Toe2Top of South America
Distance: 70.35 miles
Time: 5, 10 mins
Av speed: 13.4 (35.6 max)
Total feet climbed: 8,200
First day - first hills - first wind!
Realised how hard this was going to be. Didn’t get to camp spot until 10 pm but luckily light till 11 in the far south.
So exhausted.
Ushuaia to Tolhuin (field 10 miles further on)
DAY ONE
DAY THREE
Rio Grande to San Sebastián (Chile)
Distance: 61 miles
Time: 7 hours (total journey time 13 hours)
Av speed: 8.5
Wind speed: 35-40 mph
Woke up early to avoid the wind - but still windy!
Long straight road up the coast with vicious side wind very nearly knocked us off a few times. Again no supplies on the road.
Stamped out of Argentina and cycled the 20 km border road into Chile turning into headwind. Neither country seemed to care as the road was just a bumpy dusty gravel track with lots of lorries!
Caught smuggling fruit into Chile!
A kind lady let us put up the tent in her garden to get some shelter from the wind - 195 miles down!
DAY FIVE
Shepherds Hut to Punta Arenas
Distance: 55 miles
Time: 5:10 - 9 hours including ferry
Av speed: 9.4 mph
Feet climbed: 12,000
Wind: windy!!!!
Left early to get the 2pm ferry across to Punta Arenas
30 mile gravel road through the hills on really steep road
Only saw one car! Lots of sheep and lamas.
Hardest day so far - Roo’s knees on fire
Such a relief to travel via ferry which wasn’t fazed by the wind
Stocked up in Punta Arenas which was the last town/bit of civilisation for 200km
DAY SEVEN
Estancia Rio Peritente to 28 de Noviembre
Distance: 97 miles
Time: 6 hours 40 mins total journey 13 hours
Av speed: 14.2 mph
Total Feet: 12,644
Wind: 25mph side then tail
Long Day! Crossed border back into Argentina and onto famous Routa 40 which was stunning.
Eventually found camp spot in the trees and cooked our first steak of the trip!
EXHAUSTED
DAY TWO
Tolhuin to Rio Grande
Distance: 64.5 miles
Time: 6 hours (9hours 12 total journey time)
Av speed : 10.5 (27.5)
Wind speed: 40 mph with stronger gusts!
First taste of serious wind. Of course we knew it would be bad but couldn’t imagine how exhausting and disheartening it would be.
Very bleak coastline with huge waves and real end of the world feel.
No shops no water stops in between Tolhuin to Rio grande. Just lamas!
Rode with an Argentinian man Leo from Mendoza who we helped out in the wind. Team work so important!
DAY FOUR
Distance: 46.3 miles
Time: 5 hours 51 cycling - Journey Time 11 Hours
Av speed: 7.8mph
Wind speed: 30mph headwind
Legs in bits and made very slow progress and so happy every time we stopped.
Hardly any cars and no houses, and no supplies on the road again and by 9 o’clock out of water. Decided to go up mile long Estancia drive to ask where we were met by two extremely friendly shepherds Jose and Pedro.
They invited us in, gave us water coffee and bread and then asked us if we would like to stay in an old farm building.From our broken Spanish there lives sounded amazing. Together they look after 6,000 sheep with the temperature being less then 0 for much of the year, with the nearest bit of civilisation 90 km away.
Eternally grateful for their help and not sure what else we could have done. Thank you Jose and Pedro
San Sebastian to Shepherds house
DAY SIX
Punta Arenas to Estancia Rio Pernitente
Distance: 77 miles
Time: 6 hours 30 moving time, 11 hours journey time
Av speed: 10.7 mph
Wind: woke up early to beat it but kicked in by 11am!
Fairly miserable waking up with heavens open and struggle to keep everything dry.
Clothes all soaked but had good rain gear once we were on the bike. Enjoyed getting drenched by big lorries that were going by and the fact that there was o wind for the first time.
Cooked the best bacon sandwiches for lunch which massively lifted our spirits until Patagonia fought back as wind kicked in again. Only means of getting water was from farmers on the route.
Suddenly like an oasis in the dessert there was a coffee shop! The first we have seen on our trip and we couldn't have been happier!! Tailwinds for the fist time in the evening were also a huge bonus!