Adventures on two wheels
After a few relaxing days over Christmas in Bariloche, we change our route plans once again. As stunning as this northern part of Patagonia is, I think we hit it at just the right time, just before Christmas. When everybody was busy making last minute preparations, we got to enjoy this magnificent landscape with hardly …
We get a bus to Temuco. It takes 8 hours overnight and suddenly we’re in central Chile surrounded by green forests, flowing rivers and glaciated volcanoes! Our other option would have been to weave in and out of built up areas for two weeks to get here, and we’re at the point now where we …
The night before we leave Mendoza the rain finally comes. After three weeks in incredible heat it’s very welcome. It starts slowly and builds quickly until we feel like we’re experiencing an Indian monsoon. I sit outside for a while, enjoying the feeling of cool water hitting my face, before retreating inside. Our bikes finally …
We head south on the main road for twenty or so miles before turning right and heading upwards, doing a loop of the Calchaquies valley, which is meant to be an uphill climb with some hairpin bends, beautiful vistas, and a nice off-road hill section. We could carry on south on the main road and …
The first thing I notice on crossing the border are trees, it’s been a while since I’ve seen any! We’ve only dropped maybe 200m in height but already Argentina seems greener. I’ve really missed running rivers and trees! There are still llamas but now there are also cows, sheep and donkeys. There’s more life here …
We cross the tiny border at Kasani and head five miles along the shores of Lake Titicaca to Copacabana. It’s a small town with a seaside feel. Restaurants line the front with multiple small piers for the tourist boats to moor. There’s a beautiful huge white church in the Plaza de Armas that stands out …
I’m sitting in one of the many beautiful courtyards in Cusco, Peru, enjoying the morning sun with a coffee. After almost three weeks in the stunning high altitude mountains it’s feels really good to stop and relax. Although easier said than done, when you’ve been going for so long it’s not that easy to unwind! …
In the end we spend 9 nights in Huaraz, the popular mountain town surrounded by the Cordillera. I was here six years ago and it’s good to be back, it feels like nothing much has changed, even the nice cafe bar that I spent time in is still here. It’s a bustling town, the centre …
Cycling the stunning Huascaran circuit in Peru
Where Colombia was like an easy beach holiday, and Ecuador a series of life long lessons, Peru is so beautiful it completely feeds my soul. It feels incredibly remote and wild, and it’s difficult to capture an image of the seemingly never ending mountains and valleys. It’s even more difficult to describe it, but it …