Carretera Austral - The end of the carretera

The last day started with a cold morning, so much so that my tent was frozen. Added to a bad night sleep, due to the sound I was hearing during the night, arriving to Villa O’Higgins was the only thing I had in mind for a better rest. So after removing the ice the best I could from the tent and bike saddle, eating a quick breakfast, and noticing that the sound was due to a tent rope not properly set, I got back on the road.

The last climb of the trip

The road to Villa O’Higgins is constantly accompanied by rivers and lakes, with its first part passing a couple of hills and the second part relatively flat. The gravel, however, is one of the worst of the carretera, with big stones popping out specially when the road was getting closer to the hills (where landslides are more common). I spent most of the first hour warming up my hands, which even with warm gloves were getting very cold. However, the sun was coming out and the heat produced during the first climb of the day helped a lot.

After the second and longest climb of the day started I caught up with the couple I met the day before. They told me they cycled for another 15 minutes before setting camp the night before. We soon arrived to one of the “refugios” that dotted the road, and frequently used by cyclists due to the lack of established camping sites. Here we parted ways, at least until Villa O’Higgins, as they decided to have food while I just refilled my bottles. At this point the view was of the valley below and the river snaking its way between the mountains.

After a short descent, the final and shortest climb of the day started. This was probably one of the toughest parts, at least of the day but probably the whole trip, with gradients reaching 15% with a relentless gravel. The descent after didn’t provide much relief of the gravel, but after entering the flatter part of the road the gravel improved. This part follows a valley next to some lakes and lagoons, with the Lago Cisnes the largest one before arriving to Villa O’Higgins.

The landscape around the road so far has been dotted by woods, with few farms and logging huts, and the weather sunny with little wind. However all changed once I reached Villa O’Higgins, where clouds could be seen over the O’Higgins lake and a headwind gave me the welcome into town. Villa O’Higgins, however, is not the end of the carretera. The end is located a few km further south in Bahia Bahamondes. It turned out that part of the clouds that could be seen in the horizon was dust from the lake shore. Once I reached the signpost marking the end of the carretera, the day was getting cold, so I returned to the town and on the way back I saw fox.

After returning, I got my certificate from the tourist information centre, where they also gave some advice about the buses to Tortel and activities around. Finding accommodation was not difficult, but some of the recommendations that other people gave me were not open. As my phone got no signal (due to some regulations in Chile) it was also impossible to call or search online. So I stayed at the first place the tourist information guide gave me, which was the Mosco Hostel. The hostel seemed to be the favourite spot for cyclists, and it offered single and shared rooms, and even huts. Here I met once again the couples from the ferry, and as the days passed even some of the people from the ferry in Hornopiren ended up here.

Shared adventures

El Mosco hostel turned out to be a warm place, well kept by its staff and full of charm. Its dining room was where the travelers shared their stories. When I arrived a group of hikers and the couple of cyclists with their dog that I saw on their way to Coyhaique were there waiting for the ferry to cross to Argentina. The hikers aiming to climbs the hills near El Calafate, while the cycling couple were going all the way south to Ushuaia. Another couple of French cyclists, were stocking up to continue their trip up to Colombia (or so was their plan). They actually started from Argentina and crossed through the mountains, near Lago Christie (more about this lake below), instead of waiting the Lago O’Higgins boat. They had a tough time with the wind on the Argentinian side, so their stop was longer to recharge their batteries. To cross the lake many were waiting for at least a couple of days, even the trips to the O’Higgins glacier were not working because of the weather of the lake.

The first couple in the ferry to arrive were the ones that camped near me, the guy was going to return through Coyhaique while the girl was continuing south. The second couple in the ferry turned out to be from England and they were also crossing to Argentina. Some of them got tickets for the boat leaving in a couple of days, while the rest would only be able to cross the day after I left. With the days more cyclists arrived, one from the US and another from Russia, who have suffered the perils of the changing weather including a blizzard. Finally the Australian girls who I met crossing from Hornopiren to Caleta Gonzalo arrived.

During dinner many people will gather in the room and shared their stories about their trip, plans and recommendations. The owner was also very accommodating, offering us rhubarb cake or fruits. Considering that Villa O’Higgins is one of the most isolated towns in Chile, where fresh vegetables are difficult to find, these treats were more than welcomed. Although everyone had different goals and places to go, sharing our adventures for at least a couple of days was good way to round up our trips in the carretera.

Small town, lots to do

During the day time everyone would disappear, some doing maintenance, laundry or walking around. In my case, I decided to leave the bike for the first few days and do some hikes. In the first one, I went to the hill next to the town to get some views from above. The hike wasn’t difficult and the day was sunny, but there was still parts of the ground frozen from the cold night. The path also allowed me to see another glacier from afar. Once back in town, I prepared a good lunch and rested planning the next day.

For my second hike, I cycled to the entrance of a trail called Altavista. The hill located towards Bahia Bahamondes, offered views of some lagoons in the mountains, glaciers and the town. It wasn’t more difficult than the trail the day before, but it was muddy and the shrubs overgrown in many parts of the trail. Other than birds, the trail was good to see frogs, especially in the muddy parts. The sunny days however turned to cold and rain the next day, so I decided to just walk around and sort my things.

The day before leaving, I took food and spare parts to a trip Lago Christie. This lake can be reached by a road to the limit with Argentina. The road cross a few woods and is sometimes dotted with farms where cows and horse could be seen. It is however a bit lonelier than other roads. The morning started a bit cold and rainy, but soon the sun came out. At the lake the weather was a bit cold because of the wind, so after eating my lunch there I returned to the hostel. On the way back I saw another fox, who looked at me, yawned and went away. Although tired of the gravel, this trip was completely worth it.

Saying goodbye

It was finally time to say goodbye to the Carretera Austral. The next morning I took the bus to Caleta Tortel to continue my trip by ferry. The day was cold and rainy making it more sad to leave, but the trip was going to continue to southern latitudes. The bus ride in the rain seemed a bit dangerous but the driver was careful and we had the chance to see a last huemul before leaving the Carretera Austral and arriving to Tortel. All in all, a proper way to say goodbye.

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