This is one huge glacier - last winter it advanced to a nearby head land and blocked the outflow of half of the lake
18
Mar
Torres del Painne – tour from Puerto
Tour of Torres del Painne National Park from Puerto Natales
Perfect reflection
Towers of Pain - Torres del Painne
Just another great scene
Bikes and loads
Fixing Mauricio's rear hub - side of the road just after Chile border post - Loctite Cold Weld - worked all the way to Orsono and then around Valparaiso to the port
Robin's new rear tire from Punta Arenus needed a tube to stay up
Maricio & Jucelia about to leave El Calafate for Los Antiguos - a long day up Ruta 40 ripio - last day before his rear hub problem showed up
PACK HORSE - in the latter stages of Ruta 40 Di road pillion with Wim and Robin took the luggage
Time available to catch up now so here goes with a few photos
This sign sayes it all - WIND IN PATAGONIA
Do you go down the Desvio or try the new road?John looking good on the new road
John looking good on the new road
The end of John's second try at using the new road. first time had to return to start. Second time his bike had a lie down.
More straight roads on ripio
Murray on ruta 40 ripio
16 March – Valparaiso
Everybody is back at the hostel in Valparaiso after completing various trips.
In the last week the remainder of red and blue groups based themselves in Puerto Varas in a nice cabana. On the first day after arriving we decided to try travelling down the top section of the Austral highway from Puerto Montt. A persistently wet day that was expected to clear but never did. Murray and Peter did the sensible thing and bailed out prior to crossing the first ferry (at Rampa La Arena). The rest pushed on to the next stage and John’s demise (rock repair photo for a flat tire). This road was diabolical with so many pot holes that it was impossible to pick a good line to ride. After fixing John’s wheel, at a point halfway between Rampa Puelche and Hornopiren, we all decided to head for home before we broke something we could not fix.
Thursday we headed off to Chiloe Island with beautiful clear weather. We visited the main centers (Ancud & Castro) and got all the way to Quellon. Halfway down we found a fantastic lunch in the capital Castro. Mauricio joined us on the back of John P’s bike. A long day with a return about 8pm.The people of the area are certainly of a different background to those we have seen in other areas. Fishing is a big industry, forestry and some farming. Lots of trees around and all the wood stacks are neat and tidy. Stu and Wim had a day off. Henk, Eric and John had visited the area earlier when they disembarked from their ferry trip. Where else would you find oxen hitched together to pull loads.
Friday we set off on the first leg to Valparaiso. We chose to ride some back roads to Pucon with only a short burst on Ruta 5. Started the day wet and cold on a REAL back road. Police sign saying not to pass but we did not want to back track and decided it was worth a chance – worked out OK thankfully, but due to e misty rain we missed the views, particularly of the volcanoes in the area. As the day went on the rain stopped and temperatures improved, as did the views. Great sceney
We have enjoyed some of the best riding since leaving Esquel, especially after passing through Bariloche.
Wim, John P, Di and Robin travelled up from Pucon on Saturday. 900Km in 10 hours up Ruta 5. Was an easier trip than expected with much of the highway speed limit set at 120km.
Yesterday we headed off to the top of the Andes – Wim & John P on John’s bike, Di & Robin on the BMW (Wim left his bike in Valparaiso so as not to risk an issue with the oil leak from the final drive) – target location Christo Redentor – altitude 3,800 meters. A great trip in the mountains. Unfortunately the bureaucrats messed up the later part of the day by forcing us to cross to Argentina and then back again. We had all had enough of border crossings after this. The last getting into Chile was the worst of the trip as the idiots wanted one stamp after another with no obvious logic to what they do and definitely no consistency.
The remains of Red Group did the trip north in 2 days with a stop over in Linares, arriving in Valparaiso about 5pm, Sunday.
Colin and Eric arrived from Sandiago, and Mauricio arrived early Sunday, on a bus from Pucon. Picked his bike up Monday, so we are all back together.
Today (Monday) has been about cleaning bikes and getting papers sorted for despatching the bikes back to NZ. Tonight we will dine out for a trip finale before Colin heads off to Mendoza.
16 March – Valparaiso
Everybody is back at the hostel in Valparaiso after completing various trips.
In the last week the remainder of red and blue groups based themselves in Puerto Varas in a nice cabana. On the first day after arriving we decided to try travelling down the top section of the Austral highway from Puerto Montt. A persistently wet day that was expected to clear but never did. Murray and Peter did the sensible thing and bailed out prior to crossing the first ferry (at Rampa La Arena). The rest pushed on to the next stage and John’s demise (rock repair photo for a flat tire). This road was diabolical with so many pot holes that it was impossible to pick a good line to ride. After fixing John’s wheel, at a point halfway between Rampa Puelche and Hornopiren, we all decided to head for home before we broke something we could not fix.
Thursday we headed off to Chiloe Island with beautiful clear weather. We visited the main centers (Ancud & Castro) and got all the way to Quellon. Halfway down we found a fantastic lunch in the capital Castro. Mauricio joined us on the back of John P’s bike. A long day with a return about 8pm.The people of the area are certainly of a different background to those we have seen in other areas. Fishing is a big industry, forestry and some farming. Lots of trees around and all the wood stacks are neat and tidy. Stu and Wim had a day off. Henk, Eric and John had visited the area earlier when they disembarked from their ferry trip. Where else would you find oxen hitched together to pull loads.
Friday we set off on the first leg to Valparaiso. We chose to ride some back roads to Pucon with only a short burst on Ruta 5. Started the day wet and cold on a REAL back road. Police sign saying not to pass but we did not want to back track and decided it was worth a chance – worked out OK thankfully, but due to e misty rain we missed the views, particularly of the volcanoes in the area. As the day went on the rain stopped and temperatures improved, as did the views. Great sceney
We have enjoyed some of the best riding since leaving Esquel, especially after passing through Bariloche.
Wim, John P, Di and Robin travelled up from Pucon on Saturday. 900Km in 10 hours up Ruta 5. Was an easier trip than expected with much of the highway speed limit set at 120km.
Yesterday we headed off to the top of the Andes – Wim & John P on John’s bike, Di & Robin on the BMW (Wim left his bike in Valparaiso so as not to risk an issue with the oil leak from the final drive) – target location Christo Redentor – altitude 3,800 meters. A great trip in the mountains. Unfortunately the bureaucrats messed up the later part of the day by forcing us to cross to Argentina and then back again. We had all had enough of border crossings after this. The last getting into Chile was the worst of the trip as the idiots wanted one stamp after another with no obvious logic to what they do and definitely no consistency.
The remains of Red Group did the trip north in 2 days with a stop over in Linares, arriving in Valparaiso about 5pm, Sunday.
Colin and Eric arrived from Sandiago, and Mauricio arrived early Sunday, on a bus from Pucon. Picked his bike up Monday, so we are all back together.
Today (Monday) has been about cleaning bikes and getting papers sorted for despatching the bikes back to NZ. Tonight we will dine out for a trip finale before Colin heads off to Mendoza.
March 10 Entre Lagos north of Puerto Montt
The last few days have seen a change of plans because we could not go North from Chile Chico to Chaiten because of a fishermen’s strike. They blockaded a bridge and this stopped all fuel to the area we wanted to travel. Don,Peter, Murray, and John joined Diane, Robin, Wim and Stu in Chile Chico, and had to make the return to Argentina!
Mauricio and Jucelia were ahead of us and got to Coihaique to find no fuel to go on. Jucelia flew to Santiago and Mauricio managed to get petrol for a lawnmower. Just enough to escape east to Argentina.
We all joined up in Esquel a place we had all visited on the way south, after a long day, including a border crossing and another 110km of ripio on Ruta 40 – 610 km in all. Mauricio arrived late, around 10pm, and found us by good luck after some hunting. The terrain we covered was flat, dry luckily no wind. The sameness was broken by road signs! Desvio, Precaution – signs to inform us to take a detour, usually of several kilometres, usually running alongside the new road being constructed. John thought he would try his luck on the new road, only to discover metal road blocks at the end, the first requiring a return to the start and the second time an opsie where his bike had a little rest – no damage! Moral of story, don’t be tempted by that smooth looking newly formed road, stick to the rubble.
Bad news was Mauricio’s rear wheel hub had deteriorated further. Mauricio, Wim, Di and Robin set off early with the view of limping to Puerto Montt. Fantastic morning – clear, cool, no wind and great mountain views. Good progress and at the Argentina border post by about 2pm – then 40 kms to the Chile border post.
Just after clearing the border post Mauricio’s bike finally stripped the rear drive – 100 km from Osorno. We cleaned it all out again and glued it up. The rest of the group joined us about 5pm and helped carry Mauricio and his gear to Entre Lagos some 45 km away. Found some great cabanas to stay in.
We left the bike at the border and will go back for it morning of 10 March after the epoxy has set. If we are real lucky we will be able to get the bike to Osorno.
Looking forward we will get Puerto Montt today (10/3) and look to spend the next 2 days on Chiloe Island.
I’m feeling in the end of thw World, they should change the TAG of Fin del Mundo from Ushuaia to Coyhaique. 
1. There is no petrol on the city, due to the manifestations on the RUTA to Pt Chacabuco, petrol trucks are not able to come to the city, all the petrol stations are closed.
2. Chaiten is open for Ferry, but there is no accomodation there, and there is a risk to on the moment of arrive in Chaiten the city is closed, due to erruption risk.
3. Even if you decide to go by Ferry here are the options:
a – Chaiten – Quellon (Tuesday 10am) $ 16.300 moto + $ 18.700 p/person
b – Chaiten – Pt Montt (Monday 10am) $ 18.100 moto + $ 20.500 p/person
c – Pt Cisnes – Quellon (Tuesday 8:30am) $ 19.700 moto + 15.000 p/person (small ferry that come from Chacabuco, don’t know if there is space for motorcycle, always have for passengers.
d – Pt Chacabuco – Quellon (wednesday 10am) but the road still closed, and they are not selling tickets, till know for sure that the road is open.
I’m taking Jucelia to an Airport tomorrow in Balmaceda, where she will take a flight to Santiago, there are 2 flights one at 10:45am and other at 5:20am, the office from the air line is already closed and I have to by the ticket on the airport, flight from 10:45am is almost full, so we check If can get some gas for my bike today if not will try a shuttle.
I will follow to Argentina and go to Bariloche, planning on sleep in Esquel and after Bariloche, than go to Pt Montt and Osorno.
The trip up from Punta Arenas was pretty uneventful – just more of that ***** wind. Hooked up with Mauricio and Julcelia on arrival at hostel Yagan House. Checked in and then off to a delightful lunch of fish.
Next day we set off on the tourist thing to Torres del Painne – 12 hours in a mini van to the local National Park. We all ended the day totally satisfied. Great mountain scenery and luck with wildlife. Stopped to watch guanacho, nandu, deer. Also got to see a Condor at distance.
End of the road was lunch and a decent try out for Robin’s mending leg. Forty minutes there and back to a look out for a glacier. Great view and workout.
Caught up with “RED” group for tea.
Unfortunately Colin’s bike has a problem with the driveshaft. Will truck to Santiago and catch up by bus.
Nest day Wim, Stu, Di & Robin pushed on to El Calafate. Clear day and little wind but still cool. Best days riding for a while. Arrived in El Calafate before 3pm and took in the sights of the town. A bit like Queenstown. Caters for the tourist and is a bit over priced.
Wednesday 4 March and we set off for Perito Merino glacier 80 kms up the road. Well worth the trip. Spectacular, huge glacier with regular calving of bergs.
Trip back to town broken by nice picnic lunch in a little wooded camping area. Have taken to buying lunch from the supermarket when we can. Better than cafe / restaurant food all of the time.
Red group caught up again this afternoon. They will go to the glacier tomorrow.
Currently have 7 bikes here. Mauricio has already gone North as he wants to get to the Atacama desert and back to Valparaiso by night of 16 March. Colin’s bike is on a truck, Eric, Henk and John M are somewhere near or north of Puerto Montt. (ahead of us by a few days).
More bad news. Mauricio’s bike has a problem with the rear wheel (5 Mar). Seems the wheel hub has flogged out on the drive spline. Managed to buy some repair material in El Calafate Thursday morning.
Now travelling North (Wim, Stu, Di and Robin) to catch up with Mauricio in Los Antiguos near the Chile border on Friday. Will try a repair as suggested by Darryl at Mount motorcycles. With a bit of luck and KIWI number 8 wire we should get Mauricio back to Valparaiso on his bike.
Flat Flat country ALL WID SWEPT
