An Aeolian Adventure: El Calafate – Puerto Natales

Some boats had seen better times.

William spent Tuesday evening and most of Wednesday in bed being ill. Thursday, the first day of summer, was our planned departure date and that morning he said he felt fit enough to ride. We left just before 10:00 the same way we had entered Calafate, heading east. We were somewhat disappointed about the absence of a strong wind this morning, which should normally help us along for the first part. There was still a little bit of a northwesterly wind, which is good.

William was having trouble riding and after 16 kilometers decided to stop for today. He would try to hitch a ride, though he didn’t know yet where to. Thus I continued alone. The first 45 km are more or less flat and I was easily averaging 20+ km/h. Then started the largest climb still left and also one of the higher ones on the whole trip. It was however a very pleasant grade and the wind was also getting a bit stronger now, pushing me uphill. On the hill I saw two bikes parked by the side of the road and two people eating down below. Since I was doing so well on the climb I decided not to stop to talk to them.

Learn to Fly: El Chaltén – El Calafate

Glaciar Perito Moreno from above.

Thursday 14 December Thursday we had bad weather all day, so we spent most of it in the Casa del Ciclista. I had some things that needed repairs or replacement, so I looked around town for these. I succeeded with my bags, but did not find anyone to repair my phone. El Chaltén is one… Continue reading Learn to Fly: El Chaltén – El Calafate

Patagonia Is Hard: S.C. de Bariloche – Futaleufú

Interesting meadow full of cattle on the way to the park.

Seriously, how am I ever going to write a blog post without dumping hundreds of photos on you, each showing a landscape that is even more stunning than the last? This place is like riding through a postcard or a chocolate box, as others have called it. I can confirm this: The box of chocolate… Continue reading Patagonia Is Hard: S.C. de Bariloche – Futaleufú

Waterfalls and Weather Fails: S.M. de los Andes – S.C. de Bariloche

The view to the north from Cerro Campanario.

The more you walk around San Martín, the more ridiculous it gets. Just when you think you’ve seen it all they come up with a new fake German-style building and a corresponding name that just doesn’t make sense. I saw bars called “Bierhaus” or “Das Gute bier”. Yes, that’s the capitalisation they use. There are… Continue reading Waterfalls and Weather Fails: S.M. de los Andes – S.C. de Bariloche

I’ve been through the desert… Zapala – S.M. de los Andes

Yet another new colour on the side of the road.

… on a horse made of steel. As far as horses go it’s a rather bad one: it won’t do anything unless I put all the energy in. Maybe the problem is having a steel horse called Gaucho. It might think that the roles are reversed. The advantage is of course that it doesn’t consume… Continue reading I’ve been through the desert… Zapala – S.M. de los Andes

Almost, but not Quite: Buta Ranquil – Zapala

Ok, I'll take this one, but it's a pretty tough climb out here.

Tuesday 7 November   Tuesday started foggy, but soon enough the fog lifted and the sun was out for a bit. Most of the time it stayed cloudy. Today would be a big climbing day, so soon enough I found myself on a decently sized hill. After climbing that I descended to a small valley,… Continue reading Almost, but not Quite: Buta Ranquil – Zapala

A Rite of Passage: Malargüe – Buta Ranquil

Descending again in beautiful surroundings.

Friday 3 November   Friday’s ride is relatively short at 65 km, but it includes a climb up to about 2000 meters before descending to Bardas Blancas. Indeed the climb started soon enough, but it wasn’t too hard. There were some steep sections interleaved with easier climbs and even some downhill. The weather was sunny… Continue reading A Rite of Passage: Malargüe – Buta Ranquil

A Shortcut to What? Mendoza – Malargüe

Sunday 29 October On Sunday morning I had a lazy start. I had made a pretty big mess of my room over two busy rest days. I had bought some new stuff that needed to find a place and I wanted to reorganise some other things. Thus packing my bags took longer than usual, as… Continue reading A Shortcut to What? Mendoza – Malargüe

Take it Easy: San Juan – Mendoza

A few days before reaching San Juan the bite valve of my Camelbak broke when a dog was a little too interested in my bike and gear. It generally still works fine, but occasionally it leaks and I may lose a lot of water. Thankfully that hasn’t happened on the road so far, but it… Continue reading Take it Easy: San Juan – Mendoza

Cuarenta Is Sixty Six: La Rioja – San Juan

That sounds like an extremely bad Spanish lesson, cuarenta means forty after all. But it’s not a language lesson, this is about culture. More on that later. First we go back to the events following my arrival in La Rioja. Tuesday 17 October The first few hours of Tuesday afternoon I spent in my air-conditioned… Continue reading Cuarenta Is Sixty Six: La Rioja – San Juan