Any advice for Routa 40,Patagonia?Please..

[motoride]

I will go down to Routa 40 around the late of Oct.

When I see the map,
From Mendoza-Bariloche- Esquel -Rio Mayo is paved,but
From Rio Mayo to El calafate is Unpaved.

Regarding this unpaved section of Routa 40,I don´t know if I can make it or not.

I ride F650GS solo without camping gear and very not good at mud road.
I had cross Uyuni desert to Chile border for 3 days,following tour jeep.
But,I will never try such kind of road again..I was so scared to death..!!
Thanks to Uyuni,I had to get rid of both side pannier(I found that it was too
heavy when the frame was broken at each side) and I had to rest 2 weeks
here Buenos Aires as my neck was swalloen ,so tired..

Please,let me know.
1.Accomodation and gasoline
2.Road condition and weather at this time.especially for the MUD::

If there is no accomodation and road is muddy,I will GIVE UP::!!

Thanks..
Se whan,Kang

[martheijnens]

I did the Ruta 40 in JANUAR 2005 from Perito Moreno to El Calafate and further down. There is accomodation in Perito Moreno, in Bajo Caracoles, in Tres Lagos (the patrol station just outside town has overnight facilities) and of course in El Calafate. It is a tough ride, unpaved road with lots of gravel and very strong winds. On spots road can be muddy. In october it is still very cold in this area. However if you drive slowly and carefully and equiped for winter conditions it should be not a big problem. And very beautifull scenery! If you hesitate, take ruta 3 down to south. Also beautifull scenery.

Have a good ride!

Mart Heijnens

[rauleloy]

HOLA, sory mi English is not very good. Do you can read Spanish?
You are in correct think: to Rio Mayo the route is paved. Then, it is unpaved to Perito Moreno, there are acomodation. CAUTION: DONT GO AHEAD IF THE WETHER IS RAINING. Then, is on construction the paved to Bajo Caracoles, there are not acomodation but have got gasoline. Then are 350 Km to Tres Lagos with acomodation and gasoline, this part are in good form, you can ride to 70 Km/h but is an desert. Then, there is new paved to El Chalten with acomodation very expensive for argentine people, perhaps not for you.
We (my fried Enrique and I) make the trip on january 2006, from El Calafate we went to Punta Arenas, then Ushuaia, then go back to Bahia Blanca on the route 3 . I have got lote of information for you, Write me SALUDOS
Raúl

[motoride]

Thanks guys..
If there is a place I can sleep and gasoline,as you told me,
I will go ride..!!
I´d like to go down Routa 40 for Ushuaia then go up Routa 3 for Buenos Aires.

It reminds me Dempster highway to Inuvik,the northern city of Canada.
It was 750Km good gravel road and only have one service station at
350Km point. I felt so wonderful when I rode this road last year,but
have a fatal accident,slept away at 100km per hour..!!
The reason why I rode so fast is that there are so much mosquitos for camping.
So I tried to make 750Km on ONE day..
I was so lucky to have no broken bone but the original BMW pannier was
totally smashed with windshield. So I made a new pannier myself,cutting sign
board of national part at TOK,Alaska. It took me 2 weeks to make it.
This is the pannier I got ride of at Uyuni. I felt so sad,but its good for my
bike as the lighter,the better for shock,tire,sprocket...
Also I don´t have camping gear now as I become sick and tired of camping
everyday. I had camp out for 6 months almost everyday when I ride US and Canada. So I dump it out before do down to Mexico.

Anyway,I hope to have NO RAIN in Routa 40..!! It sounds very scared to me..

Any more advice is welcomed..

[HROlaf]

Hi motoride,

the Routa 40 it is normally into a good condition. But in February 2006 I met at Los Antiguos to bikers who ride the road after a rainy day. See below:



We ride the road three days later and the road condition was good. To good!!! Because I had a bad accident near to the Lago Cardiel. I finished my trip with a triple salto and break my leg

Be carefull with the gravel. Caused by the long roads straight ahead you will forget your real speed. We ride between 80-90 km/h. It was really to fast. But I think, you know how to ride on gravel roads!!!





But, don´t worry, it is a nice trip through the wide landscape of patagonia.



Between Baja Carajoles and Tres Lagos there is no fuel station for 340 km. I could recommend you the road from Los Antiguos (Lago Buenos Aires) to Lago Pueyrredon/Lago Posadas along the chile border. Very beautyful. But you must carry enough fuel for about 250 km, because the fuel station at Lago Posadas it is may be without fuel. Also don´t miss the cueva de los manos near to Baja Caracoles. At Baja Caracoles you will find a fuel station and some place to sleep. But nothing special. May be to a special price. We don´t asked for it and stopped later at Estancia Tamel Aike and find a sleep in the rooms for the Road construction worker. Very run down, but dry and warm ;-)

Take care, relax and have a nice trip through Patagonia!!

Olaf

Here you will find more information about the actual roadcondition.

http://www.ruta0.com/

[motoride]

Thanks HROlaf...!!

Oh,I´m so sorry to hear that you had an accident.
I´m a just beginner of dirt road,so my riding plan on dirt road is
RIDE VERY SLOW..!!
I usually ride 40-50 Kph at gravel road and that´s why it took me
at least 6-8 hours to ride 200Km gravel road.
This is the reason why I´m worried about accomodation at Routa 40.
I really don´t like to ride fast just to get to the only Hotel on the road.

Thanks for your webpage for great picture..!!!

[HROlaf]

Thats OK! I´m sometimes like to ride sportily and forget the best way of traveling. S L O W! You will see more and would not have any heavy accident.

But you can make the ride vom Los Antiguos to Lago Posadas in one day. There is a Estancia with accommodation between the two Lakes. But don´t ask me for the price. We stay on a camping some more kilometers after the Estancia. Its located directly on Lago Pueyrredon. Nice Place. Into town of Lago Posadas it is a fuel station (may be with fuel)

Next day to Cuevos de los manos via Baja Caracoles and back to Baja Caracoles (fuel station)

Next day from Baja Caracoles to Gobenador Greorges (fuel station). Visit there Hospital and send my best greetings to Olga. The nice Radiographia!!!

From there down to the lakes!!

Don´t miss these Part of Patagonia and don´t go via boring Ruta 3. The Ruta 3 it is for the way back to the north a good solution. On the way back you had to visit my friend Miquel Dominguez at Puerto Madryn:

huellasdelsur@hotmail.com

A lot of travelling bikers stay in his house. May be you meet him on the road, because he is planing to go the south in november.

Best regards

Olaf

[motoride]

When I see the map,there are no major road between
Los Antiguos to Lago Posadas along chile border.
Can I find the right way? It looks like very small road..
Also,where is the Estancia? I cannot find.

where is a sandy part from Rio Mayo to El Calafate?
Sand and deep grave is my biggest enemy..!!!
I was scared to death when I ride this kind of road in Uyuni tour.
And where is the most toughest section? I have to consider double riding time
at above enemy section..

Regarding Ferry..
No problem from Quellon of Chiloe island,Chile to Chaiten,Argentina
around the late Oct or the early Nov?

Thanks for email of your friend..!!

[HROlaf]

The Track from Los Antiguos to Lago Posadas it was into a very good condition in FEBRUARY. Easy to go. I don't remember any very big sandy parts. Sometimes two lanes sometimes more. See below:



From Los Antiguos you have to follow signs to Lago Posadas Camping. But it is recommended to carry a good map with you. ACA Maps or Firestone. If you need a map I will send you a scan from these part. Below you will find a view on the route by google earth:



For actual road condition asked located people in Los Antiguos.

The Estancia is located directly at Lago Pueyrredon. It is not beetwen the lakes.

Here you will find the link to the Estancia:

http://www.suyai.com.ar/Ubicacion-mapa.htm

The 40 beetween Rio Mayo and Gobenador Greorges it is sometimes like a big Highway:



Please contact me if you had any more questions.

Best regards

Olaf

[HROlaf]

Here you could find some more Estancias into this area.

http://www.cielospatagonicos.com/english/index.html

Asked there also for road condition.

Best regards

Olaf

[honchoandbingo]

you rule...new favorite friend.

we are about 6 weeks behind you in honduras. you´ve been were we are trying to go.

please email us at markkirkendall@mac.com

or check us out at roundtheworldorbust.com and waitgo.com

thanks,

mark

[motoride]

Dear Guys,

It just take me two days from Perito Moreno to El Chalten..
After I left from Perito Moreno,I see the famous cave painting then
stay at Hostal in Bajo Caracoles. Here also I put a gasoline in Coca cola
plastic bottle, 3 liter..for 350Km to Tres Lagos..
Next day,I ride almost 500Km from Bajo Caracoles to El Chanten,
I start at 9 am and finish 9 pm on same day..12 hours..

The Routa 40..
Honestly speaking,I´ve so disappointed at this road..
It just a very boring good gravel road with crazy wind..
The road condition was very OK so I can ride 80Km per hour,but
it was very very very boring..Nothing to see..No scenery..

So I heard that two bikers have a big accident on that day..
One has slide away with 1200GS and the other hit the car seriously..
I met these two guys before the day,so I´m very sorry to hear that..

So,please remind that..
Go slowly..Maximum 80Km per hour..
But I know that it will be very hard..
WHy?

Because It is too boring...

Carretera Austral..from Chaiten to Chile Chico in Chile,
is much more beautiful and georgous road.
I took hundreds of pictures on this road,but
I took only 10 photos in Routa 40,
WHy?

Because It is too boring...

But,I can meet such a different kind of people on
Routa 40,because everybody on this road has a
very special story..What a wonderful life..!!

Cheers..!!