Patagonia: Journey to the End of the World
Solo Trip by motorbike in Patagonia
Riding the wind for 4,145 km, by motorcycle from Puerto Montt to Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city. Experiencing the thrill of traveling 2 legendary dusty routes: the “Carretera Austral” in Chile, and the “Ruta 40” in Argentina. Discovering the excitement of getting to know totally unique places which are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Satisfying the curiosity to see sites that are legendary thanks to chronicles of the past. Bowing down to the majesty of the nature and geology of the territory of the legendary Perito Moreno, the continuously moving glacier. A solo trip, long desired and planned, sponsored and equipped by GIVI for an extreme, unforgettable adventure.
Journey to the End of the World
I have always aimed and striven for the two legendary dusty routes dear to Bruce Chatwin also: the Carretera Austral and the Ruta 40. After “courting” them for more than 4 years, I finally traveled to meet them. With a transoceanic shipment, I had my motorcycle and gear brought over to the starting point of my adventure: Puerto Montt, on the Pacific Ocean. After 65 km I embark for the island of Chiloè described by Charles Darwin, with its “palafitos” – typical stilt villages – and the astonishing “iglesias” of multicolored wood included among the UNESCO World Heritage sites.From Quellòn I ferry over to the continent and reach the legendary Carretera Austral, which winds for 1,240 km amidst uncontaminated, wild landscapes: an incredible experience! I spend an emotion-filled Christmas with a generous family of farmers in the village of Manihuales. I devote the next day to excursions: Piedra del Indio, a rocky spur shaped like the typical profile of an Indio, Puerto Tranquilo and a boat trip on the General Carrera lake with its tunnels forming the amazing white “Catedral de Màrmol”. Through Passo Roballos I finally enter Argentina, where I travel a path full of ups and downs and incredible canyons up to the “Cueva de las Manos” with the rock paintings declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
At Bajo Caracoles I fill up the fuel tank and spare jerry can: the next station is no closer than 350 km away! And off I go along the legendary Ruta 40 toward Tres Lagos, where I come up against a 76 km detour that takes me onto a slimy, muddy path that proves extremely problematic for non-experts: I find 11 of them already blocked there, mired in the muck. On the other hand, I get through fine, enjoying with great satisfaction the result of years of experience of solo riding, and really appreciating my faithful XR650. I leave for El Chalten, on the slopes of the Fitz Roy, 3,405 meters high, and in the province of Santa Cruz I stop at the historic “La Leona” Hotel where the famous outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid took refuge after a bank robbery. The hotel takes its name from the river running alongside it, where explorer Francisco Perito Moreno was attacked and wounded by a female puma, locally called a leona.
The explorer, in turn, gave his name to his truly spectacular discovery in Lake Argentino: the Perito Moreno, an incredible, majestic moving glacier 30 km long and up to 60 meters tall, considered the world’s third reservoir of fresh water. When a chunk breaks off, it plunges into the lake, causing a deafening roar and huge waves: an incredible spectacle! The trip takes me again to the Torres del Paine Park – an uncontaminated oasis where I encounter the guanaco llamas, small wild South American camelids- and then to the archaeological site Cueva del Milodòn, where over a century ago the skeleton of a giant sloth was found. The “Viento Patagòn”, so harsh that it bends all the treetops, gives me the thrust I need to reach my destination. A glance at the cute penguins, the ferry across the Strait of Magellan, and then I arrive: here is Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, on the Great Island of Tierra del Fuego. Here ends Ruta Nacional no. 3, 17,848 km long, as does my journey, which I will remember for a much, much longer time.
The protagonist
Salvatore Pizzo, riding his Honda XR650
The protagonist
Salvatore Pizzo, riding his Honda XR650
A surveyor by profession, in his free time Salvatore is a “total traveler”. He has an inborn bent for unpaved dirt tracks, considering them more “genuine” than the asphalts that often mar the environment. He adores motorcycle rallies in places where the Earth is still uncontaminated, and participates in them with a mental and physical resistance that has earned him an award of merit from CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee). He has practiced numerous different sports, and has even trained with the special divisions of the Japanese police force. He has developed his natural instinct as an explorer thanks to an intense life as a scout. He has told about his adventures in the Lonely Planet guides and on TV.
Recommended gear
like an adventure
A motorcycle adventure across difficult, wild zones, on dirt – and often muddy – roads, has to be planned with prudence and foresight also in the choice of accessories. A must-have is a spare jerry can for fuel: service stations can be hundreds of kilometers away from each other. Also useful are soft, washable, waterproof bags. Generally speaking, all gear must be sturdy, safe, and secure in all conditions.
A motorcycle adventure across difficult, wild zones, on dirt – and often muddy – roads, has to be planned with prudence and foresight also in the choice of accessories. A must-have is a spare jerry can for fuel: service stations can be hundreds of kilometers away from each other. Also useful are soft, washable, waterproof bags. Generally speaking, all gear must be sturdy, safe, and secure in all conditions.
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