Among the Volcanoes
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Among the Story by Jeff Johnson Photos by Hans Schwaiger I cycle west with Hans Schwaiger, away from transforms our route to mud. This muddiness keeps the pedaling the difficulties of Argentine Patagonia and into the refuge of challenging and also complicates our search for nightly lodging. Chile’s Camino Austral, along a seventy-kilometer paved road, Back in Patagonia, Hans and I were content to pitch a tent most Volcanoes which skirts Lago General Carrera, South America’s second nights, but camping in our sodden sleeping bags holds little appeal largest lake. Protected by Chile’s conifer forests, it provides our after we discover the joys of comfortable ten-dollar-a-night beds in escape from the wind-ravaged pampas. The transition between one of the many German/Chilean family-run hostels. Chile’s diversity offers near-perfect bicycle touring wind and calm is also echoed in a dramatic climatic change from Unfortunately, we must adjust to a mandatory ritual of brown- dryness in Argentina to the moister environment of southern nosing the staid, elderly innkeepers before we are permitted on Chile. Here, there is a perceivable cultural difference, most notice- their premises. We habituate to stashing our bicycles well in able in accent and machismo, that helps demarcate the remote advance of a promising establishment, taking care to wipe the mud border crossing between the towns of Los Antiguos and Chile from our faces, and changing into our most acceptable T-shirts. Chico. The more respectable member of our duo (usually Hans) then Despite the differences, and the long-standing animosity that smiles his widest smile and pleads for our nightly lodging. exists between the two nations, the first Chileans we encounter On consecutive nights we succeed in obtaining comfortable have mostly good things to say about their neighbors. The geo- beds in Puerto Ibañez, Coihaique, Manijuales, Villa Amengual, La graphic isolation in this part of Chile is so great that many servic- Junta, Puerto Cardenas, and Chaiten. Only one evening proves es are most easily procured from their eastern rivals. When frustrating as we are turned away from “full” establishments. Volcano Hudson blew its top in 1991, dropping a meter of ash on Finally Paulina, a self-proclaimed ex-prostitute, discovers the two the town and turning day into night, it was the Argentines who of us—a pair of filthy gringo cyclists poring over a map in the cen- were first on the scene. tral town plaza. She offers a smile full of gold teeth and convinces Chile Chico is connected to Puerto Montt and the rest of us to try her home where, for two dollars a night, we can have a populated Chile, via 700 kilometers of splendidly meandering room to ourselves. For a few dollars more, we can share her bed. road known as the Camino Austral. Linking a series of small ham- We smile nervously at the “joke” as we are led off to the town’s lets and the region’s hub-city of Coihaique (population 36,000), outskirts, where a dilapidated tinderbox of plywood and cardboard the Camino Austral is a legacy of General Augusto Pinochet, the walls awaits us. infamous dictator of Chile from 1973 to 1990. Those who are Between accommodation stops, we pedal our way through critical of the questionable benefits and monumental expense awe-inspiring scenery reminiscent of British Columbia. Though required to build and maintain the route have evidently not had the coastal fjords are never too far away, the sea remains mostly the pleasure of experiencing its length from atop a bicycle. obscured from the Camino Austral until we reach the port town The Camino is not really a highway but an amalgamation of of Chaiten. For the most part, our route is entirely inland, weav- a few paved stretches, much single-lane gravel, and plenty of con- ing over a few 600- to 800-meter “cuestas,” paralleling rushing fused sections where gravel is trying to become pavement. During rivers, winding around pristine lakes, and passing beneath granite our first few days cycling north from Chile Chico, Hans and I cliffs and glaciers. Traffic is sparse and the few drivers we see are encounter frequent resurfacing and improvement projects. At congenial, offering salutatory toots before passing with such each work site, we notice groups of miserable construction work- ample space that it’s obvious oncoming traffic is unexpected. ers on prolonged break, huddled around pathetic barrels of glow- The farther north we go, the more cyclists we encounter. ing charcoal, trying to maintain warmth. When they call us over There are some jovial groups of Chilean college kids spending a to join them and warm our stiff fingers by their fire, they complain last week of summer vacation by bicycle. A few are camped at the about the rainiest season in 47 years. Snow has fallen at elevations roadside, oblivious to the weather, eager to share conversation as low as 500 meters—and this is February, the supposed height and swigs from their boxed wine. The other cyclists we meet are of the Austral summer! hardened, long-distance types heading southwards. A As we bike north along the Camino, hard rain accompanies Colombian/Italian duo, who have cycled six continents, stop for a us continuously with only the occasional overcast reprieve. pleasant chat during a rare interlude from the rain. The When the road transitions from hardtop to unpaved, the wetness Colombian admonishes us to appreciate every moment of the really goes through and is passable. Most Nuts & Bolts: Chile say yes, but those who are uncertain cause me worry. Their indecision, however, is more than compensated by incredible hos- What to read: and their comfortable accom- and accommodations to be pitality. At one of my riverside campsites, a Bolivia Lonely Planet Chile and many modations. If you aren’t intimi- tight. In the desert north, any local family approaches and provides me other Chile guidebooks are all dated by rain and are eager time of year is appropriate. with an unsolicited array of barbecued very informative, but the for some outrageous scenery meats. In the morning I discover that gazetteer produced by Chile’s rather off the beaten path, Which bike to bring: Copiapo someone else has left me fruit and cereal. telephone company Turistel, is G head for the Camino Austral. A mountain bike opens up an absolute must. This publica- Argentina Only the central zone of Chile, wonderful opportunities in I decide to abandon the magnificent tion comes in three volumes— with its large cities and heavy each distinct segment of Chile. backcountry routes for more efficient roads north, central, and south—and Pacific Ocean G Santiago traffic, is truly worth avoiding However, a hybrid touring bike with the realization that my northward describes each and every road on a bicycle. will suffice for the main roads progress has noticeably slowed. The four- in the country, including cur- C h i le throughout the country lane Pan-American Highway carries me rent road conditions, distances, When and how long: (excepting Patagonia). For a through a countryside that rapidly and scenic attractions which G Puerto Montt Parts of either the Camino bike tour confined only to the becomes more arid. Cities such as Los are rated on a scale of one to Austral, Lake District, or desert north, a touring bicycle Angeles, Chillán, Talca, and Rancalgua are four asterisks. The Spanish- G Atacama Desert could be would be most appropriate to Coihaique more common, as is traffic and exhaust. By language Turistel guides can attempted with only a week’s match the high-quality paved Atlantic Ocean the time I reach Santiago (a thoroughly A Fine Rest Stop Approaching Chile, Jeff takes a break out of the wind in Tierra del Fuego. be found in kiosks and book- worth of vacation, but at least roads and enormous distances. pleasant city, though not aboard a bicycle), stores in major Chilean towns, two weeks for each section I long for the idyllic countryside further this 200-kilometer stretch of gravel, there abandoned years ago by would-be smug- though the English versions would do far more justice. The Other preparation: are a bit harder to come by. trip from the southern Camino You don’t need any shots or south. Fortunately, it won’t take long to are only two potable freshwater sources, glers. Aside from the four lonely immigra- Look at www.turistel.cl or Chile, squeezed between the Pacific Austral to the border with paperwork other than pass- escape urbanity by heading north. the most attractive of which is claimed by tion officers and their dog, there is nary a search in Santiago. The region- Ocean and the Andes mountains, Peru is nearly 4,000 kilome- port (if you’re U.S citizen), or Northward progress means dwindling the region’s solitary permanent inhabitant, soul for more than a hundred kilometers. al and town maps in these offers unique cycling opportunities. ters, so budget at least a cou- even a wide assortment of kit. precipitation and moisture. By the time I a leather-skinned goat-herder living in a Apparently, the Argentinian border post, guides are the best available, and preferably north of La ple months for this entire tran- Just about everything, includ- cross the Rio Limari, the Atacama Desert stone lean-to. The only other spring is just seven kilometers away, is currently with- making their purchase worth- Serena, in the Valle Elqui, or sect. The Austral summer ing camping gear, quality bike has begun and cacti are commonplace. a seep from the ground that goes by the out staff, presumably because their cattle while in any language.