Bariloche to El Calafate 27 1 12

Bariloche 

Bariloche was OK but not a town I would go back too , very different from San Martin de los Andes which I liked a lot  . 

Bariloche

After Bariloche we were on way to Esquel 

Top and bottom on our way to Esquel 

Lots of big roads and beautiful weather 

As above 

Esquel was a small farming town with not a lot of charm , but for us the gate way to the Carretrea Austral , which is in Chile  . It's about 1000kms of Ripo or gravel roads as we call them , through some very spectacular country and scenery  

Above just before the border and we are into the Ripo 

below at the border 

Above a Tiger shot 

The Carretera Austral is some of the most beautiful country in the world , with heaps of lakes and spectacular mountains 

And as I say heaps of Gravel roads (lots not more than tracks), some were good some were terrible but mostly we took it easy and on the first day we cover about 260kms . With Bob going down and yes me dropping the Tiger again 

 Lots of dust , look at the great adventurer below 

I think he need a shave more than any thing  

Below 

Arriving in the  small town called Puyuhuapi , Population 300 . We stay here in a cabana , a great town for a stop over 

Sun set in Puyuhuapi

Next day more Gravel , about another 260kms we thought , but to our luck it was only about 100kms, the rest was Tarmac . The 100kms of Ripo was bloody hard going, with a mountain to climb 

and a lot of loose gravel . The roads have a hard base , but with a lot of loose on the top , its not nice (a bit like marbles on glass) .

On the way through 

Next was Coihaique , but before we got there we stop in for something to eat in a little town called Manhuales , which was just before the Ripo stopped . Terry happened to notice that one of his panniers was hanging off , well all three of the guys bikes had  broken Pannier mounts . So it's into a local engineers shop for some work to be done  . This took about 2 hrs as the guys had to strip down the bikes, including taking off the sub frames for wielding , the old BMWs just didnt like the ripo .  The Tiger with its  new suspension just glided over it , but the BM's just don't have the suspension like i do (remembering that they are 20years old )

Below arriving Coihaique , a very nice farming town with lots of great country around it .

Below my gear after 2 full days of Ripo 

The guys decided that the bikes were not up to the Ripo (and I think they made the right decision ) ,so the next day we parted company . They went back over to Argentina and I continued on down the Austral 

I had a 2 day trip around Lago (Lake) Gral Carrera which is the seconds biggest in South America I had approx 300kms on Ripo 

I enjoyed some of the most remarkable scenery ever , I just loved it . I run into a couple of Dutch people that were walking around South America (crazy , they had walked over 4000kms so far )

Around the lake 

Half way round the lake there are the Famous Marble Caves 

By the time I got to the caves I had been adopted by a bus full of Chilean tourists . So when it came time to go see the caves I was ferried on with them (other wise is was a 1.5 hrs wait )

They kept calling me the gringo , with great laughs and a lot of photos of them with me . I had a great time with them 

Below the Marble Caves 

Then it was on to Puerto Guadal another small town on the lake population approx 400 

Thats not me below 

Looking back the next day leaving Puerto Guadal 

The next day it was approx 124kms of Ripo  to get to Chile Chico and back into Argentina . 

I had planned to stay in Pertio Moreno , but I arrived early and thought that I would make the next day a little easier 

Just before arriving Chile Chico 

So the next stop was Bajo Caracoles about 124kms down the Ruta 40 . 

A lot of the Ruta 40 has been sealed now ,so to get to Bajo Caracoles there was only about 30kms of ripo 

Baja Caracoles population 40 

The next day I had to make El Chalten approx 535kms with about 350kms being ripo . 

The temperature here , so the guy tells me that I stayed with said , gets down to 30degs below in winter 

Ruta 40 

After a long day in the saddle I arrived in El Chalten , a very very pretty town with Mount Fitz Roy just looking down on it (picture postcard stuff )

Population summer heaps , winter bugger all 

Lots of Adventure Tourists come to El Chalten for the hiking and climbing and all the other usual Adventure sports 

Before leaving I took a 80kms trip in land to look at the lake above , all on Ripo

Above and below  leaving El Chalten 

Next  El Calafate and the reunion with the guys , which was great .

El Calafate is probably the most touristy town that I have come across so far on this trip . There are just 1000s of them , all come to see huge Glacier Perto Morena . 

Its 30kms long ,5 kms across and stands 75mts above the water . It's  1 of 3 in South America that are still growing , I tell you it is quite a sight 

Pictures below all of the Glacier 

As you can see it was not very warm either 

Terry and I went on a boat ride up to the Glacier as well