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Bariloche, Argentina to Pucon, Chile
Bariloche, Argentina to Pucon, Chile
AN EXPLORATION OF THE CHILEAN LAKE AND VOLCANO DISTRICT
This region of Chile is home to 17 volcanoes, 22 lakes, 26 large rivers, 12 national parks, 2,000km of roads with 6 scenic circuits, 8.2 square km of geoparks, and 2 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves.
As we traverse this area from south to north, we will ride 378 miles, climb 15,900 ft, and descend 17, 750 ft in total. The crossing from Argentina into Chile shows a marked drop in elevation as the Chilean plateau on the west side of the Andes sits at a lower elevation than the Argentinian plateau to the east. The area is very fertile and mostly agricultural land due to plenty of water and nutirent-rich vocanic soils. Population centers tend to be very small, with an average of 65 people per square kilometer, whom are mostly in the larger towns of Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt to the south.
The lakes of this area are the byproducts of ice sheets and glaciers coming down from the Andes during the Pleistocene Epoch, 30,000 to 10,000 years ago, when temperatures were 7-14 degrees colder than they are today.
Of the 17 volcanoes of this area, two are acrtive: Volcan Calbuco in the south and Volcan Villarica in the north. Both volcanoes erupted in 2015.
Bariloche, Argentina to Puerto Varas, Chile
February 3-5
We arrived in Bariloche, Argentina, with our bicycles to find cloudy and very windy weather. It was cold enough to make us feel like we hadn’t left winter at all, even though it was supposed to be summer!
We stayed in Bariloche for a couple of days to finalize our planning, do laundry, and get our bikes set up and ready to go. We discovered that our brakes had locked up during the flight, and both of us had tires that didn’t have good enough tread for some of the rough roads we would encounter over the passes. After getting everything ready, we took a short evening ride of twelve miles along Lago Nahuel Huapi (pronounced: Nah-hoo-el-wa-pee, meaning "Leopard Isles") to the west, heading to Llao Llao (pronounced: Shao Shao, meaning "call-call," referencing how the surrounding mountains echo sounds). Llao Llao is beautiful, with sweeping vistas of the lake and mountains. It is also home to our favorite brewery, Patagonia, which, of course, we had to visit that evening!
The next day, February 4, was the day we would make our first crossing of the Andes. We were taking the famous Cruce Andino, which includes three ferry rides across three alpine lakes connected by roads. The first road segment would be only three kilometers (1.86 miles) and flat, leading to Lago Frías, which we would ferry across. The second road segment would be 29 kilometers (18 miles), climbing around 800 feet at a 12% grade to the border between Argentina and Chile. Then the road would drop down 2,700 feet on the Chilean side to the third ferry crossing, Lago Todos los Santos (All Saints Lake), followed by a final ride out to Puerto Varas of 68 kilometers (42 miles). At least, that was the plan...
We were up bright and early on Tuesday, February 5, excited to truly begin our journey. We knew we needed to be at the ferry by 9:30 AM, and it was a short ride from our hotel. The day was beautiful! The wind had died down, the sun was out—perfect conditions for this leg of our trip!
However, we didn't anticipate how popular this trip would be. There were hordes of tourists arriving by bus, all trying to board the ferries! We soon learned that we had to stand in a very long line to pay a tax to travel in the national park. Andy waited in line while I moved our bikes to the fence where the ferry workers could see them and know we needed to load. Unfortunately, they were not at all happy. A woman came over and yelled at me, saying we were too late and could not possibly make the sailing. We needed to catch this ferry to complete the entire trip in one day! She was not at all merciful. I tried to beg and explain in halting Spanish, but she remained unyielding.
A second officer approached with a kinder demeanor just as Andy finished paying the tax. We hurried to unpack our entire bikes, as they said the captain insisted, but it turned out that wasn’t really necessary. With a bit of luck, we made it on board—the very last people. Everyone was staring at us, as we were the only bikers and clearly the cause of the delay in launching.
The hour-long lake crossing was beautiful, and we used that time to calm ourselves after the chaos of the previous hour. At the first ferry stop, Puerto Blest (named after one of the first Argentinian explorers in the area), we disembarked, repacked our bikes, and enjoyed a fun 3 km ride through a forest of coihue trees to Lago Frias, a cloudy pale green lake colored by glacial flour, a by-product of the erosion of the surrounding peaks by glaciers. We arrived ahead of the tourists who were joining us for the second leg (apparently, most of them remained at Puerto Blest!). It was a great time to soak up the sun, enjoy the quiet, and appreciate the natural beauty of the area. The ride across this second lake was short, and before we knew it, we reached the other side and needed to pass through customs, as this was the last stop in Argentina.
Back on our bikes, we began the climb up to the pass. The road was very rocky and steep, making it hard to keep going, especially when our tires lost traction. The imbalance of weight (too much on the back wheel and not enough on the front) also made cycling awkward. Needless to say, there were several times we had to get off our bikes and hike them up for a while. Poor Andy actually fell at one point, with his bike landing on top of him! Thankfully, he was okay.
We arrived at the top, sweating and breathless, but feeling pretty good otherwise. We snapped a few photos and then began our descent. What was fun for about two minutes quickly became a bigger challenge than I had imagined! The road remained very rocky, causing the bike to bounce all over the place, which hammered our spines and hands on the handlebars. My hands cramped from having to hold onto the brakes the entire 2,700-foot drop. As beautiful as the forest around me must have been, I scarcely noticed it because I was so focused on staying on my bike! And then, there was my fall off the bike, right in front of the only vehicle we met on the entire road down: a big truck. 🫣
Once we made it down, we realized we had about 35 minutes to reach the ferry before it left, as it was the only one of the day and we were a long way from any real town. We still had about 8 miles to go, and the road was unforgiving in its rockiness! We pedaled as fast as we could to try to make it. When I skidded out on a particularly nasty section, I yelled at Andy to go! go! I hoped he could get there before me to stall the boat.
I hopped back on my bike and pedaled as fast as I could. When I arrived, sweating and out of breath, I saw Andy talking to a guide and no one else was around. I feared the worst—that we had missed the ferry. It turned out we had not missed it; in fact, it wouldn't even be there for two more hours! All that panic for nothing! The ferry was apparently running on a special schedule that day, and we had no way to know it.
We were fortunate it was delayed, however, as we had to go through the Chilean customs office, which involved removing all of our bike bags (again) and unpacking them while the customs officer watched with an air of great boredom. Then came passport checks and more paperwork to register our bicycles in Chile. Finally, we could relax with a cold Coke at the little cafeteria located at the ferry stop in Puella.
The break was welcome, but now we faced another problem: with the ferry running two hours later than we expected, we would arrive in Petrohue (pronounced Petro-way) around 7:30 PM, and we still had to bike into Puerto Varas, which was 42 miles away. We wouldn't make it before dark, and we were too tired anyway. The problem was that there was nowhere to stay! Petrohue is only a ferry port with no places to stay, and the closest town, Encenada, 10 km west of Petrohue and on the eastern edge of Lake Llanquehue (pronounced Yan-kee-way), was tiny and packed with vacationing families. No rooms were available.
The next place we could get a room was in Puerto Varas, a sizable town on the western edge of Lake Llanquehue. The other tourists on the ferry all had tickets to take one of two large buses into Puerto Varas, but we were told they were full and had no room for us or our bikes. By the time we boarded the ferry to cross Lago Todos los Santos, we were all stressed out again!
The final ferry ride was gorgeous. It passed from the cordillera of the Andes, created by the collision of the South American tectonic plate and the Pacific plate, leading to the upthrusting of continental crust. We enjoyed stunning views of these volcanoes: Volcán Puntiagudo ("sharp point"), Volcán Osorno, and Volcán Calbuco (which last erupted in 2015!).
In the middle of the journey, one of the guides approached us and told us he had found room on one of the buses for us and our bikes! We were so happy! By the time the ferry ride ended and we loaded our bikes and gear onto the crowded bus, we were pretty tired and hungry.
Today, February 5, we are taking a day to rest in Puerto Varas, a great little town we have been to a few times in the past on the edge of the lake. Here we will recalibrate our plans and write. Good thing too, as the beautiful weather has turned back to windy and rainy. Stay tuned for our next entry once we move on.
Puerto Varas to Rio Bueno, Chile
February 6-8
As Molly mentioned in the previous blog entry, the start of our ride from Bariloche to Puerto Varas was somewhat chaotic. The challenging terrain and our rush to meet the boat schedules left us exhausted, so we appreciated the opportunity to rest for a couple of days and reevaluate our plan for this Patagonian cycling adventure. These days off allowed us to research routes and, most importantly, book scarce accommodations during the peak summer season.
The ride from Puerto Varas to Puerto Octay was stunning. We mostly cycled along the shores of Lake Llanquehue, which turned out to be an excellent route, at least for the most part. There were several short but steep climbs followed by exhilarating descents that propelled us up the next hill. The clear lake water and the mesmerizing view of Mt. Osorno created an almost hypnotic state of mind as we rode.
We were enjoying ourselves until we reached a junction. Kamoot, our route planner with whom we have a love-hate relationship, suggested a busy, high-traffic road to Puerto Octay, but a map showed a lakeside route. We chose to ignore Kamoot, avoid the cars, and take the lakeside path. This turned out to be a mistake, as the pavement turned into a rough five-mile gravel road with an intense climb. Exhausted, we finally connected to the paved road and arrived in Puerto Octay, tired but grateful for one of the most beautiful rides we’ve ever experienced. Happy to reach our destination, we were ready to check into our Airbnb, shower, and enjoy some well-deserved beers and dinner. NOT SO FAST! The Google Maps direction to the Airbnb was wrong, and it turned out to be over 35 miles away! Given the scarcity of accommodations, we feared we would be left without a place to stay. Fortunately, with the help of some locals, we found a room with a shared bathroom at the historic Hotel Haas. It turned out to be a wonderful stay with good beers after such an eventful day.
The next day, we had a relatively short ride from Puerto Octay to Entre Lagos. We were both tired from the previous day's ride, and our energy levels were low. It was a 35-mile stretch that included a long, gradual uphill. Although it was a slog, we enjoyed beautiful scenery, pristine lake waters, and groves of eucalyptus trees. We arrived in Entra Lagos, located near the base of the Andes Mountains, and rewarded ourselves with ice-cold Cokes and some fantastic fresh ice cream.
Today’s ride was the opposite of yesterday’s. The temperature was perfect, we had a slight tailwind, and we glided gradually downhill toward Rio Bueno. We rode through beautiful farmland under a nearly cloudless sky, traversing the fertile valley that separates the Andes Mountains from the coastal range of northern Patagonia. Tomorrow, we’ll continue our zigzag northward, heading northeast through the Chilean Lake District to Lago Ranco.
Rio Bueno to Panguipulli, Chile
February 9-11
The thing about traveling, as anyone who does it can testify, is that you are constantly surprised. This trip is no different. The past three days have been truly glorious in terms of weather and the countryside we are biking through. Sunday was considered downright hot for this part of Patagonia: 80°F! The road we cycled to Lago Ranco was lush and dotted with various types of agriculture: hay, wheat, potatoes, filbert (hazelnut) orchards, and long rows of blueberries laden with fruit. It felt like cycling through the Willamette Valley of Oregon, where I grew up! This is the lake region of Chile, an agricultural heartland thanks to the rich soils from the volcanoes to the east of our route. Chile is such an incredible country. It stretches 2,670 miles (4,300 km) long and is only 62-81 miles (100-130 km) wide where we currently are.
It is definitely the high season for traveling in Chile, with many families on vacation in the lake region. We are in direct competition for places to stay, especially on weekends. Sunday night, we were fortunate to find a beautiful hotel in the town of Futrono on Lake Ranco. It was absolutely gorgeous, with incredible views. The lake is surrounded by the foothills of the Andes, with the peaks emerging between the forested hills. Yesterday, (Monday), we cycled 35 miles from Futrono to Los Lagos, further west in central Chile. The town is situated on the San Pedro River among pastoral fields and hills, but it lacks many accommodation options. Andy found a great place called Los Lagos Buenavista on Booking.com—a modern riverside building with a swimming pool. We were excited as it looked like a beautiful place to rest. However, upon arrival, we discovered it was not a place to stay at all, but a private residence! We were quite baffled and still can't figure out what happened.
The next few hours were a scramble to find somewhere to stay. We tried one cabin that looked good, but it was across a busy highway with no way to cross and no nearby restaurants. Eventually, we found a most unusual and cool place: a shipping container! Yes, a real shipping container—the kind you see on the backs of semi-trucks or on container ships! The owner’s son, an architect, had designed a remodel of an old shipping container that utilizes the space very well, located in a private, garden-like environment complete with a wood-heated hot tub! Not many people can say they stayed in a shipping container, which is often associated with sadder stories. Ours was a happy one; we were comfortable and felt we were living with a very low carbon footprint.
This morning was a bit tough to get going as we had no coffee or breakfast to get us going. It was also quite a bit cooler and windy. The good news is, the wind was in our favor and with the help of our favorite Bobo energy bars, we had another beautiful bike ride. We rode through green countryside that was quite hilly (and mostly uphill!) as we approach the Andes to the east again. This phase of the ride has involved zigzagging northward, moving northeast towards the Andes, then northwest towards the Pacific, and back. We haven't actually ridden to either yet, but we're bouncing back and forth within the lake country. Tonight, we will stay in the town of Panguipulli (pronounced as it looks: Pan-gui-pully), which means "hill of the puma." It overlooks more volcanoes and is situated on the edge of Lake Panguipulli. Tomorrow, we will head to our northernmost point: Villarica and the Pucon area, before returning to the Argentinian side of the Andes.
Panguipulli to Pucon, Chile and Rest Days
February 12-14
The ride from Panquipulli to Pucón took us along some of northern Patagonia's most remote and busiest roads. We began our journey in Panquipulli, a small town in the heart of the Chilean Lake District. It was strikingly beautiful, and despite being in the height of the summer tourist season, it wasn't overwhelmed with tourists or traffic. Like all rides out of the lake towns, our journey began with a steep and long ascent. We are incredibly grateful for the gearing on our bikes, as the ratios are perfect for the many Patagonian climbs we’ve encountered.
Once we ascended from the lake, we were greeted with breathtaking views of Volcán Villarrica. The road meandered through the open countryside, and we appreciated the wide spaces and small entrepreneurial kiosks selling fresh local food and artisanal products, including several local breweries (not necessarily the best stop during a long bike ride). Completely absent were the mega chain stores, strip malls, and chain hotels we encountered while riding across the USA. This is what we appreciate most about Patagonia: the corporate world has not yet sunk its teeth into this area, allowing unspoiled beauty to coexist with the many small communities and local businesses that reside here.
However, there are signs that things may be changing rapidly. After passing through the countryside, we had no choice but to take the only road that runs through Villarrica to Pucón, eventually crossing the Paso Mamuil Malal into Argentina. Villarrica and Pucón are popular tourist destinations for both Chileans and foreigners. Over-tourism plagues these towns during July and August, where the roads, unchanged for over 50 years or more, cannot support the influx of tourists. The area is ideal for visiting in spring and fall and for snow and ski junkies during winter.
We were fortunate to find a wonderful family-owned hotel, featuring native artwork and woodwork, with an available room for our three-night stay. Despite the crowds, the town is beautifully tucked away along Lago Villarrica, with spectacular views and a backdrop of the nearby Volcán Villarrica. The beauty, along with local restaurants, shops, and a variety of local beers, makes Pucón an excellent place to rest and plan our next rides.
Our original plan was to leave Pucón on Saturday and head southeast over Paso Mamuil Malal into Argentina, eventually reaching San Martín de los Andes, our favorite Argentine town where we hope to stay for a few days. The climb out of Pucón and over the Andes for the second time will undoubtedly be the most challenging ascent of the trip. We are excited about it, but there's a small hitch. The pass is currently closed due to a fire, and we are struggling to find out when it will reopen. We’ve been using Google Maps for updates, which initially indicated the pass would open the following day, only to push the status back each time we checked. It’s frustrating, and as we enjoy our final rest day in Pucón, we need to get definitive answers about the opening date or create a plan B route over the Andes. That will be our task for today along with finding some much needed Sram pastillas de frenos (brake pads) which we are burning through because of the many long and steep descents. (Note to selves-never tour without spares!) That will be our task for today. Stay tuned!
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