More About Patagonia

While I was aware of the Patagonia region, taking a trip there wasn't a trip I had really thought about much.  I become a little more intrigued with the idea when a friend of mine (Bill), along with several other riders did a major adventure by riding the entire length of South America.  It was called Expedition 65.  To learn more, go to expedition65.com.  The ride was named such because it is 65 degrees of latitude from the top to the bottom of South America plus they completed the trip in 65 days.  If you enjoy watching adventure travel movies, I would encourage you to look at the video that was created from their trip.

While I enjoyed watching the Expedition 65 journey, I knew I did not have the off-road riding experience to come even close to what these guys were capable of and so I didn't think more about riding in South America.  That started to change when Pradeep asked me about motorcycle trips to Patagonia.  I provided him the name of some companies I knew that did tours there and I thought my involvement would end there.  It got more interesting again when he said he was in the planning process for a trip there and was looking for people to join him.  At first, I was very hesitant primarily due to my concern with my very limited off-road riding experience.  While I have driven motorcycle for many years and many many miles, it has been mostly limited to pavement.  I knew a trip to Patagonia would require riding on dirt.  The question that was continuously in my mind was "Do I have enough riding skills to handle the dirt roads?"  After talking with Bill and Pradeep and after doing more research, I convinced myself I was up to the challenge and said "Yes".

Patagonia is on the bucket list for many motorcycle riders due to the beautiful scenery that varies from the Andes mountains, to the lakes, glaciers, and waterfalls, and to the desert like conditions we will encounter.  Also, the roads are better maintained in Argentina and Chile than is some other parts of South America (at least that is what I am counting on!).

I am expecting we will encounter a variety of weather conditions on this trip.  At the southernmost part of this trip, we will only be about 600 miles from Antarctica.  So even though it will be summer time, the average high temperatures in this area are only around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  As we adventure north the temperatures should be warmer.  However, we will also be criss-crossing the Andes mountains.  These elevation changes will be sure to bring cooler temperatures at times as well.  In addition to the temperature, wind will likely be a factor as well.  The area from 40 - 49 degrees latitude where we will be riding is named the "Roaring 40's" for the high winds in this area.  If you watch the Expedition 65 video, you can see the wind that group experienced going through this area.

Dressing in layers is going to be critical for this trip!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The "Roaring 40's" Didn't Disappoint (Monday, December 17 - Punta Arenas to Rio Grande)

Image
As I mentioned in one of the earlier posts, the area we are riding in now (between 40 and 49 degrees of latitude) is called the "Roaring 40's" for the very windy conditions.  That is exactly what we had all day today.  It didn't take long after we left Punta Arenas this morning to feel the forces of the wind.  We quickly learned that riding here is not for the faint of heart or for those without adequate riding experience.  For much of the day, it took all the strength, weight, and will-power we had to keep the bike on the road.  Much of the day was spent riding with the bike leaned over just to make it go straight with the very strong side winds.  Needless to say, we are a little tired tonight. Most of the land in the area we are riding now is very flat and very desolate.  Occasionally there are some rolling hills but there is not a lot to photograph from that perspective.  There are 2 things we did see a lot of today and that was sheep and gu...
Read more

Blessings!

As I am about to depart for yet another great motorcycle trip, I am reflecting on the many blessings in my life.  I must always remember how fortunate and blessed I am to be able to do these adventures. Cathy First, for my wife Cathy that again encouraged me to take this opportunity when it came along.  She knows that as we age, some of these adventures will no longer be possible so she supports doing them now while I still can. Also, she was ok with the fact that due to the timing of this trip, we will not be together for Christmas this year.  Cathy and I have been married 35 years and we have always been together for Christmas. Family I have 2 great daughters that are both doing well, are well educated as demonstrated by their Doctorate and PHD degrees, and are making major contributions to society through their work and lives.  What more could a parent ask for?  It is such a blessing to not have to worry about how a child is doing or what they are do...
Read more

Patagonia Adventure

Image
On Saturday, December 15, I will begin another motorcycle adventure. This will be my first trip to the continent of South America.  Specifically, I am going to Patagonia which is the southernmost tip of South America and includes sections of both Argentina and Chile.  One of the stops is the town of Ushuaia which is the southernmost town (of any size) on the planet!  At this point we will only be about 600 miles from Antarctica.  Fortunately, it will be summer there, but because we will be so far south during part of the trip and we will be criss-crossing the Andes mountains at times, some warm riding gear is going to be required. The trip is being arranged through Moto Rent Adventure.  This is very small group tour; just myself and Pradeep (who happens to be my manager as well!) who orchestrated the creation of this trip and was kind enough to asked if others wished to join him.  The trip will be 2 weeks in length with travel starting on Dec 15 and...
Read more