Riding through Patagonia was the experience of a lifetime and I’m very glad I did it with RIDE Adventures. I rode with two other friends who rented from a different agency, and I was the only one of the three of us who didn’t experience any mechanical problems. Having a brand new bike with very low miles made a huge difference in terms of my comfort and confidence on the trip. Eric was extremely responsive and helpful during the pre-trip planning and Ulli the fleet manager was prompt and professional in getting my bike set up and ready to go.
It took a bit of adjusting to get used to the KLR as it’s a bigger bike than I normally ride and it was loaded down with luggage, but it ran beautifully and handled the dirt, mud, and gravel like a champ. We even took on X45/65, a challenging shortcut road to Perito Moreno that included loose gravel, sand, and steep ascents and descents. The original plan was for me to ride from Pucon down to Puerto Natales, but I had such a good time that I ended up going all the way down to Ushuaia.
Highlights of the trip were the Carretera Austral (particularly the stretch between La Junta and Puyuhuapi), kayaking the Marble Caves at Puerto Rio Tranquilo, the Perito Moreno glacier, and the twisty mountain road leading to Ushuaia. The most memorable part was running out of gas 6 miles outside of the dropoff point in Puerto Natales, my first and only time during the entire 2,500 mile trip! It certainly made for a very adventurous ending to the adventure ride of a lifetime. I’ve been bitten by the bug and I’m already planning my next trip back!