Düsi goes hiking or a somewhat unusual border crossing

Patagonia, the southern tip of South America, is divided into a wide, dry and windy pampas and a narrow, green, water-rich strip, characterised by mountain ranges, glaciers and fjords. The first lies largely in Argentina, while the second runs along the Carretera Austral through southern Chile.

After almost two months of wind and pampa we were curious to get to know the other side of Patagonia. In order to reach the southern end of the Carretera Austral, one must either make a proper detour, as the last 250 kilometres are dead ends, or a somewhat adventurous border crossing with gravel road, ferry trips and six kilometres of hiking trail. Since we didn’t feel like taking a detour, we tackled this adventure after our days in El Chaltén. Around noon we left the tourist hiking village in order to bring the 37 kilometres of gravel to the lake Lago Desierto behind us. Heavy headwind slowed us down the first kilometres and whirled small stones into our faces. In addition, a break in the front carrier delayed our progress. We repaired it temporarily with cable ties. So we missed our ferry in the late afternoon. Actually we wanted to stay overnight at the Argentine border control on the other side, because you can camp there for free. But nothing came of it. The Argentine officer at the boat dock was not ready to let us camp with him despite nice conversation. Instead we had to drive half a kilometre back to the last campsite. Thank God we found enough Argentine pesos in our money and trouser pockets to pay for the unexpected camping night. At the campsite we met two other pairs of cyclists who were planning to cross the same border the next day. The next morning we set off for the ferry, one after the other. Together with the active support of the very friendly boat crew we managed to stow 4 wheels, a tandem and felt 100 panniers. With cloudy skies and rain, which accompanied us since the night, we moved to the other side together with a Dutch hiking group. After a simple, manual border clearance the adventure “Düsi geht Wandern” started. For six kilometres we had to push, pull and lift it through woods, over roots, narrow paths and cold streams. Since the vehicle with all its bags together was too heavy to be pushed uphill, we had to cover the whole distance twice. Once we shouldered the heavy, large clothes bags as well as the yellow “Dicke Berta”, a second time Düsi was pushed by Matthias, while Nina stretched herself like a horse with a luggage belt in front of the cart and pulled. If the way was too narrow or steep, Matthias had to go a third time with the front luggage bags. If we were used to a slow progress due to the headwind in the last weeks, this was reduced again clearly. However, the speed was not gruelling for us, as we had received good information from other cyclists in advance - many thanks to Arnold! - but the continuing rain. When it finally stopped in the late afternoon, our mood suddenly improved. Nevertheless, around seven o’clock in the evening we had to say that we wouldn’t make it to the lake O’Higgins anymore. It turned out to be no easy task to find a suitable camp site in the hilly forest. Around eight o’clock we found it, one kilometer before the end of the hiking trail. The spot was halfway flat and not overgrown. A little brook beside it gave us fresh water. The rain was so friendly that we didn’t start again until the next day, when we were already on our way and had stowed everything away dry. It also couldn’t spoil our mood when we reached the sign “Republic of Chile” and thus the end of the hiking trail. The following 17 kilometres of gravel road were in a better condition than expected, so that we could cycle a large part. Past it went at a lonely, small airfield and by forest sections. In the end, the road turned curvy, steep and exposed next to a gorge down to the sea. To get a Chilean visa we stopped at the border station. We parked Düsi and strengthened ourselves in the entrance before we rang the bell. Hikers and cyclists are then let in individually. Thanks to the heavy rain, the border official was not motivated to leave the building and inspect our luggage more closely. This saved us a tedious, unnecessary unloading. With sufficient time reserve we arrived at the ferry dock at 14:30 in order to reach the boat at 17:00. But by asking other hikers and cyclists we found out that because of the strong wind none would sail on this day … perhaps tomorrow? … or maybe only in three days? … We had no choice but to do the same as the others, to pitch our tent in Candelaria Mansilla and wait. The view of the huge lake is especially beautiful in the evening mood, but it doesn’t suppress the feeling that we are stuck and at the mercy of the weather and the ferry company. The rumour mill was simmering. There was a wood-heated hot shower and a draughty shed. At its door, those waiting for several days to wait for the ship were immortalized with lists of male hustlists. The beauty and violence of nature lie very close together here. From Candelaria Mansilla you can also take a boat trip to the glacier O’Higgins - weather permitting. We prepared for this possibility the next morning and therefore started the day early. That was a wise decision, as it soon turned out: Around 10:30 a.m. the owner of the camping site came - she had the power over the radio and thus the contact to the border station and to the captain of the ship - and informed everyone that in about half an hour the boat would come to take us to Villa O’Higgins. But the glacier diverter would be cancelled due to the weather. As we had almost finished packing, we reached the ferry station without hectic rush. Among the other campers, however, there was a bit of hectic activity beside great joy. Finally everyone reached the ship in time. Also border soldiers marched extra to the camping site to inform, and afterwards to the jetty to supervise the entry and exit. Again the ship’s crew proved to be very energetic and helpful. They helped with stowing the bags and lashed the bicycles so tightly on deck that nothing could move. As it turned out in the course of the journey, this was indispensable for things to arrive in spite of the strong swell. The first hour one could still enjoy the view from the roof of the ship, if one either held on to the railing properly or wanted to train one’s sense of balance. Afterwards, leaving the cabin was out of the question. The waves had grown to three to four meters and the spray splashed over the boat. In the 50-man cabin it had become noticeably quiet. The passengers watched the ups and downs of the waves. A certain relief became noticeable when we finally docked. The captain confirms the perception of the passengers: “Later it would not have been possible to take us across the lake.”