Patagonia trip report
 

Here is the report, and pictures, of our recent two week self supported tandem trip to the Lake Region of Northern Patagonia (Argentina-Chile):

http://www.tangotandem.org/Carretera...ral%202010.htm

I had fun writing it, particularly the packing list, down to the toothbrush, with pictures of all the gear. Sorry report is in Spanish, you can use the Google translator, with this link:

http://translate.google.com.ar/trans...tm&sl=es&tl=en

Translation is readable, but some words get messed up, like the spanish word "cámara", which translates to both a "camera" and an "inner tube", so you will wonder why we take two spare cameras. Some sentences loose their sense all together, with curious results.

I might get the energy up to post a proper translation if enough people are interested.

Great Photo's....beautiful area...man that is some serious RAIN!

Bill J.

Beautiful photos! Yo hablo un poquito de Espanol...just enough to wish you Feliz Cumpleanos!

Muy interessante . . .
Arriba!!!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

Thank you for sharing. Trips like yours come very close to our definition of fun.

Is it possible/practical to ride a road tandem from Bariloche to Chile without having to take a boat? Can a similar trip be designed spending every night at a hotel, no mater how rustic a hotel? If so, with what kind of daily milage?

Thanks and !Feliz Cumplean-os!

[QUOTE=cornucopia72;10433531]

Is it possible/practical to ride a road tandem from Bariloche to Chile without having to take a boat? Can a similar trip be designed spending every night at a hotel, no mater how rustic a hotel? If so, with what kind of daily milage?

QUOTE]

If you want to stick to pavement the answer is no. The last paved pass across the Andes is (I believe) Mendoza to Santiago. However decent gravel roads do make it across, from Bariloche you would go via Villa la Angostura. A road tandem with 700 x 32 tires or wider would make it fine, but have a good low gear or be prepared to push you bike on the steepest grades. However paved roads are by definition higher traffic roads, and traffic is not very bike firendly. In general the road network is more developed in the Chile side. Sleeping indoors is not a problem, we could have slept indoors every night if we wanted to, it is not necessary to camp, with no more than 40-50 km per day of riding. There are plenty of rental cabins and small hotels. Most of the area is private land, the national parks (where cabins and hotels are less frequent) are not so large. January and February are peak season, where you might have some availability issues, go in March or even April, weather is good, a little cooler but less rain, and you can have your pick without reservations. Autumn is beautiful, lots of colors.