I am setting out on a very long bike ride in South America, starting at the end of next year. I reckon it will take 6-10 months depending on speed and people’s wishes to stop in certain places. The general idea is to start at the bottom and end up at the top for a swim in the Caribbean! Commonsense tells that the ride should start in the start of the southern hemisphere’s summer (November/December) as that will be the warmest part of the year for a particularly cold climate where we start- Tierra del Fuego/Patagonia, in southern Chile and Argentina.
This has been a fraternal Bright idea for a few years now, and while my brother in crime in coming up with this idea doesn’t look like he will be going through with it, I maintain I will follow through on this crazy project. I love bike riding, travel and all things south american. And I can’t think of a better way of doing it than sharing such an ‘adventura’ with a bunch of friends and interested parties for part, or all, of the journey. Some friends have shown interest in joining me for a leg of the journey, eg. a month’s ride between 2 capitals, or even meeting at a major site and hanging out there- eg. Macchu Picchu. Whoops! Forgot to say- it’s the west coast of South America- the length of Chile, dipping in and out of Argentina when necessary, up into Bolivia’s Altiplano, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia/Venezuela. So here is an open invitation to people who may have not considered bike riding, ruffing it, South America, or travel in general, to think about a truly bogus adventure.
Now for some hard truths….
- Yes, I mean push bikes.
- We would need to cycle with all our gear- either on panniers (special bags strapped to the front and back of the bike) or in a small trailer linked to the bike. Obviously a bare minimum of stuff- several changes of clothes, all-weather gear, food, water, tent and sleeping bag and mat, maps/guides and bike maintenance tools
- Still to be investigated, but I am fairly certain, camping is going to be a primary form of accommodation. Sorry guys! Hostels and hotels will of course be used on the way, but parts of the ride will be beyond guarantee of roofed dwelling.
- Some of the cycling may be tough. That is, we are riding in the Andes for a part of the journey, which means uphill. I don’t believe it is impossible- you just go slowly.
Now the upsides……
- You get to see some of the most beautiful parts of the world from the open-air seat of a bicycle Tierra del Fuego, alpine Patagonia, glaciers, some of the highest peaks in the world, the Atacama desert, the Andes mountain range, Inca sites, Lake Titicaca, The Nazca Lines, jungle, The Pacific coast, The Caribbean, amazing food and wonderful people!
Do I need to go on?
- Apart from the major upfront costs of the airfare to the start and end points and good quality biking and camping gear, the travel costs will be so low once you get going. Once you have the bike and tent- your transport and accommodation is free- all you have to worry about is food- a very cheap commodity in South America- even eating out. And we will be preparing most meals ourselves.
- There will be other people to do the ride with. I doubt you could do this on your own, and with a bunch of us, you can share the bad (and the good) parts together.
- It’s a great way to travel. It will be unlike any other way to travel and see the region. The flexibility of bike riding will let you stay in places that take your fancy and let you move on when you want to, regardless of bus timetables.
So there you go.
I am not a hard-core cyclist. I am going into this with the purpose of seeing the region, rather than time-trialling my way from Chile to Colombia. And with that in mind, I wish to make the ride as accessible as possible. I would put in place major dates for getting to certain cities, but have the freedom to allow breaks at places that take your fancy along the way. There would be no set itinerary, but a basic route of the roads to be used to get us from A-B, with allowance for side trips. The length of time for the total trip (ie. 6-10 months) would vary according to the people who sign up. If enough people wanted to do the ENTIRE length in 7 months, then that be the time set. But if most people are doing legs, then there would be more flexibility about the length of time overall.
Don’t be afraid
Lucie
Lucie will try and post updates about her ride here as she goes.
