Day 1:
The group left out of Osorno under sunny skies on the first of February. Most of the group had suffered from cancelled or delayed flights. I stayed behind to pick up two stragglers who didn't get in until after the tour had officially started. After a whirlwind start to the trip, we were all together in Bariloche.
Day 2:
We left out of Bariloche and headed south down Ruta 40. The winding mountainous roads began to open up into wide open spaces.
Day 3:
We left out of Esquel expecting a long day. We started by riding a winding dirt road through the nearby national park before turning south. The roads alternated between perfect pavement and rough dirt roads. Despite their small size and remote location, the roads are a main route through Patagonia. We shared the tiny rough road with busses, cars, bicycles, cows and hitchhikers.
Day 4:
We left the small fishing village of Puyuhuapi and followed the road south. The narrow gravel road wound its way along the edge of the water. We crossed the border into Chile.
Day 5:
After a night in the city of Coyhaique, we were ready to be in the wilderness again. We spent most of the day on the rough gravel roads known as "ripio".
Day 6:
We had spent the night outside the town of Puerto Guadal. The group continued on the gravel as we made our way through the Tres Lagos region. The narrow gravel road followed the edge of the water and provided spectacular views of the lakes. We made slow but steady progress as we climbed and descended the rough rocky road.
Day 7:
The group woke up to the sun rising over a working sheep ranch, known as Estancia Angostura. While eating breakfast, we watched as a herd of sheep were being driven out to pasture. We were out on the road early, knowing we had a long way to go and more rough roads to travel. The infamous Patagonian winds were beginning to pick up.
Day 8:
The group rode out of El Calafate heading west. We parked the bikes and took a short bus ride out to the Perito Moreno glacier. We watched as ice broke off the front of the glacier and crashed into the water below. After a short ride back to El Calafate, the group spent the rest of the day wandering through the small shops and cafes in town.
Day 9:
After a day of rest we were eager to get back on the road. Continuing south, we crossed back into Chile. After stopping for fuel, we made our way to a small hotel outside of Torres Del Paine National Park. Despite it's name, Hotel Tres Pasos is more like staying in someone's home. Being in the Patagonian wilderness means that heat comes from a fireplace and electricity comes from a generator. We settled in for the night with a drink next to the big fireplace.
Day 10:
We spent the day riding the dirt roads of Torres Del Paine National Park. Splitting into smaller groups allowed everyone to wander and photograph the endless sights within the protected wilderness. Guanacos, a wild animal related to the llama roamed the park freely. In the later afternoon, the three towering peaks decided to come out from behind the clouds. Exiting out the far side of the park we gathered again at Hotel Tres Pasos. We spent the evening recounting the day's riding over a traditional dinner of fire roasted lamb.
Day 11:
We continued making our way south. The land opened up into vast plains, stretching as far as the eye could see. The infamous Patagonian winds challenged everyone to hold a consistent course. At times, the wind had you leaning hard to one side just to keep the motorcycle going straight ahead. We made it to the Straits of Magellan just as the boat pulled up to the shore. The wind shook the boat to the point that everyone had to hold onto their motorcycle to keep them from getting thrown onto the deck.
Day 12:
We were now in Tierra Del Fuego. We road the dirt south and crossed back into Argentina. We followed the coastline before climbing into the mountains. Once over the final pass, we were at the gates of the southernmost city in South America, Ushuaia.
Day 13:
We ate breakfast while looking out over the Beagle Channel. We wound our way through the woods before arriving at the coast. This was the end of the road. Going any further would mean getting on a boat or plane. Apart from several islands, the next landmass is Antarctica. We looked out towards the south and recounted everything that had brought us there. We started out as a group of strangers, but over the last few weeks had come to know more about each other than most of us wanted to know. We had all fought through the same wind, been covered in dust, and picked up each others bikes.
Day 14:
We reluctantly loaded our bikes. For the first time, we knew we would be going north. We spent the morning at a small estancia on the coast. Taking a small zodiac boat, we powered out to a tiny rock of an island. There was a penguin colony that spent half the year there, in burrows. Being protected from predators, the penguins mostly ignored us and allowed us to walk among them. We finished the day with a short ride to Rio Grande.
Day 15:
We all knew today would be a final, long day of riding. We departed Rio Grande, retracing our route back to the north. We made one final border crossing back into Chile. After that it was a short ride across the plains back to the boat. Once across the Straits of Magellan, we refilled the bikes with fuel from the support truck before riding back into the wind. That evening we enjoyed our final dinner as a group. Many memories were made. We started a trip as a group of strangers, but ended the journey as a circle of friends.