The End of the World
As we sweep round the corner, the two huge pillars that carry the word Ushuaia stand either side of the road, jutting up into the azure blue sky as if to celebrate our arrival. At the end of a day that has seen us travel nearly 400 miles, and a three week adventure that has taken us from Pucon in the north of Chile and then some 3500 miles south on a glorious and at times extremely challenging journey, stopping our bikes by these iconic landmarks is just totally overwhelming. I’ve been lucky enough to have ridden motorcycles in some amazing places across the world from Mongolia to South Africa, Cambodia to Nepal, but my trip to South America with Ride Expeditions has topped the lot. What a day to be alive!
By Julian Challis
My Patagonian odyssey had started some three weeks earlier, with a series of flights that had taken me from the UK to Santiago via Madrid and then on to Temeco in the north of Chile, before an hour or so transfer to the start point of the tour in Pucon. The town is something of a holiday destination with a busy main street packed with bars, shops and artisan bakeries and a wonderful lakeside beach where families enjoy the sunshine. The start hotel for our tour is a little outside of the town at the beautiful setting of the Green Park Resort, where I meet up with the other riders as they gradually arrive from all parts of the world. And it truly is an international cast, with myself, Ant, Stuart and Graham representing the UK, Michael from Denmark, Wilson from Brazil, Fernando, a Colombian based in the Nevada, Valerio, an Italian from Switzerland, Dave, a Canadian from Florida and lastly – a position that they would own for the whole tour – Panos and Dimitris from Greece.
To complete the ensemble is Henk Koetze, our South African tour leader. He was backed up by Rodrigo our Argentinian support vehicle driver and local fixer and Ian, our Cambodian based photographer and videographer for the trip and also, officially the unluckiest man in the world who’d already arrived late after missing his flight …
Our bikes for the tour are a sparkling fleet of KTM 890 Adventure Rs that Ride Expeditions have recently bought specifically for this tour and as a confirmed fan of not only KTM but specifically the particular talents of their mid-sized adventure bike, I couldn’t be happier. With enough power to pull big speeds and yet agile and capable on the rough stuff, the 890R is the thinking man’s adventure bike all day long – a verdict it was going to have ample opportunity to confirm over the next 3,000 or so miles!
With the riders less familiar with Austria’s finest having a chance to familiarise themselves with the bikes the day before on a gentle bimble around the town, the team assemble at 0800 hrs outside the hotel. Theres a touch of ‘school trip’ excitement in the air, not to mention a vast range of kit on display from the Greeks who seem to have bought up the entire BMW Motorrad clothing catalogue.
Starting Out
With Henk delivering a briefing for the day and running through the ‘cornerman system’ to keep us all on the right road, we are off, heading out of Pucon on Route 199. We followed the river valley to the south east and slowly climbed up towards the Villarica National Park. The roads are beautifully empty as we sweep from the more open country and into the cooler forests that will take us towards our first border crossing. As our route snakes between Chile and Argentina this is the first of many crossings, Henk stops to give us all the necessary paperwork and to tell us precisely what to do when leaving Chile, and then entering Argentina.
This is not as successful as he might have hoped when one of our number – no names, no pack drill, rides straight through the Chilean border and onto the gravel road into Argentina without so much as dipping the throttle.
With a diplomatic incident thankfully averted by Rodrigo and Henk, we all get our passes stamped and checked and we’re onto the 10km long stretch of glorious gravel road that will take us into Argentina. I’m straight up on the pegs and drifting the 890 and it’s almost sad when the gravel makes way for the sweeping tarmac of Route 40 and the wide open uplands towards our lunch stop at San Martin de los Andes. While most have pasta, Stuart and Ant order what appears to be a barbecue for a large family, the first of many meat feasts in that country.
Suitably refreshed and in some cases, laden down, we pick up ‘La Ruta de los Siete Lagos’ which as the name suggests takes us on an exceptionally beautiful road that snakes between seven picture perfect lakes. The scenery is truly breathtaking and it’s no wonder that this area is known as Argentina’s Switzerland. The snow-capped peaks of the Andes looking decidedly alpine as we muscled the KTMs through the curves and on to San Carlos de Bariloche, our stop for the night.
Asked to describe the scenery of the day, Stuart draws on the proud literary traditions of our nation ‘It’s very lakey ’ …
Fjords and Fronds
Dawn breaks and along with the somewhat woolly head from discovering the bar’s extensive whisky collection, both the scenery and the weather has taken on a distinctly Welsh feel.. Luckily, the gravel road that leads us away south has just as much grip in the wet as the dry and in such achingly beautiful scenery a bit of liquid sunshine isn’t going to dampen my enthusiasm. We rip along the fifty or so miles, drifting the back end on the corners and scorching past the other traffic until we eventually hit Route 7 after a couple of hours.
The wonderful landscapes on either side of the smooth tarmac continue to delight, but with a fair bit of debris on the road, not to mention the odd rockfall and massive puddle, a tad more concentration than scenery watching is called for. We stop briefly to negotiate around a fallen tree that has almost blocked the road before pressing on to a fuel station in La Junta for much needed coffee and croissants, the twelve of us pressed into a tiny café, gently steaming slightly more than our espressos.
It’s only another thirty or so miles to go for the day and with skies beginning to brighten we arrive at the causeway on the side of the vast fjord. With the bikes stored and bags unloaded we can see our boat speeding across the water to take us to the Puyahapi resort, a five-star complex perched on the side of the water. After a great day of fun and challenging riding, we drape our damp kit all over our tastefully decorated lakeside cabins and make for the warming waters of the thermal springs.
I say we, but Stuart misses the turn and ends up clambering up the hillside dressed only in a bath robe and Speedo. When he eventually emerges at the hot springs he’s lost a flip flop, fallen over in the mud and looks like he’s halfway through a dirty protest …
Next morning, the good weather returned, and once back on the mainland, so has the riding. We track alongside the fjord for a bit and then cut into the lush trails that lead into the Lastarria National Park, a route lined with enormous Gunnera leaves and delicate ferns as we climb up through the park.
The rain had closed this route the previous day so in places the gullies are deep but it’s catnip for anyone used to a day on an adventure machine.
Maybe not so much for the guy we pass who is struggling a fully loaded Harley Pan American through the deep gravel, or indeed some of my colleagues who may have over-egged their off-road prowess!
As we emerge from the forest and on to the fresh concrete road beyond, my bike feels sketchy and uncertain at the front, the multiple hits have caused a compression puncture. Thankfully, the 890R uses tubeless tyres and so, with no actual hole to mend, Rodrigo and Henk break out the compressor and within seconds I’m back onto the road and onto one of the most amazing viewpoints we have had so far at the head of a valley. A vista that stretches on for mile after mile to the distant mountains.
Dipping down the other side it’s more sweeping and empty blacktop as we head on to a lunch of fresh empanadas and then the forty or so clicks to reach Coyhaique, a lovely friendly little town. With only a relatively short day of riding, there’s time to wander into the centre before catching up with the rest of the guys for pizzas in the evening.
We even discover a cheeky little craft beer bar on the way home and chat to the locals – now that is what travel is all about.
Our route in the morning starts with a couple of hours of gloriously sweeping, fast blacktop on to a long gravel section of over forty miles. For those less used to serious gravel riding, it’s a challenging morning. There’s oncoming traffic, loose livestock, deep turns and endless stretches of fast red gravel – I’m having the best day, running at the front of the pack with Ant and Henk as we carve our way south.
By midday, we’ve left the valley floor behind, climbed up to Bahi Murta and as we crest the hill we get our first view of the topaz blue water of Lago General Carrera. It’s so ridiculously blue it looks badly photoshopped!
At lunch in Puerto de Rio Tranquillo we meet a tranche of other adventure riders, including a British guy and his Kiwi partner who are three quarters into a trip from Alaska to Ushuaia. When you see their Honda CB500Xs loaded to the gunwales with kit, our support truck looks a much easier option!
A few hours later we’ve reached Patagonia Lodges, which will be our home for two nights. It’s a rest day next so we get a chance to enjoy our cosy little cabins overlooking the crystal-clear waters of the lake, not to mention host Justin’s great cooking and extensive wine cellar.
The following day, as the rest of the guys spend the time walking down by the lake, wildlife spotting and unsuccessfully fishing, Henk and I do some filming back on the trails with the hapless Ian bouncing around on the pillion seat as he captures the action from his impressive selection of cameras, whilst simultaneously moaning about his bad back…
Adventure to misadventure.
The second week starts and we head back to Puerto Guadal to refuel and then pick up the gravel road that will take us on to Puerto Bertrand and tracks along the River Baker. The group has spread out a bit, so we stop to overlook a particularly dramatic gorge to wait up. Word comes through that Stuart has had an accident, so Michael, who conveniently is an ER doctor, heads back to attend and assess the situation with Henk, who like all Ride Expeditions leaders is a wilderness trained medic.
Rather than wait in the sun we press on to Cochrane to get lunch but when it emerges that Stuart has convincingly smacked up his arm after overshooting a turn. The team are already into a well-rehearsed routine to get him safely to hospital. As our chances of making the planned border crossing becoming increasingly unlikely and perhaps superfluous in the circumstances, Henk makes the wise decision to return to our lakeside lodges while he and the team at Ride Expeditions HQ sort everything needed for Stuart’s care.
Adventure can sometimes bite back …
With our fallen soldier on his way back to Coyhaique, we have to change our plan to get back on course, so it’s a big 300 miles to cover today. Turning out of Patagonia Lodges we pick up Route 265, a staggeringly beautiful if somewhat scary route that tracks northeast along the side of Lago General Carrera, the road cuts into the rock for mile after mile.
A bit of rain makes a brief appearance, but it can’t dampen just how epic this route is. We are headed for Chile Chico which sounds nicer than it is and then on to the border crossing back into Argentina. We call in to Perito Morena as it’s Rodrigo’s hometown, and his wife has organised lunch in their favourite pizza restaurant. After this, the afternoon takes things to another level – with a tad over two hundred miles to cover and some stupendous roads that cut across vast open plains, it’s time to open the taps on the KTMs.
The process however carries a soupcon more risk than expected thanks now to the ubiquitous and fatally stupid llamas that graze alongside the road, along with the odd armadillo, desert fox, caracara and Argentinian hare. I’m riding with Fernando and Valerio and it’s a gloriously fast and exhilarating afternoon and when we reach Gobernador Gregores just after six, the Patagonia Ale barely touches the sides.
The challenge for the next day comes after just an hour of riding and is probably the hardest of the whole tour – a 40 mile section of deep gravel that we really cannot avoid.
But this isn’t ordinary gravel, it’s a linear sea of evil round little pebbles. Following Henk’s advice of not trying to change lines, a bit like riding on the gravel along an old railway line, I manage to fight my way through, constantly reminding myself to keep loose and relaxed, rather than tense and stressed as my body would apparently much prefer. With a few of the group opting for putting their bikes onto the support trailer for this section, those that make it to the end are high fiving all round when we finally reach the smooth tarmac.
Mountains and Glaciers
With a brief stop in Tres Lagos for coffee and unleaded, we pick up Route 288 west and then follow the 23 alongside Lago Veidma towards El Chalten, a pretty and lively town under the shadow of the epic Mount Fitzroy and the surrounding snow-capped peaks. It’s a popular resort with hikers and climbers, and with quite so many cool bars and restaurants, Henk, Ant, Ian and I finish the night listening to noughties hip hop and eating cheesy chips – is there anything better?
If Mount Fitzroy was impressive, the next day manages to Trump a mere mountain.
We’ve taken the short hop to El Calafate just 120 miles or so south, calling in for coffee at a supposed haunt of Butch Cassidy when he was down this way. Dropping bags and kit at our digs for the night, we blast up into the Los Glaciares National Park which is about an hour away, and home to the enormous Perito Moreno Glacier. Perched at the end of Lago Rocca, it’s an incredible expanse of deep blue and white ice, filling the valley and stretching back as far as the eye can see. We take a boat out to see it close up – and the scale is just so enormous it’s hard to comprehend. The cliffs of ice tower over the boat like it’s a model and fill the landscape in every direction.
After returning from the glacier, there’s time to enjoy downtown Calafate in the late afternoon and evening.
No such luxuries the following day as we need to cover some serious distance. The weather is a combination of intermittent rain and strong winds that makes riding hard, the bikes have to be leaned into the cross winds just to keep straight. When after about five hours we reach the unassuming little town of Rio Turbio for the border crossing back into Chile, it’s a definite relief. Gone are the blustery wide-open plains and an altogether more calm and pastoral scene greets us as we pull into Angelica’s Cabins just outside Puerto Natales, our base for the next two days. It’s a great little spot, with host Gabriella organising everything from meals at their sister restaurant in the town on the first night and even a traditional ‘Cordero al Asador’ – a whole lamb roasted over coals – on our second night. In between the feasting we do find time to visit the stunning and vast Torres del Paine National park, with its iconic twin peaked mountain and crashing waterfalls – is there no end to these unbelievable landscapes?
The End is Nigh
We are now into the last stages of the journey, which will involve a brief stopover in Punta Arenas before another huge day of riding to finally reach Ushuaia.
Although there’s a ferry that makes the trip a tad shorter, the timing is all wrong and it’s frequently overbooked, so we set off bright and early to crack through the hundred miles to the ferry at Punta Del Garda. Once off the boat, we are now officially in Tierra Del Fuego, a name that prior to this trip I’d only really heard on nature documentaries. But with nearly 300 miles between us and our destination it’s suddenly very real, so buttoning up against weather and turning on my heated gilet (You can look that up…), we set off…
It’s fantastic and the fast road cuts due south, mostly tracking the coastline but with regular bouts of crosswinds to fight, this is a proper challenge and one we share with an accompanying troupe of other adventure bikers. Our paths meet at every petrol station on the way.
Even the relatively light and powerful KTMs are hard to ride at times – heaven only knows what a fully laden Honda Transalp feels like!
As we enter the last part of the journey, the landscape changes from wide open plains to ancient woodlands. The branches of the gnarled trees either side of the road are draped in pale green lichen and then as we climb, to thick pine forests that cover the soaring mountains.
The alpine landscape is matched by the temperature as it plummets to one degree above zero, so it’s a relief as we reach the Garibaldi Pass and begin our descent. In the blink of an eye, we cruise round the final bend to be greeted by those huge Ushuaia towers and the view of the town behind – the most southerly port in the world.
And it feels just wonderful.
The actual end of Route 3 – the ‘Fin del Mondo’ at Lapataia is just a short distance outside the town and we won’t tick that one off until tomorrow morning. But for the moment we ride up to the luxury of the Arakur Resort and Spa where we will spend two glorious nights for a well-earned beer or two.
Looking out over the twinkling lights of Ushuaia below it’s time to reflect on what has been an incredible trip. We’ve covered massive distances in some of the most amazing landscapes you could ever wish to encounter. The bikes have been faultless, the organisation has been fantastic and the experience, though challenging at times, has been worth every second.
Patagonia – it’s epic.
If you like the sound of this adventure and want to ride to the ‘End of the World’, the tour is run by Ride Expeditions who you can find at https://rideexpeditions.com/
The British based company, which has a Southern Hemisphere base in Cape Town, has been running exceptional tours across the world for over a decade, with road and off-road expeditions from Namibia to Mongolia, Cambodia to Columbia and of course their epic Patagonian adventure.
Don’t just read about it – ride it!
