Son planning a solo trip soon based on:
https://www.bicyclepatagonia.com/guide-overview/
He's well travelled and an experienced rider, I'm sure he'll be fine but can't help but worry. Says he's taking his Singular, expensive option but maybe you can't hire stuff there I don't know. Long shot but anyone else been there, and experiences? Cheers
Does he like 60mph headwinds?
Lots of journals on CGOAB, some more readable than others:
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/search/?main_type=journals&docs=tocs&query=Patagonia
I've been to Chile & Argentina, not on the bike, and my sister lived there for a good few years. They're essentially European countries, he'll be fine.
I worked out there for a bit, in Central Patagonia, it's a bit on the flat side, bloody windy and frankly massive distances between places too
Yes - went to Chilean Patagonia a couple of years ago for a SantaCruz launch. Writeup in issue 105 I think. To cut a long story short, it's ace, but very dusty and as expected really quite empty. There are some amazing trails if you know where to go - from a MTB POV your best bet is trying to find a guide, and weirdly people who fish (and can also ride, natch) are often the best bet as they know the backcountry. Friendly place, lots of dust. Wide open spaces, dust.
Some other photos from the trip here: https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/behind-the-lens-patagonia-barney/
and here
And there's a VERY cheesy promo video here:
https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/video-aysen-rally-patagonia/
I'm unsure what Argentinian Partagonia is like, though - and whether the infrastructure is any different. For what it's worth, though, I think it's much like many other South American countries, in that it's very friendly, welcoming and curious, and has a much worse reputation than it deserves. I think he'll have an amazing time, and I'd not be worried if I were you 🙂
Yes, in both countries. The only time I've literally been blown over. The mountain walking was great, but I wouldn't fancy cycling in those conditions.
Timely post OP, I was going to ask similar over the weekend.
I'm over in Chile for a couple of weeks in Feb, looking to spend around ten days in Chilean Patagonia, 5days or so trekking and hopefully 2 days riding but struggling to find something suitable. Most info I can find is about epic multi day tours which look amazing, but not really suitable as this is meant to be a holiday with some biking instead of a biking holiday. I wasn't planning on taking a bike out so would also need to hire.
Ideally looking for somewhere that my partner can also horse ride for a couple of days.
If we can't find anything in Patagonia then will look elsewhere in Chile nearer Santiago.
Thanks.
Thanks for the info all, will share with him. Peekay that's when he's going.
I've been, great place. But you cannot escape the wind easily and its the sort of wind you do want to escape.
A lot of people will not have the mental stamina, never mind the physical stamina, to put up with it.
Its proper Epic however. I had the luxury of a 4x4, but saw a few poor soles battling at 45 degrees for not hours, but days on end as they crawled across the wind swept plains.
I did some cycling and actually got blown up hill, it was like riding an electric bike.
My friend Huw has been with his girlfriend on a mountain bike tour. From what I can tell, it's the only trip they haven't enjoyed (they've cycled in the arctic circle, packrafted and biked around Greenland, ridden round Iceland and he almost died on the HT550 and I think he still enjoyed that!).
As far as I understand it, the locals were demanding payment for them to pass onto the trails. The trails when they found them involved a lot of climbing up enormous rocky passes, only to have to walk the descent again. "All in all, the peaches and cream were few and far between".
https://topofests.com/2016/04/20/trials-and-tribulations-in-patagonia/
Huw and Annie are hard and nails, and for them to not enjoy something suggests to me that Patagonia would be better explored on foot.
You see a lot more bikes in the Lake District, plenty of horse riding opportunities there too, so may be the better option - still stunning scenery. The hiking in Patagonia is fantastic but I don't remember seeing any bikes, but there are opportunity to ride horses.
I've hiked and ridden horses in the Torres Park. Both were amazing.
Great company who arranged both activities, might be worth contacting.
Pura aventura.
https://www.pura-aventura.com/