There are plans, and then there is reality. First day on the bike, an easy 200km one or two gravel passages, just to get a feel for it and at the end a nice camping ground at the beach.

The good news are none of us threw his bike away and we did not even knock them over. Riding was pretty slick and our first time hitting gravel went without a hitch. The bad news are, even though the camp site had an amazing view, it was not a camp site, and the wind was really strong. So having ridden 200km we had to move on finding a place for the night which turned out to not be so easy and in the end we rode till 22:00 hrs and did about 340 km with about 40 km on gravel.
It was a good day.

On to the second day. To be honest on the second day we only did ~70km as we came by a lake and an actual campsite. The weather was beautiful and down at the lake there was not as much wind as up top on the ridgeline. Sadly as we overshot the junction and had to turn around, Stefan dropped his bike, which put quite a dent into his mood.

Regardless, we chose the campsite to stay as it was pretty nice and we still had to make our own bed for the first time this trip. As on all of our previous trips we never slept in a tent tent. The one we had on top of the car, well there was not much building needed. But see for yourself.

Once the tent was done, it was on to relaxing enjoying the view and take a swim. Stefan had still a runny nose, so he did not go for a swim. Rather enjoyed the sun, the view and the coffee.

The rest of the day was uneventful and we planned the route for our next day.

Day 3 started of with a rather extensive gravel passage down to the coast, and then following the coast line down to Chanco where we stayed at a CONAF camp site. Which we had almost to ourself. The tentbuilding went much faster then the first time. Being in a forest with about 30 m high trees around shielded us from the wind. And the night sky was, oh well

Day 4 – It started late, due to my running schedule, but Stefan was quite patient, so the riding only started at 11:30. And it did only take about 40 km before i made a stop at a cafe by the coast. This stop took much longer then expected as the owner was interested in who we were and we did get into a discussion. After the stop it was about 50 km of gravel which was only shortly interrupted by asphalt. Anyway you could not get closer to the cost and we saw some sea lions fighting with gulls about who gets to eat which fish.

Stefan´s situation had deteriorated, and the cold that he brought over from Germany was now developing a fever. I guess the two nights in the tent did not help. Not that they were freezing but they did not help either. So we made camp in Concepcion where he immediately got into bed and slept until 08:00 Sunday morning. The only time he stepped out of the hotel room was in the morning for breakfast. So the fever has subsided, and we made plans for a campsite on Monday but that is dependent on his health.

Monday came and Stefan was well enough to travel, and well enough to go for a night in the tent. So we mapped out a route to a camp ground close to Angol. The route was uneventful, some paved roads, some gravel, up towards a national park. That park would have had another camp site, but as it is above 1000m sealevel we opted for the one below. However that camp site was closed Regardless the spot was really pretty on a river with a little cascade of “rapids”, so wildcamping it was. Luckily the river was not too cold and after going for a run i took the opportunity to do some light body cleaning in that river.

We got back into our old rythm of Stefan taking care of the kitchen and myself of the housing. Getting the tent up and livable currently takes about 20 mins, depending in what kind of a hurry i am. We still need a bigger tarp to go underneath the tent but tht only becomes a problem if there is rain and thus far we have been spared.

The next day took us on 30 km gravel up to close to the national park and again the scenery was quite lovely with some very wide views sunshine and mountains and unicorns ;-). After that we crossed through the flatlands and reached the base of the Andes. And – oh well – the Andes. You turn a corner and suddenly on the horizon there is a snow-covered vulcano amidst all green forests and grasslands. We did not take the Ruta 181 to Lonquimay (the destination for this day) but took the other side of the mountain.

Which led us on a rather nice gravel road up the mountain, where there is even a small skiing resort. The road as well offered a nice view of the two vulcanos Lonquimay is known for. Reaching our destination the camp site we wanted to go for is currently undergoing renovations, but one of the workers directed us to an eldery couple offering agro camping a few km back up the mountain. they did have some a bathroom with toilet and shower (cold of course) no electricity and even the cell reception was spotty at best. Regardless we had the spot to ourself, there were no noises except the animals and a beautiful starry night sky.

We as well created a little video while on the Ruta N-42.

Till next time
happy hacking everyone