CARRETERA AUSTRAL - THE COMPLETE JOURNEY
CARRETERA AUSTRAL - THE COMPLETE JOURNEY
Distance:
1514,9 Km
Estimated time:
30 Dias
Difficulty:
3
HOW TO RATE THE DIFFICULTY OF A ROUTE OR A BICYCLE CIRCUIT?
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY:
1- Very easy: A very easy circuit, is suitable for people who can ride a bike on flat asphalt roads and then stop without stumbling. You must have basic notions of braking and shifting. You must have sufficient balance to ride the bike in a straight line without making sudden involuntary maneuvers to the sides.
2- Easy: to pedal on an easy circuit you need to have fluid shifting management that allows you to climb an asphalt slope or pedal on a flat surface without making greater effort, optimizing the energy of your legs at all times. You must also know how to differentiate and use both brakes correctly, the front and the rear.
3- Intermediate: to pedal a circuit of intermediate difficulty, you must master the skills mentioned above, both on asphalt and gravel roads and on low difficulty trails. You must also have an understanding of the correct body position on different terrains and braking precision on slippery terrain and on descents. It is important that you skillfully handle the gear change, both the plates and the sprockets.
4- Difficult: a difficult circuit is suitable for experienced cyclists who know how to pedal on uneven terrain with obstacles, climbs, descents and adverse conditions, such as mud, sand or stones. The cyclist must have good control and control the bicycle at all times, optimizing performance through precise use of gears. It is also necessary to understand how to take advantage of the acceleration of descents to successfully overcome dirt climbs and obstacles such as logs or loose rock.
5- Expert: to master an expert level circuit, it is necessary to train regularly and have physical strength. The pilot must be able to perform jumps and maneuvers at high speed without losing control at any time. It is necessary to master all pedaling, turning and braking techniques on narrow trails with steep slopes of more than 30%, and know how to avoid obstacles such as steps, rocks, roots and slippery ground with mud or dust.
PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY:
We cannot rate the physical difficulty of a bike route, since it strictly depends on the level of training that each person has. As a reference we can say that 35 kilometers by bike is approximately equivalent to 10 kilometers on foot. Circuits with many meters of ascent and gravel surface are more demanding from a physical point of view. In conclusion, we can affirm that a person with an average training, can pedal a distance of 35 to 45 kilometers without major inconvenience, during a period of 4 to 5 hours including rest stops.
If you opt for an e-bike, the physical effort decreases considerably, up to 60% less depending on your riding and pedaling skills.
Unevenness:
18.899 mts
Asphalt:
45 %
Gravel:
50 %
Ferry:
5 %
For Ebikes:
no
Pedaling 50 km per day, an average cyclist will take approximately one month to complete the journey of the Carretera Austral.
Summer is better
The summer of the southern hemisphere (December – March) is the best time to tour Patagonia by bike. To avoid the extremely harsh winter of southern Patagonia, you must finish the tour no later than the first days of April
North to south
Due to the prevailing winds from the northwest of Patagonia, the tour is designed to cycle from north to south, starting in Bariloche and ending in El Chaltén.
The suggested route has 1515 kilometers. 46% is asphalt, 49% gravel and the remaining percentage corresponds to ferry sections. To be successful on this journey you must be mentally and physically prepared. You must have camping skills, some experience in bicycle trips, basic knowledge of light mechanics and bike maintenance, technical clothing and camping equipment that are up to the challenge.
For this journey we offer the bike rental service with accessories + 50lt waterproof rear pannier kit + 15lt dry bag with front harness + shipment of excess luggage to destination + drop off in El Chaltén for a value of US$ 590. This value is a fix amount that covers up to 30 travel days + 3 resting days. After 33 days, an additional 20 dollars per day will be charged until the bicycle arrives to Chaltén. If you arrive in less than 33 days or decide to abort the trip early, we do not make refunds. The bicycle must be delivered safely in Argentina, or the warranty will be lost. For this massive trip we always deliver the newest and best units of our fleet. Before leaving we do a very thorough service and put new brake pads and a new chain. We also install a reinforced iron rear rack to minimize the risk of breakage.
If you are determined to make this trip, we recommend that you study the route, the supply points, distances between cities, costs and altimetries. We use MTB PRO ́s for this trip because they are easy to repair, and replacement parts can be found easily along the way.
For this task I recommend you thoroughly explore this website that I share below: https://www.bicyclepatagonia.com/
This site is the most complete, best laid out, most didactic and with the most information on the Carretera Austral on the entire internet.
PHOTO GALLERY
MAPS AND GPS
To view the route on your cell phone, you must first download Maps.me application from GPS APPLICATIONS. Then download the route in .KML format with DOWNLOAD ROUTE button and open it with the application. You will be able to see the route and your relative position without data connection anytime, anywhere.