Patagonia: Volcanoes & Monkey Puzzles
Patagonia, Chile & Argentina
A point-to-point ride through the heart of Chilean Patagonia, from the lakes and valleys of the south up into the volcanic Araucania. It links loose valley gravel, soft volcanic sand, and a rough border crossing into Argentina through ancient monkey puzzle forest. It is remote, physical, and a long way from the nearest bike shop.
Northern Patagonia's best mountain towns, in both Chile and Argentina
Wild old-growth monkey puzzle tree forests, high up on the volcanoes
Remote routes that see a fraction of the bikepackers the Carretera Austral does
Ainsley and I rode this over 22 days on loaded gravel bikes, testing a set of carbon wheels against everything Patagonia could throw at them. The long version of that story, wheel truing and all, is in the full write-up. The route strings together sections of the Patagonia Beer Trail, the Dirt Touring Araucania network, and that seldom-ridden border crossing first published by Mark Watson at High Lux Photo. A little over half of the 1,112 km is dirt, with something like 16,000 metres of climbing along the way. Budget three weeks. And don't kid yourself about the fitness required: this is a big, committing ride for someone who's done a big, committing ride before.
Out in the Puelo Valley the gravel turns to loose rock and washboard fast, but the real crux is the border: those twenty-odd kilometres of steep, rocky singletrack through Lago Puelo National Park where hiking and riding blur together. The rule there is unforgiving. Clear both countries' border posts the same day, or you'll be sent back the way you came. We planned around it for months. It still took longer than we budgeted.
After clearing the border, the route gets easier for a few days. Pavement miles link El Bolsón and Bariloche, before a stunning section leads out through the Argentine Pampa and back into the mountains at San Martín de los Andes. These three towns are as nice as Patagonia gets, with a resort-like atmosphere like Aspen, Banff, or Chamonix.
North of there, the Araucania turns generous in a different way. The volcanic sand is wild. Loose enough to punish a bad line. Firm enough to reward a good one. And the climbs through old-growth monkey puzzle forest between Melipueco and Lonquimay are the highest, hardest stretch of the whole route, above 1,500 metres. Lonquimay's pavement, when it finally arrives, feels better than it has any right to.
This is remote country, but the logistics are far easier than the climbing. Resupply is never more than a day away, with quality grocery stores popping up in even the smallest towns. Anywhere with more than a few houses will likely have a small store, fresh bread, and free-range eggs for sale. While it's important to carry more food than feels reasonable for the Lago Puelo section, it's straightforward everywhere else. Bike repair can be a real challenge, so carry everything you're comfortable fixing on your own. Summer, roughly November through March, is the only real window.
Twenty-two days after that laugh at the border post, I'd do the whole crossing again tomorrow. Hike-a-bike. Underestimated fitness. All of it. If you want to build toward something like this, our shorter bikepacking routes will get your kit and your legs ready, and Colombia's Shores to Peaks is the next rung up, if Patagonia isn't enough South America for one lifetime.
