We still have a month before we are scheduled to fly back north to Portland, Oregon, our home, and so we are excited to return to northern Patagonia, first on the Argentine side and then on the Chilean side. We have ridden much of this area in the past (see Pedaling Northern Patagonia ), but love this area so much we are glad to return. We will also ride a part of Northern Patagonia we could not last year, due to wildfires. This will add almost 500 more miles to our journ

We shared our plan with Justin, the son of the owner of Patagonia Acres Lodge, about trying to complete the rest of the ride in one day. He has driven that road over 50 times since moving here and knows it well. He didn’t discourage us, but did say that if we tire, we could knock on a farmer’s door and ask to camp on their property since there are no established campsites or accommodations until we reach Chile Chico. His suggestion was a kind of subtle hint that most people w

February 16, 2026. Mallin Grande to Chile Chico. 47 Miles. Today was our last day of the Carretera Austral Ride. We were both a little sad about it as we usually are when a ride draws to a close. However, we knew the ride today would be one of the most challenging rides of the entire trip. 47 miles on tough ripio, 5,300 feet of climbing, with many hills between 12% and 20% grade. The website : dangerousroads.org describes it this way: " Ruta CH-265 , in Chile's Aysén

February 14, 2026. Puerto Guadal to Mallin Grande. 18 miles. We had thought we would have to ride from Puerto Guadal, all the way to Chile Chico, a distance of 71 miles. This, combined with the fact that we would need to climb well over 5000 feet in elevation and all on ripio , we were a bit frantic to find a place to stay along the way. Up until this point, it seemed all we could find is some dubious wild camp spots. Then I read an article in Outside Magazine about a guy

It’s about 75 miles between Puerto Guadal and Chile Chico, but those miles include some of the steep pitches, long climbs, ripio roads, and an occasional dust storm from passing traffic. It is a ride that can easily be completed in three days if you camp, or in two days if you stay at Patagonia Acres Lodge in Mallín Grande and undertake what amounts to a challenging all-day endurance ride the following day. Today’s 27 miles to the lodge gave us a good taste of what’s to come

February 13, 2026. Puerto Bertrand to Puerto Guadal. 19 miles. It was a short ride today, but we were mindful of how gorgeous it was when we passed through this section of the Carretera on the way down just a week ago. We knew we would have great weather and wanted to enjoy the ride. It did not disappoint! Here are some of the many photos we took: We stayed in Puerto Guadal along the south western shore, just opposite where we stayed in Mallin Colorado, eight days ago, in a

Today was another backtracking day for most of the morning, but it turned into a blissful and spectacularly beautiful summer ride. We’ve had the good fortune to backtrack some of the best sections of the Carretera, with its snow-capped glaciated mountains, the majestic waters of the Rio Baker, and lakeside views along Lago Negro and Lago Bertrand. After a few hours of slow riding and multiple photo stops, we reached the junction of Ruta 7 (Carretera Austral) and Ruta 265, whi

February 12, 2026. Cochrane to Puerto Bertrand. 30 miles. We took the bus from Caleta Tortel to Cochrane, and I was relieved. The thought of riding all that ripio back for two days was not a pleasant one. We stayed two nights in Cochrane to reorient ourselves and plan our exit from the Carretera Austral. This was not an easy task, as there aren’t many places where one can fly out or cross into Argentina. Of course, we could always take the bus all the way back to Puerto Mont

Our planning day in Caleta Tortel turned into a bus trip back to Cochrane, where we found accommodations and much drier, warmer conditions. We used this time to develop a Plan B for completing our Carretera Austral journey. Although we were only a two-day bike ride from the terminus of the Carretera in O’Higgins, a winter weather warning, an uncertain ferry schedule with limited seating, and the possibility of a long wait in O’Higgins before we could catch a ferry to reach th

We woke in Caleta Tortel to see the results of the storm: snow on the mountains all around. It was still raining down at sea level, though, but it was cold! We had furiously been checking and rechecking our various weather apps and we realized that we could no longer pretend we weren't in a sticky situation. To move on south was out of the question. It was snowing in the next stop, another camp site, at Rio Bravo and looked to do so for the next few days. Furthermore,

Monday, February 9, 2026. El Risquero Camping to Caleta Tortel. 32 miles. Today dawned cold and windy with the sky threatening to rain. In fact, by the time we were to reach our destination, we would be in a full-out downpour! Our wonderful camp host, Florinda, made us a hearty breakfast of sopapillas (a type of homemade Chilean fry bread) and scrambled eggs before sending us on our way. The road conditions didn’t improve, but at least we were on the valley floor, naviga

We began the day with a typical Chilean breakfast at the home of the owner of the small campground. Our camping experiences have felt more like homestays, offering an authentic glimpse into the people and culture of Patagonia. The warmth and kindness of the Chileans have been a highlight of this trip, and we are grateful to those who have welcomed us into their homes. Today's ride was essentially a continuation of yesterday, but it felt even more remote as we journeyed to the

Sunday, February 8, 2026. Cochrane to El Risquero Camping. 47 miles. We left the town of Cochrane on a cloudy day, heading southwest back toward the western coast as bad weather loomed on the horizon. Cochrane is the last post along the Carretera heading south that has enough infrastructure to have a bank and a pharmacy. From here on, we are going to be out there . We hoped to complete the entire Carretera Austral in just four more days of riding: two days to the small vil

The road south of Cochrane took us through the most remote areas of the Carretera. To reach O’Higgins, the terminus of the Carretera Austral, it will take three nights and four riding days, including today. Two of those three nights will be camping since the only settlement with lodging is in Caleta Tortel, which is two riding days from Cochrane. We had planned to take time off in Cochrane, but the weather forecast shows approaching snow and winter conditions. We hope to make

There seems to be something special and magical about each ride we have taken along the Carretera Austral. Today was no exception. We left Green Baker Lodge relatively early, knowing we had a challenging ride ahead that included two high passes. We rode alongside the Rio Bravo for the first few miles before starting the first major climb. As we ascended and looked back, we could see the confluence of the Rio Baker and Rio Neff. The view was stunning, with the unique colors of

Saturday, February 7, 2026. Puerto Bertrand to Cochrane. 30 miles. Our ride out of the Puerto Bertrand area along the Baker River was gorgeous! The air was cold, coming straight off the Northern Patagonia Ice Field to the west, but the sun was shining, and soon we were warm enough to remove our jackets. The road began with a stretch of rare pavement, and we were happy to be moving along. The pavement didn’t last long, and we soon found ourselves back on ripio, climbing stead

After an amazing day off at the Mallin Colorado Lodge, today’s ride was truly awe-inspiring. Although it was only 14 miles and should have taken about 1.5 hours, it ended up taking us well over three hours to complete—not due to the weather, which was perfect with a clear sky and summer temperatures that felt like a welcome relief from our previous ride. Instead, we were captivated by endless photo opportunities along the way.  Although we faced a couple of steep and challeng

February 6, 2026.    Mallin Colorado to Puerto Bertrand. 14 miles. Our day off at the Mallín Colorado Lodge on the southern arm of Lago Carrera was exactly the remedy we needed. The lodge sits above the lake, offering stunning views in a peaceful, nature-soaked setting. We kept warm, ate well, and slept soundly, and by today, we were ready for the next phase of our adventure. We knew this next stretch was going to be beautiful, made more so by the bright sunshine, and so we

February 4, 2026. Puerto Rio Tranquillo to Mallin Colorado. 30 miles. This morning dawned with clear blue skies, albeit about 10 degrees cooler than the previous days. The weather app promised a cool but clear ride—perfect for cycling along one of the most beautiful lakes I’ve seen, surrounded by towering peaks. The road rose steeply out of town, and by the time we were only four miles in, we had climbed 1,000 feet, and, much to our chagrin, discovered that the weather app

Today started with the sun shining brightly and warm temperatures. The planned route for the day would be tough and hilly but reasonable in terms of time and distance. Then, a big gray cloud covered the sun, and suddenly, the morning warmth vanished as a cold, wet air mass moved in. Dressed in shorts and a lightweight cycling jersey, hail began to pelt us from the front while the sun still shone behind us. We quickly sought shelter under a nearby bush, hoping this would be a