02 Abendruhe - resting

It is around 11pm and a full moon rises on the clear sky. A night full of stars falls slowly when three cyclists move silently along the road. Night-cycling to the Perito-Moreno glacier is that kind of sport called and it is not relaxed at all: we cycled already 50km in an insanely strong headwind today. Lutz accompanies our little adventure: we try to get around the entry fees by getting in late...

What we didn’t calculate was that there would be a night guard. Enrique is already on the road with a torch in his hands - asking what we’re doing here this late. “Well - we are looking for a campsite, Senor. It’s getting close to midnight and...”. Despite the fact he knows exactly what we want here he offers us a tea and let us camp beside the house. This is South America... After four hours sleeping we are back on the bikes - trying hard to be at the glacier before the wind and busloads of tourists sets in. We swear to pay the entrance fee when coming out of the park - this early nobody is around charging fees...

05 Perito Moreno Gletscher

But the 220km long detour is worth the effort - the massive 30km long ice of this gigantic glacier flows compact, old, ice cold and wild into the two arms of it’s lagoon. Calving of huge ice bergs follows on the loud cracks - the glacier moves 2 metres daily! It’s hard to describe what impressive scenery this is... In the afternoon we can tear ourselves away from this gorgeous place and catch a ride in a pick up out of the park - avoiding the fees - finally.

The following days we stay in the tourist centre of the region - El Calafate. Rene caught cold and so we have enough time to reflect our ride down the South American spine and to look forward to our goal - Punta Arenas. But first of all we need to do a bit of wind poker! The pampa awaits us with flat plains full of stormy conditions - not a place for cyclists.

10 Brueckencamp - bridge camping

On 13th of January we spend a night under a bridge - in the high tunnel of a water tube. Just when we reflect the day of tail winds and curious German tourist groups a gusty wind starts - trying to blow our tent away. The night turns out to be sleepless because our “home” is only fixed to the concrete by big stones and panniers. But everything turns out well...

11 Pampa

Soon we are on a bad dirt road - heading into the never land along the Ruta 40. We are surrounded by very Australian landscapes - a flat grassy plain stretches till the horizon and a road with football sized stones transports two, swearing cyclists through it. In the morning hours we have temperatures below zero - they make it even harder to get already 5am out of the sleeping bag to get around the wind... After 4 days out we arrive at the Chilenean border. Another dirt track leads now along the border of the Torres del Paine NP with it’s snowy peaks and impressive mountains. Herds of guanacos keep grazing, a skunk is posing in front of the camera and some Nandus run away with their chicks.

After witnessing so much natural beauty our tent is now standing in Puerto Natales. This is the last stop on our trip to Punta Arenas which is only 5 days riding away! Here comes the future: After one week visiting the Falkland Islands we’ll hop on a plane to Hong Kong - staying there for a week. The Middle East, our original plan, is changed (because of the political problems, in Syria) instead we go back for another 3months South-East Australia. Downunder! Again...

Did you know that Argentina is home to more than 150.000 gauchos who live a lonely cowboy-life out in the pampa?

Since the last report: 460km, 3700 altitude metres

Monique