Those who have reserved their Patagonia motorcycle rentals for the 2013/14 season are fortunate in that, you won't be stuck begging for motorcycles at the last minute like some people will! As we share more of Mark's comments from their February/March motorcycle trip below, it's obvious why Patagonia bike reservations sell out so far in advance:
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DAY 4
"After catching the boat back to the mainland, we continued down the Carreterra Austral. And what a day! Queulat National Park just got more and more spectacular and the views of the glacier-capped mountains and lush forest were astounding. And, then, after hundreds of kms of dirt/gravel roads, the pavement magically reappeared. And it was great pavement, with virtually no traffic of any kind. High-speed runs through forests and Yosemite-like valleys were a blast. Finally, we cruised through Cerro Castillo National Park, where we encountered our first raindrops of the trip. But it never rained hard and only made the environment more mystical. We closed off the day by hitting the shores of Lago General Carrerra just as the sun broke through the clouds. The lake was a stunning color of cerulean blue and altogether beautiful. We arrived at Green Baker Lodge, another very nice place on the banks of the Rio Baker and had a phenomenal meal."
"Joe is not as accustomed to riding in dirt as I am and opted to take a rest day. I of course wanted to ride some more and headed down to Caleta Tortel by myself. Once again, world-class views and some very good riding. But, for the first time, I encountered some of the infamous driving habits of Chilenos. Even on what are essentially one-lane roads, some drivers give no heed to vehicles that might be coming in the opposite direction, even if there are blind corners. After one or two close calls, I decided to take an even more defensive approach to riding. But Caleta Tortel was a pretty, very unique place and well worth the effort to visit. Also, I discovered a good restaurant called El Mirador. When I returned to the lodge that evening, Joe and I had another fantastic meal. We have not had a bad meal yet in either Chile or Argentina."DAY 6
"What a day (again)! They simply don't get any better than this. We rode along the south shore of Lago General Carrerra and it was simply spectacular. The weather continues to cooperate and we were awe-struck with every turn in the road. We were rarely out of sight of the lake, surrounded by glacier-capped mountains, for its entire 120+ km length, and the dirt road was in great shape. After crossing the border, we hit the pampas just as large, puffy clouds developed overhead and rain started to fall in the distance. The shadows and rainbows made even the barren hills look amazing. Finally, after another high-speed run down a lengthy stretch of pavement on Ruta 40, a kind of road that we hadn't seen in a while, we checked into Estancia Los Toldos and quickly bonded with the staff. It is not critical to speak Spanish down here, but it sure helps. Now we are preparing for what we are fondly referring to as the "hell day." We'll see if the vaunted winds appear as promised . . . ."
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While I hate to make generalizations, Mark addressed an important topic in the middle of Day 5: The driving habits of the people in Latin America are not exactly with "safety" in mind. There seems to be a genuine lack of concern for what lies in the road ahead, although they are not definitely not intentionally trying to hurt anyone. Still, the vast majority of motorcycle riders from all around the world accomplish their riding missions annually in Patagonia, Colombia, and other places without any problem. As in any motorcycle riding situation, "awareness" is key to survival! Upon making your reservation for Patagonia motorcycle rentals, we will certainly be addressing this topic with you again to make sure your trip is completed safely.
As far as guaranteeing you the type of weather Mark and Joe had goes, well.....let's just say we can guarantee you the Patagonia riding will be amazing either way!
