Sebafreund

Hi there. I’ve e just completed a solo trip from Lisbon (Portugal) to Prague (Czech Republic) and planning a new one. Thinking of the Carretera austral during the month of November. Anyone who has already done it? Is a gravel bike suitable or better to stick to a mtb? Suggestions about routes, accommodations (I always carry a tent along with me) and potential hazards?
Thanks
Sebastian

mev

I cycled the Carretera Austral in December 2017 as part of a supported ride - scc2ush.com
It was a great ride, spectacular scenery, interesting rugged places and reasonable riding. They are pretty actively paving so now is a good time to ride. A few general thoughts:
- They are paving mostly from north to south, so further south you go, the more gravel. There were some rougher spots but I expect either either gravel bike or mountain bike would be fine. Further south also has slightly larger gaps between services. We didn't do it, but if I were going to do a loop, I'd probably include the Puerto Natales/Puerto Chacabuco ferry and catch El Chalten and Torres del Paine on the southern end - rather than Puerto Montt/Bariloche on the northern end.
- It can rain. A lot. I read a number of journals prior to going so my expectations were set by reading of people miserable with multiple days of rain. Our trip turned out far better than this low expectation with some rain but nothing severe.
- The crossing at O'Higgins was a highlight - just from being interesting pedestrian/bike only crossing and rather remote. El Chalten on the other side with Mt Fitzroy also nice place - so I would resist a temptation to skip this and turn back north again.
- Keep some contingency time. Landslides can temporarily close things (a few weeks after we came through a huge rain wiped out St Lucia with a number of fatalities). High winds can keep the ferries from going across to O'Higgens crossing.
- iOverlander is a good app to have for this route. Lots of overlander vehicles and motorcycles keep things current as well as point out possible camping locations.

willibrord

Cool. What size tires were you running, mev? Did you have fenders to deal with the rain and mud? What level of Spanish proficiency is required?

Sebafreund

Thanks mev, you’ve been extremely helpful. One last question, which is the southernmost airport I can reach to fly the back to Santiago? I have a month and I would like to take the most of it to cycle the furthest south possible. Thanks

axolotl

Punta Arenas airport

mev

I had 26 x 1.75 inch tires. Others also had narrower tires. For the most part a mixture of paved and good gravel road. There were sections with rutted potholes that were more obnoxious but those were the exception for short stretches. I didn't have fenders. It varied including some construction zones but this might give an idea. This link: El Chalten - A bicycle ride across the Americas and this one Coyhaique - A bicycle ride across the Americas give the most photos and description. If I were going unsupported, I would make definitely make shorter distances.

As far as language proficiency goes - it is different when you are in a supported group - though there is some basic interactions e.g. with shops, ferry operators, etc. Prior to this part of the trip, I came via rest of South America mostly on my own and while certainly not fluent, came across enough situations where Spanish was the only language to use and so very helpful. The conversations I found toughest weren't with Spanish-speaking locals but with Italian tourists speaking their variant of Spanish while I used my Spanglish.

axolotl

I toured in Chile, mostly in the gorgeous lake & volcano region just north of the Carretera Austral. It would have been a lot more difficult had I not spoken at least some Spanish. I've been to 8 Spanish-speaking countries and I found Chilean Spanish the most difficult to understand. I was also in Argentina's northern Patagonia region on that tour and even though Argentine Spanish is heavily influenced by Italian due to the large number of Italian immigrants to that country (and to Uruguay), I still found Argentine Spanish easier to understand than Chilean Spanish. And Mandarin won't help at all.

willibrord

Thanks. My Spanish is rudimentary but I can get by in Mexico, but I have heard that some of the South American versions are much more difficult. My mandarin is very weak, so glad to hear I wont need it if I go to Chile. Carreterra Austral always sounded like an amazing trip.