out. Shortly before we make the turn, the skies clear and all of a sudden the volcano appears! We race up the narrow access road and stop to take a few pictures of the lake below while a fox joins us for company. At the top we stop for a quick lunch then head down as we still have the Petrohue waterfalls to visit. We park and walk around the falls for a little - it's impressive as it is, but one wonders what it must be like when the falls are really in full flow. We head up to all saints lake but don't dally as it is already getting late. A brisk hours ride sees us arrive in Puerto Varas and our hotel where we take take in the views and finally relax.......
Today we make a trip to Chiloe island - home of the potato (allegedly they grow over 200 varieties on the island). We head out of Puerto Varas and stop to gas up and then from there we take the highway to Pargua, where we have to board the ferry. It's a quick 30 minute hop to Chacao and one wonders how long this will continue as they are in the process of building a bridge over the channel (a process that has been ongoing the last 10 years apparently!). We ride to Ancud and take a quick coffee stop - due the the long weekend everything is closed but we manage to find an open cafe where we can just about squeeze the group in. After coffee we head down to Pinhuil where we have a boat trip planned to see the penguin colonies and other marine fauna. It doesn't start quite as planned as there's a power outage so the restaurant cannot provide any lunch so we make plan B - take the boat trip and come back for lunch. The boat trip takes us around the bay and there's plenty of wildlife to see - but just a few penguins are out to play today. Nevertheless mission accomplished! After a quick late lunch of empanadas we head back towards Chacao. We have been lucky both ways as we have arrived at the port, boarded the ferry and departed immediately both ways! Puerto Varas is just an hour from Pargua and we have a bonus on the way back. The weather has really picked up in the afternoon and all the clouds have disappeared giving us a clear view of Osorno volcano - what an awesome way to finish the day!
It's a cloudy day when we awake and there's nothing to be seen across the lake. We head out from Puerto Varas retracing our steps towards Ensenada before we tuen to the south. But again we have some luck - shortly before Ensenada the sun pokes its head between the clouds and we can see Osorno volcano again! We head south and take in the views - it's just stunning scenery here and the good roads just top that. It's perfect motorcycling country! We skirt the fjord and stop for a coffee in Cochamo - the whole group is just loving todays ride! We head out from Cochamo but shortly afterwards have to stop - there are roadworks and we wait around for an hour until the road opens again! We are on the gravel now and it's a blast! We have a couple of mishaps but nothing serious and then we arrive for lunch in Contao - a well deserved break. After lunch the group decides to take the coastal route so we head along between a mix of paved and unpaved roads - but it's just a glorious riding day. We make the final curves as we head into Hornopiren and the gas station there - everyone has a big smile on their face from another awesome day of riding. Time for refreshments and dinner in the hotel. Tomorrow we have some long ferry rides......
Today we have a long ferry ride ahead of us, that keeps us going in Chile instead of crossing into Argentina. We leave the hotel at 08:30 sharp and ride the 500m down to the ferry port, where we park up and wait. The ferry arrives, disembarks its cargo and eventually we are signalled to board - stage 1 complete. The ferry ride take ~5.5 hours so we have plenty of time to kill. On the way we can take in the scenery and we have some luck and see penguins playing in the sea and following the ferry for a while. Eventually we arrive and disembark - straight onto a gravel road. It's the only access to the ferry port so everyone is heading into Aysen that way and it's dusty - very dusty! Buses and lorries are just sending up plumes of dust from the road. Eventually we get to the asphalt and then head into Chaiten where we make a quick coffee stop - but not for too long as it's already late. We head out towards La Junta and have a sublime ride to the hotel. We have the sun at our backs and can just enjoy the curvy roads and the incredible scenery as we ride along. We arrive at the hotel by 19:30 but it is till light here - it's been a short riding day but so far one of the best we had so far.......
Today has been just another awesome riding day! We head out at 08:30 and straight away go to gas up as we had no time yesterday. We head out towards Puyuhuapi and it is chilly - 6 degrees as we head along the valley in the shade. But there's not a cloud to be seen and as soon as we hit the sunny spots the temperature immediately goes up to 11 degrees. We stop in Puyuhuapi to take some fotos of the fjord and take a quick coffee break. We head on and are soon back on the gravel, but the sun is shining, the scenery is awesome and the group is just enjoying the ride through Aysen - it's almost a repeat of yesterday afternoon. We head into the Queulat National Park and then up to the top of the pass, where we stop again for a break, some fotos and Alejandro makes some drone footage. From here the road is paved so the going is a bit easier and we continue on our way, now and again stopping for photos. It is just awesome riding through here - it's like being in the alps and with zero traffic! We stop for lunch in Villa Manihuales and then make out way towards Coyhaique, just making a quick stop for fotos at the waterfalls along the way. We arrive in Coyhaique in good time, check in and then have time to relax before we head out for dinner. Can it get any better than today?
It's a little overcast today in Aysen, and it's also a cool start to the day. We head out of Coyhaique and the temperature hovers around 9 degrees. There's a bit of traffic but we make good progress and then make the turn off towards Villa Cerro Castillo. I had forgotten how good this road is, and its a sublime ride until we come through the top of the pass at Cerro Castillo and stop for photos. The sun is just popping out and the temperature has gone up a couple of degrees. We ride down to to the town and stop for a quick coffee at the gas station - all the other cafes are closed! We head out again and then after about 12km hit the gravel. It's dry and dusty and we have to be a bit careful as there's a couple of trucks throwing up huge plumes of dust but once we are past them the going gets easier. The road is in good condition and we make good progress, reaching Puerto Rio Tranquilo around lunch time. We have time to gas, east a quick lunch, check in, get changed and then walk down to the lake. We are making a boat trip around the marble caves that are famous around here. The lake is calm and the sun is shining and we have an awesome trip in and around the caves before heading back to shore and the hotel. We are having fantastic luck with the weather - fingers crossed it continues.....
We have an early start today and the minibus picks us up at 07:00 sharp. We head west out of Puerto Rio Tanquilo along a gravel road that is in surprisingly good condition. After two hours of some breath taking scenery (it is really quite remote and wild out here) we arrive at the small port and board our boat. We head out into the fjords and navigate our way towards the glacier - it's another two hour trip but we get some coffee and a quick breakfast snack to keep us going. By the time we reach the glacier the sun is out and it's just more of Patagonias breath taking scenery. The crew haul some ice out of the sea and provide us with a quick whisky to warm us up with some 1000 year old ice - very nice. We take photos and cruise around for a while and then it's all of a sudden time to head back. A salmon lunch keeps us occupied for a while and there's a few people taking a quick nap on the way back. The minibus stops a couple of times on the way back for photos and then we are back at the hotel shortly before 6pm. Enough time to freshen up before heading out for dinner.
We head out of Puerto Rio Tranquilo and skirt along the edge of Lago General Carrera in the direction of Cochrane. We are blessed with another gorgeous day and it's a lovely ride along by the lake. At Tres Lagos we turn of and ride alongside Rio Baker until we eventually make the tuen off for Paso Roballos in the direction of Argentina. There were quite a few road works that held us up a little but once on the road to the Patagonia National Park we are free from traffic and other obstructions. We reach the Park entrance and stop there for coffee and a quick lunch. Then we head out again towards the Chile - Argentina border as the crossings always take a while. The scenery is again sublime and it's just a joy to be motorcycling here today. the scenery is changing though - no more trees and we start to see more Pampa. Each border crossing takes about an hour and then we are into much more rocky and desert type terrain. We slowly descend towards Lago Posadas and it's turned really quite warm now and it's up to about 26 degrees. The gas station is closed so we just head to the hotel so we can freshen up before dinner. Another day in paradise completed.
It's yet another glorious day as we head out of Lago Posadas. Now we are in Argentina and the other side of the Andes the temperature has completely changed. It's 09:30 and it's already 18 degrees in the shade, but another lovely sunny day for motorcycle riding. We hit the gravel road out of town and wind our way across the rocky landscape towards Bajo Caracoles, where we need to gas up. It's actually quite quiet today and there's only one other guy on a motorcycle passing by on his own and not much other traffic. From here we are on Ruta 40 heading south and back on tarmac so the going is easier, but we have to keep out eyes peeled for potholes and the suddenly appearing section of gravel that intersperse the tarmac. We make a lunch stop at Las Horquetas which has finally opened again after a few years of being closed. The guys are finally able to try some Guanaco here which they have been looking forward to. 50km more of asphalt and then we are back on the gravel for the final 30km to the Estancia. We arrive in good time which is really nice as there is time to relax in the sun with a couple of beers before the rack of lamb directly from the farm for dinner. Yummy!