South America trip planning and advice
 

Hi all,

I've been wanted to get to South America for a while now, and am now planning for 2015.

I've taken to the idea of using using Grimaldi lines and doing a freight cruise for ease of bringing my bike to the continent and just for the sheer hell of it. Then get my bike freighted for the return journey and fly back.

I'm planning to land in Uruguay, though my main areas of interest are Chile and Bolivia with little of Argentina and Peru thrown in.

I'm not really sure on when to go, as the 'ideal' time to go varies a fair bit (for the things I want to see)

So far in no particular order I'd like to see:

Perito Moreno glaciers
Aucanquilcha - I fancy trying to ride up that pass (formerly the worlds highest - though apparently blocked after 5,500m now)
Salar de Uyuni - salt flats have gotta be fun a motorcycle or even a tour
Yungas Road - mostly full of cyclists now
Colca Canyon - looks epic

Other than that, I like to ride a mixture of roads, not get soaked every day, and not freeze to death.

Any friendly advice?

Hmm. I guess I need to figure out whether I west from Montevideo and head to towards Chile and Bolivia, or whether I go South towards to El Calafate.

I want to try and hit the salt flats when they are dry.

no advice on offer here, but as i'm planning South in 2016, i'm tuned in...:mchappy:

I've got a big black hole I will need to fill between Buenos Aires and El Calafate (Perito Moreno).

What is there to see on the way? Where in particular would you guys recommend?

The closer you ride to the Andes, the better the scenery. Some routes will be gravel, dirt etc.

I can tell you about the part starting from Zapala (Neuquén Province), going south via secondary roads, avoiding ruta 40 as much as possible.
From Zapala we took ruta 46 then ruta 23 to Junin de los Andes. On the way there are numerous detours to the west, to lakes and ridges etc. All great.

From Junin de los Andes we headed to San Martin de los Andes and then via ruta 234 to Villa Angostura. Amazing ride. Again, there are numerous detours to the west (lakes etc).

From Angostura south to Bariloche (boring), then on to El Bolson, Esquel and Trevelin. From that point on, we turned into Chile, intercepted the infamous ruta 7 (carretera austral) and it was simply magic.

We re-entered Argentina a few hundred kilometers further south, at lake General Carrera/Lago Buenos Aires. From the town of Perito Moreno - which is not the glacier, just they have the same name - is a boring stretch on ruta 40 all the way to Calafate.

That's what we did, back in 2012. Remember, along the whole route that I described, there are numerous alternatives, depending on how adventurous your mood is going to be, and how much are you willing to ride on gravel and - depending on weather - possible mud.

You can have a look at some pictures, on my blog and my wife's blog. Language is greek, but images are universal :)

At the end of each post, I also have some screenshot of maps and tracks we followed.

The relevant posts start from this one: Παταγονια, στους δρυμους Lanin, Nahuel Huapi & Los Alerces | road spirit (and continue reading to newer posts etc)

and at the same time, more photos on Helen's blog, starting from this post:
Παταγονία, δρυμοί Lanin, Nahuel Huapi & Los Alerces | latris mixanis

John.

Best time overall is winter for Bolivia, Peruvian highlands and northern Chile and the pampas of Argentina ie June-July. But spring and fall can be great as well due to fewer gringos (domestic tourism differs). The best time for Patagonia is arguably March-April due to low season and less crowds, apparently the wind lays off around end of Feb. Forget Amazon or even Andes in rainy season (January/Feb) unless you like MUD. Of course being such a big place you won't get perfect weather all the time.

Road Spirit,

Is there much to see on the Atlantic seaboard of Argentina? Apart from Peninsula Valdez can't find much of a reason to leave behind the R40/Andean side of the country?

Hmm that sucks. It's going to be far too cold in the winter. Can't imagine what winter is like at 3,000+ meters.

I basically want it to be as warm as possible, If I'm camping in the Atacama desert and the like. The colder it is the more/bigger clothes and sleeping bag(s) I need to carry. I'm not adverse to weather, but I'd rather try at least to make things as easy as possible for myself.

I was looking at Patagonia in mid October, and should by up in Chile near Calama by early/mid November.

I'd expect to be coming home about January.

South America trip planning and advice
 

I was on the altiplano in November and the nights were cold, between -2 to -10 approx. You need a really good 3 season bag for the Salar, Ruta de Lagunas, etc even in summer plus thermals etc. Remember summer means rain for much of Bolivia and Peru, driving rain and high altitude make for cold, wet and frankly miserable days. This is why people favour the drier months of June to Aug (but April, May & Sep, Oct are fine too). It depends on where you want to go, the Atacama has an entirely different climate to say Lake Titkaka even though they are similar altitude and are both on the altiplano. FYI the Atacama desert nearly never gets rain. I've got thermals, two fleeces, cotton bag liner and -7c comfort sleeping bag, and still remember cold nights around the Ruta Lagos region! The salar floods supposedly in Feb but depends on how much rainfall lands further upstream as it floods due to overflow of lake titikaka and Ouruo not because of rain over the actual salar (so I read!). Any questions just ask :)

Thanks for the info.

The size of S.A and the varied climate makes planning a bit of a challenge.

Apart from Peninsula Valdez (which gets awfully crowded during summer), there are numerous penguin colonies along the way. Punta Tombo is probably the most famous, but you have to pay to get in. We visited another one, at Camarones. It is a much smaller colony, but entrance is free and you still get the chance to walk right next to these lovely creatures.

The track to Camarones is dirt and gravel (aprox 20 kilometers). There are lots of spots to do wild/free camp over there (before you enter the colony).

Other than that, we did not have the chance or time to explore the east coastal front. We were in a hurry and we had to make time to Buenos Aires.

Ruta 3 is boring, an endless straight, plains all around it.
One thing to watch for is that at the region between the 50th and the 51st parallel (latitude) the patagonian winds are the worst. We had a battle, literally.

One more thing. If someone chooses to ride to/from Buenos Aires on the east side, you should consider making a small detour to the city of Azul. There is located the Posta del viajero en moto. An Argentine biker, has made his shack a place for every traveler to stop by. Google it for coordinates and address. Many known travelers have passed by, such as Simon & Lisa Thomas, Jammin South etc....

Also, I agree with Cleland about turning your trip upside down. c-m you will find yourself in more pleasant riding conditions that way.

John.

Yep, over a sleep I was thinking go north west first. That way if Salar has a good chance of being dry-ish. I might even be able to head up to La Paz and junges road, and even all the way into Peru and Machu Picchu. Does that sound do able in a month?

Then head south to Colca Canyon and into the Atacama in northern Chile.

I'm not planning on going as far as Ushuaia, but at least this way I have the option if needed. There's a few things I want to see on both the Chilean and Argentinian side of Patagonia.

I can then end my trip in Buenos Aires, and perhaps with help from Dakar Motors, get my bike created and shipped home.

Haha, gotta enjoy a nice cold Cereveza.

Thanks for the tip about the Penguin colonies. Would love to see these weird and wonderful creatures.

South America trip planning and advice
 

C-M :-

That's a lot for a month but you could give it a try and see how it goes, but trust me you'll need to be pretty relaxed about missing stuff as there's nothing fun about trying to rush yourself on South American roads. Of course the r5 in Chile can get you places quickly if need be especially if you've got a nice big twin or something. Have you considered doing your trip over two parts and storing the bike? Well I guess life commitments and stuff get in the way! Whatever you do, don't make the mistake if thinking you'll average 100k per hour, at least on most roads in Bolivia or Peru anyway. In Bolivia my GPS usually gives 40kph as an average excluding stopping time! Most people fly through Bolivia miss out the lowlands, ie Santa Cruz, the yungas, the Chiquitos route (me and another hubb member did this together, it was a real highlight along with the altiplano of course). I think it's tempting to try to fit everything in but you'll probably have a better trip and learn more by concentrating on fewer things. Get practicing with your Spanish if you don't already speak it - every word you have more will enrichen your time here. Given your time limit I hope you've got a decent GPS.

Thanks. Yes I thought it will be a lot for a month, but I have 9 months still plan, and then I can fine tune once on the ground.

I don't have a hard and fast time limit. I have around 4 months to play with, but would like if possible to be heading out of Peru by early/mid November at the latest. Obviously if i'm enjoying something I will stay there, if not I will move on.

I toured Spain last year so I know a teeny tiny bit of Spanish. Enough to order a beer/food, and ask for directions, greetings etc.. I will be able to practice more in April on my ride through Spain to Morocco where I will be testing the bike (BMW xCountry)

Cool! Good luck -any questions about Bolivia in particular just PM me!

hey there,

i've pinned down some routes and key-sights on a map for my own trip, take a look if you're interested (also contains possible places to stay if you need hostels and such), maybe it helps

i'm planning to create a separate one with more information while i'm on the road. my initial goal was to create something which is easy to use - maybe maintained by a whole community. for me it was hard to keep track of the sights of latin america not knowing their position (and thereby creating an approximate route).

all you can see on the map exists as .gpx files too (tracks + POIs).

cheers, martin

I noticed when watching the Dakar that the cars had a good day across the Salar, but it was totally wet for the bikes. Not fun.

The route they took through northern Argentina to Chile looked like good fun. Some great views.

Incidentally, when shipping a bike, would you be inclined to crate your motorcycle gear inc helmet, or would you take that with you on the flight?

@Imapii, I'll take a look at your route shortly.
@Righttheworld - will do cheers

How did you create that map? It looks like you used HERE. Are you a developer?

regarding shipping i put all i had into the crate such that i'd not have too much luggage in the plane, but that's up to you. the crate wouldn't be opened without me present, shipped it to valparaiso.

i'm not a HERE-developer, the map i created using leaflet, you can add GPX tracks (or polylines, which are much smaller and load much faster) and everything. i'm using the map-tiles from HERE as they show more information then OSM when you zoom in.

Back on the planning now that I'm back from Morocco.

Got a rough idea of the direction I'll headed for the first part of the trip and the key places I'd like to visit/pass through.

Buenos Aires in mid September
Iguazu - this is big detour (is it worth it?) not sure what there is on the way
Salta - again not sure what there is to see/do on the way here other than enjoy the journey
Salar de uyunai
La paz - would also like to ride yungas road weather permitting
Lake Titicaca
Cusco - The GF wants to see Machu Piccu
Colca Canyon

The stuff in Peru is going to be highly dependent on the weather. I'm anticipating it being mid-November by then. Hopefully the worst of the rain won't have set in yet (famous last words)

After that it gets tricky. I'd like to visit San Pedro de Atacama, and Iquique.

Heading south I imagine being mostly on the Chillean side going towards Puerto Montt. I think the rest is covered earlier in the thread.

Aiming to eventually get back to Buenos Aires in February. I'll miss the Dakar :(

Sound reasonable enough?

it's seems quite reasonable, we did Buenos Aires to Colombia then all the way to the Ushuaia then back to Buenos Aires in 5 months.

We also started in September, and finished 29th January.

We were in Peru in November and we got unlucky. Lot's of rain. I mean lot's of it. So much that we had to skip many dirt/gravel routes that were either blocked by landslides or had turned into a hell of mud.

Regarding Salta and the area around/close to it: do it. The Argentine northwest is fantastic IMHO. The Quebradas de las Conchas, and many more Quebradas (gorges, canyons) all around the regions of Salta and Tucuman and Jujuy are great landscapes. And if you want some challenge, there are many dirt/sand/deep gravel tracks heading westbound over the Andes. Some are desolate, some lead to surreal landscapes. For example, we did the route from San Antonio de los Cobres to Paso Sico. Altiplano region. Breathtaking, literally (above 12,000 feet). But if you want to stay on paved roads, you still have many many choices.

Regarding San Pedro de Atacama: IMHO, the village itself is a pure tourist trap. Does not worth a visit, unless it is in the way of your planned route. Or unless you want to use it as a base for exploring surrounding areas.

La Paz is a traffic chaos, be prepared.

Death road is worth it. And it is no dangerous any more. Prefer to do it going downhill (going to Coroico).

Lake Titicaca is also worth it, if you can spend a night or two with local indigenous people in the island of Amantani (tourism agents can set you up, in Puno). The floating islands are nice but too much "staged" for tourists.

Salar de Uyuni is a must.

I am going to go through this thread with interest. I hope to be over in South America some time in the next few weeks. Then I have a year to play around. As yet no real plans.

C-m can I ask about Uruguay. What is the importation process there. I have to make a decision between Monte Video and Buenos Aires. I have found information for Buenos Aires but no real info for Monte Video. Who will you use for the importing paperwork, do you have costs? I do wish to hijack the thread, any info you have would be most helpful.

Cheers Zed.

@Road spirit thanks for the info. Yeah no reason in particular for San Pedro other than it'll be on the way out of Boliva (I'll re-enter at Ollague) and head towards laguna colorada.

@zedsdead - No I'm shipping (airfrieght) to Buenos Aires. I was going to arrive in Montevideo via freight cruise, but it was fully booked. Unless you are travelling with your bike then its very expensive to get your bike out of customs in Motevideo. Around $1300 USD for charges, then another $350 USD for an agent. And you need an agent as it takes 3 days.

Argentina on the other hand is better. Around $250 USD in agent fees and $300-400 USD in charges.

I've heard people talk of Valparaiso as being a good place to ship (sea freight) to but that's probably Americans. I can't see it being a good port for bikes coming from Europe. Plus then you've then got all the troubles that come with sea freight. i.e you're bike not turning up when you expect it.

Flights booked. Shipping booked, and mostly kitted up.

It's now a waiting game until September.

One thing that has caught my attention is the landmines in northern Chile apparently in some areas start immediately off the road. I suppose there is no camping at all in Northern Chile.

@Roadspirit - Is a La Paz worth a few days? The British and Common Wealth office has a good few warnings on it, and most say it's traffic chaos etc..

La Paz, hmm ... It depends I guess on how much you like being/ spending time in big cities. Personally, I'm not very fond of it. In general I try to avoid it as much as possible when I travel. And La Paz is a BIG city.

Traffic chaos? It was crazy. It felt like being in a videogame where everyone & everything is trying to hit you. The fact that GPS was unable to navigate me, made things more frustrating.

Put that aside, the Bolivian capital has a vibe that can only be found in south American cities, and for some this makes it interesting enough.

Would I visit there again? Yes certainly, for the reason above. Find a hostel near the center, and spend a couple of days walking the very busy streets and most importantly (for me) to explore the local "mercados". I loved every moment in the local markets, blend in with the locals in cheap food stalls.

Any good references for this warning? Never seen this warning for Chile despite reading lots and lots of blogs

We have seen mined areas in other countries but they were fenced and signed and I assumed they were part of military bases anyway. Warnings current for other countries along borders

Admittedly we haven't been camping north of Iquiqui in Chile, but south of that we camped all along the coast.

LaPaz. We didn't realise there was a bypass around the NW of the airport and used the main north highway and then the one to the west for peru. Total chaos all the way. two lanes of taxis and buses crammed into each lane marked on the road. I just looked straight ahead and let the chaos flow around us. N.ot so much as a scratch

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-ad...y-and-security

So basically don't get off the bike and wander off the road to go take a piss. You might just get more than you bargained for.

Might cross your tracks :)
 

Hi CM,
Am hoping to arrive in SA also in November and spending roughly 3 months there. No firm plans other than being at the start of the Dakar on 3rd Jan. I'm off to Australia with the bike fist for a couple of months, all solo. If your interested might be worth keeping in touch and if our tracks cross good to meet up? chugchugchugchug

Yeah sure thing hoping to meet many more overlanders along the way. Not sure where the Dakar is starting next year they regularly change it.

Lima next year.

http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2016/img/...s-carte-v2.jpg

Balls. I'll miss it. Since I'm heading:

Buenos Aires
Iguzu
Salta
Uyuni
Cusco

Then down through Chile to Patagonia.

Might be able to catch the end in Rosario

Right, need a bit more help with my rough routing.

Patagonia

It looks like the Carretera Austral is the best way (scenery wise) south. So I plan to take this from Puerto Montt.

Is Chile Chico the last accessible border cross for motorcycles into Argentina?

My aim is to get to El Calafate and of course see the glacier.

Is Perito Moreno the last place to get fuel from for this leg of the trip? I've read there's no fuel for nearly 400 miles, but all those reports were people heading to TDF.

Is there fuel in El Calafate?

Northern Chile/Argentina

Whats the most scenic way to get to Peurto Montt from San Pedro? Pop across to Argentina and Rta 40, then back into Chile after Mendoza and onto Rta 5, or just ride Rta 5 all the way from Antofagasta?

One more border to the south of Chico. Passo Roballo. EVERYONE goes over at Chico. Dare to be different. Dirt road in reasonable condition and not too many washboarded sections. Lots of wildlife

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s...4/DSCF4050.JPG

and can camp amongst the natives. Nice scenery. 360 degree views

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B...4/DSCF4079.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R...4/DSCF4040.JPG

We went right to the bottom of mainland Chile to Villa O'Higgens where the road finishes at a lake a few km south of the town.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h...4/DSCF3924.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D...4/DSCF3914.JPG

Trouble is, unless you have a bike and don't mind dragging it for 20km along tracks and provided the ferry to the bottom of Lago Higgens is running, then you have to backtrack and then head east to the border, but at least you can say you have been there and done that.

Fairly long stretches without fuel. Should be fuel at Villa O'higgens but sometimes run out and the fuel truck takes a day or two to get there. About 250km each way from Cochrane, then you have to go east from just north of Cochrane into Argentina to get fuel.

Our Spotwalla map for this is at
https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php...9549cdcb8b3743

will have to zoom in and maybe adjust the fill in the adjustments menu in the map title field.

Photos for this section at
https://picasaweb.google.com/1146117...rica2013CHILE# starting about 2/3 the way down the thumbnails.

And the first few in

https://picasaweb.google.com/1146117...HILEPatagonia#

This section also has the huge advantage of getting you into the swing of things further south.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n...4/DSCF4166.JPG

Not too often you see waterfalls getting blown backwards, but get used to it because south, even the rivers get blown backwards uphill.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U...4/DSCF4206.JPG

The Argentinian side is just as spectacular, but in common with the whole length of the Andes, considerably drier.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0...4/DSCF4251.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v...4/DSCF4266.JPG

Don't run over the locals though. Not sure who would come off worse

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9...4/DSCF4236.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z...4/DSCF4272.JPG

Looks great. Thanks for the info.

If there is no fuel though between Paso Rodolfo Roballos and El Calafate that's going to be huge problem, unless there is some immediately after before the border crossing on the Chilean side.

From what I've heard Perito Moreno is the last fuel station.

I'm on an xCountry with a 200 mile range, so would need to carry an additional 15 litres to get to El Calafate and that's if I can get fuel immediately after crossing in Argentina.

There is a YPF station at Bajo Caracoles in Argentina but that is a long way into Argentina.
Closest fuel in Chile is at Cochrane (which is 25km south of the turnoff so would require a small backtrack) Nothing at the border except two small posts several miles apart.

Between them is 200km by most direct route (due east) or 250km if you follow our route southerly in argentina to lago posadas and then east to Caracoles.

Then south, fuel at Gorbanado Gregores - large supermarket and free municipal campground with free hot showers at Coordinates: -48.75439, -70.24328
Fuel at El Chaltern (big side trip) but great hiking in one of the iconic destinations of the area.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R...4/DSCF6749.JPG



and then El Calafate (one "fancy" campground is at Coordinates: -50.337, -72.25916 WiFi, good amenities and restaurant. Can change dollars at dolarblue rate at restaurant in town next to the official Cambio (which gives only official rate)



Chile Chico might be your best route. Our route is pretty lonely.

Not in your plans, but one place we nearly came unstuck was going from Peurto Natales up to Torres de paine NP and then across and up to El Calafate. No reliable fuel supply anywhere along the route. Supposedly some for locals out of a shed at the border crossing, but we couldn't get anyone to admit to any being available.

Excellent.

Are the YPF stations the government ones? I heard that since the price of fuel was fixed, most independents closed down.

With your co-ordinates It doesn't look like I'll have much issue. Unless somewhere turns up dry. Then I'll have to just hang out on the road and ask passers by.

The route can't be that lonely. It's just 200km back onto Rta 40. Now the 3 hours I spent on a detour close to the Algerian border when trying avoid a Moroccan checkpoint, that was lonely.

Thanks for the Camping info. Too.

What's the situation like on the rest (northwards) of rta 7? Plenty of (wild) camping spots I imagine, but villages to buy food, supplies, fuel?

P.S - when did you travel? Do you have a blog?

No blog, just the photo albums linked in my signature. Just happy-snaps with as many captions as I can get around to posting. The trip maps are referenced from the photo albums. Crude but will do for when I am old(er) and decrepit(er) and want to revisit the past.

You might also get some current advice by posting on the South American forum as that is specific to the area.

We saw lots of motorbikes in all of that area and they obviously are able to get fuel. Saw a few getting pushed when the wind was too strong to ride.

regarding fuel availability, from Chile Chico to town of Perito Moreno then going south:

Until Bajo Caracoles the distance is aprox. 335 kilometers. In those 335 kilometers there is no fuel station. Next is in Tres Lagos.

The distance may sound manageable but the problem lies in two extra parameters: a) often the one and only gas station in Bajo Caracoles, as well as the one and only station in Tres Lagos, run out! After Tres Lagos, the only possibility is to refuel in El Chalten, west of Ruta 40. Or, detour to Gobernador Gregores long before reaching Tres Lagos.

This means that there is always a possibility to need to cover distances of either 460 kilometers (Perito Moreno - Tres Lagos), or 450 km (Bajo Caracoles - El Chalten), or at worst, 580 km (Perito Moreno - El Chalten) with one filling.

the 2nd parameter is the wind. IF you get caught in the infamous patagonian winds, and they are headwinds, normally you would expect your consumption to raise dramatically! So your range will suffer.

Chalten has gas station.
El Calafate is a very popular tourist hub, there is plenty of gas and almost anything you might need (camping gear shops, repair shops, supermarkets etc).

Note: above info is as of decmber 2012! That's when I did the trip, I don't know if anything has changed.

GF and I have been to SA for a year - Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Iguazu, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia (10/2013 - 10/2014).

First off, I'd say: don't worry about too much stuff (everything) beforehand.
You VERY soon learn to deal relaxed with situations, as soon as you face them.

Fuel - you can get almost every 200-300 km, latest.
Do not just look for gas stations - also watch out for "se vende gasolina", painted on house walls. These are private people, selling fuel - and you can trust it, qualitywise.

Time - take your time! Don't rush! But you will learn that automatically ;-)

Decide, what is more important to you:
being able to say
a) "I've been here and there - did as much as i could in a short time"
or
b) "i took my time and REALLY experienced country and people"

When there, accept that "plans are made to be changed" ;-)

Ruta 3 (east of Argentina) is well paved and brings you quick north-south (or vice versa) - but is extremely boring.
Ruta 40 (west, next to the Andes) should be your choice in Argentina - both, paved and gravel.

Carretera Austral is super beautiful and most of it unpaved.
We did it from Chile Chico to north.

Glaciar is "cool" ;-) but if its "the only thing in the south", you wanna see...
You would have to ride the 40 south to the glaciar and same way back to ChileChico... approx. 600km each way...
...perhaps skip that and better use your time for other things further north, that are also absolutely worth to see...

Between Puerto Montt and SanPedro, nothing "really" special to see - except Valparaiso/Santiago, maybe. The "great" PanAm is boring and paved - but brings you (as the 3 in Argentina) quite quick from A to B.

San Pedro de Atacama, you can visit Geysers, Moon Valley and then accsess Bolivia (Altiplano) for the Laguna route (all offroad) on the way to Uyuni.

LaPaz is huge and interesting to see from the entry on the mountain - but then, you should continue to Coroico quite quickly (paved).
From Coroico, you can access the old Yungas road (reversed driving side!).
If you do THIS direction (uphill), the mountainbikers coming from the opposite direction (downhill).

Lake Titicaca is quite close (I'd suggest, to go via Copacabana - nice town) and you can see the "floating islands".
"Cheap" version on Bolivia side, "better" version on peruvian side.

From there, Arequipa and Colca are in 1-day reachable distance (depending on the road you choose).

Cuzco is veeeery touristy, but from here, you can do Sacsayhuaman, Puerto Maldonado Jungle trip (2 days to get there - might be too much for your plans), Ollantaytambo, MachuPicchu.

MachuPicchu - Leave the bikes in Hidroelectrica and either take the train or walk to Aguas Calientes (very touristy - better: on the way is Jardines de Mandor - hostel/campsite - cheap).

Further north would be i.e. Nazca, Lima, Canon del Pato etc - but i doubt, you goin that far.

Argentina - Salta, Quebrada de la Conchas
To cross from east to west (or vice versa), you have to cross plain, flat land.

East: Iguazu waterfalls are defo worth a visit (2 options: brazilian and/or argentinian side - both are great!).
But i agree - for your plans, quite a detour (timewise).

Hostels are cheap and you can park your bike in the lobby.

Camping out:
We did a lot of camping.
Chile, Argentina, Bolivia,... not a problem!
Either on official camp sites, or "wild".
Even near the glaciar, we found a beautiful campsite.

Be prepared for strong wind in Patagonia!

Weather:
Yes, there are certain times to consider (salar de uyuni under water, rain in yungas, cold in altitude) - but again, i say "deal with it, as it comes".
Better, plan your route regarding relaxed travelling, time for seeing things and spare time, to stay or fix bikes etc - and not try to follow "maybes and perhapses".

A possible route, i could imagine for you could be:

ARG
Arrival in Buenos Aires, then to the west - San Rafael (Canon del Atuel!) - routa 40 south - via Junin de los Andes - Bariloche - until Perito Moreno (town) -

QUESTIONABLE is
continue the 40 south to El Calafate (Glaciar) - back to Perito Moreno (town) - maybe, leave it

cross into Chile via ChileChico -
CHI
Carretera north until Chaiten (take ferry to Quellon, west) - then all north via Puerto Montt, Chillan, Santiago, Copiapo, Antofagasta, then SanPedro de Atacama - cross into Bolivia (Altiplano) -
BOL
Laguna route (laguna blanca, verde, colorada, Villa Mar, Villa Alota, San Cristobal) - Uyuni - Orouro - LaPaz - Coroico (Yungas) - LaPaz - Copacabana - cross into Peru -
PER
Lake Titicaca - Puno - Arequipa - Colca Canon - Cuzco - MachuPicchu -
then back south
Cuzco - Juliaca - Puno - cross back into BOL
BOL
LaPaz - Oruro - Potosi - Tarija - south-east to ARG (Aguas blancas)
ARG
Salta - Quebrada de la Concha - La Rioja - southeast via Cordoba to
Buenos Aires

Uhhh, now as i "re-lived" parts of our tour, this is quite a lot to cover in 4 months - that's why i added some "quick parts", where you can make distance without loosing too much time, but get to areas worth staying/spending more time
(like quick PanAM from Puerto Montt north, Cordoba to Buenos Aires...).

Border crossings: you do NOT need a Carnet!
But very carefully keep your two documents, you get (visa for person, visa for bike) until next border, where you "check out" and get 2 new ones at the new border.

Quite helpful are laminated color copies of your papers, so you have a backup in case of losing things and you do not have to hand out your original papers (not at border crossings, but at police controls, etc).

Water - you do not need to carry extra water with you - except in the Altiplano (you MUST drink a lot, to fight altitude sickness!).

Food - street food is defo eatable (nevertheless, you will face stomach problems - but the whole experience with different weather conditions, meals even in restaurants or self cooked, ... is all a bit new to our "civilized" stomach anyways, but will be over soon!).

Safety - in one year, we haven't seen a landmine, were just robbed once (being loaded and stupid - just be smart about it) and in general met super nice, friendly and supportive people.

Money - ATMs are almost everywhere, so do carry enough cash - let's say for two days - but not too much!

WiFi - Southamerica seems to be way ahead of Europe with that.
You find FREE WiFi at gas stations, McDonalds, Restaurants, Hostels,...
and in bigger towns/cities almost everywhere!
You can also get prepaid sim cards (i.e. CLARO), but WiFi should be sufficiente.

In bigger cities, (latest in Cuzco, BuenosAires, Santiago,...), you find tents, pegs, gas for cooker, sleeping mats, etc.
Speaking of cooker: I'd recommend a fuel cooker, to be really independent.

Regarding sleeping bags and cold temperatures:
Think about an inlet and/or a hot water bottle.

You always find supermercado, mini-mercado, fresh stuff market.
Same with mechanico (and if it is a guy in a backyard, welding stuff in a "wild way" - but they do miracles :-D !)

Right now, i cannot think of more, but you are welcome to ask anytime.

Cheers,
Marc

Thanks Marc, that's an extensive reply. Were you and your GF riding separately or pillion?

I've now got most of my rough route sorted out now (obviously it's just a guide). Should be almost bang on 10,000 miles. I'll post a link and make the GPX files available once I'm done in case they are useful for anyone else.

I've got from mid September until the end of February (or longer if I want) so I'm not concerned with time.

I don't think I'll be able to avoid needing gas at Bajo Caracoles. When they are out, is it typically a day wait or is it much longer?

We were riding seperately - she on a 150 chinese bike, i on a 1200gs.

If gasolina was out, WE never had to wait longer than a day (and that just twice in 1 year).
...which is no guarantee - but should reduce fear ;-)

What kinda bike are you traveling on?
GF and you on one?

Two up on a battle ready xCountry, ready to tear up the ripo. As long as it's not too rough :eek:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f...0/DSC01406.jpg

Actually, it's not quite battle ready. On the rough stuff in Morocco the rear was bottoming out, so I'm having my shock re-sprung for the weight.

We've done some riding on farm roads both standing and sitting no worries. Sand and larger stones are more of a problem (as in not so much fun), but we're not too worried.

If it's too rough we'll head for smoother roads. Chocolate comes in handy for bribing the pillion.

Perhaps too much bribery is why you now need stronger springs on the back.

What a bloody excellent reply ! Spot on :)

A month in and we're in Coroico after some fun on the Yungas Road.

Heading to Copacabana soon, and keen to find a decent place to stay.

Any recommendations?

Also keen on avoiding Juliaca when heading on to Cusco.

The trip is described in my blog link in the signature.

Hi all,

Great infos gathered here, thanks !
I'll also check your blogs and ask here for more, but I soon should be able to post some fresh tips of my own, as I recently started a journey with similar bits :)

To make it short here, I left from BsAs in september, made a loop on the uruguayan coast, and I'm currently in Salta to get some short stretches in the zone before to go on with Uyuni, maybe through the lagunas track depending on the infos I will find about it (sandy, soft gravel, etc).
I also just opened a blog to share it and will let its address while validated (under process), actually probably will drop it on my signature's band and come posting here.

Thanks again for what you already shared :)
I wish I would have wandered more frequently this forum, I could have been of some little help in Argentina and surely will be helped by your recent similar tour !

More news soon

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