SAMtNEWs 19 March / April 2013

Transcription

1 SAMtNEWs 19 March / April SAMt PATAGONIA TOUR - FEBRUARY 2013 From north to south, from Osorno to Punta Arenas 2.0 SAMt PATAGONIA TOUR - MARCH 2013 From south to north, from Punta Arenas to Osorno 3.0 SAMt DAKAR 2014 TOUR First hand action! Official Travel Partner

2 PATAGONIA ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE 1.0 SAMt PATAGONIA TOUR - FEBRUARY 2013 From north to south, from Osorno to Punta Arenas This new adventure started in Osorno with a group of ten friends from Mexico, their names: Gabriel, Hector, Jesus, Juan Francisco, Luis, Ruben, Mario, Alejandro, Miguel and Cesar. SAMt s team consisted of John, guiding on his BMW Adventure, and Erik and Gaby in the support vehicle. Pacific Ocean Osorno START Futaleufú Argentina San Carlos de Bariloche Esquel (Travelín) PATAGONIA Circuit Argentina & Chile N Puyuhuapi Coyhaique Andes Mountains Perito Moreno Gobernador Gregores Torres del Paine Calafate Perito Moreno Glacier Punta Delgada Punta Arenas FINISH Estrecho de Magallanes Cerro Sombrero See video of the Patagonia tour from north to south in: Chile Ushuaia End of the world 2

3 Crossing into Argentina by the Cardinal Samore pass is always a good ride, not even a persistent drizzle from the Chile side could dampen the mood of the riders. BEGINNING THE JOURNEY 3

4 See testimony of Luis Collazo, Alejandro Garcia y Cesar Guerrero in: GOURMET FOOD AND PANORAMIC VIEWS: A PERFECT BLEND Once in Argentina while on our way to Villa la Angostura, the sun came out in all its splendor and the SAMt crew served a delicious lunch at a great spot with a lake view. The final destination of the day, the beautiful Bariloche. 4

5 See testimony of Juan Francisco Vazquez in: The second day we had an early start, the road we were about to ride on offered lots of opportunities to stop and take pictures. Lunch this time was in a restaurant, the highlight being, an extremely gorgeous waitress who stole a few Mexican hearts! The restaurant was located in Villa Lago Rivadavia the blue clear waters challenged some of the Mexican riders. Cesar and Juan Francisco did not hesitate taking off their riding gear and jumping into the icy water. What can we say but, two very tough Mexicans! 5

6 A fishing lodge on the bank of the river was the stop for the night and SAMt booked it exclusively for the group. A warm large outdoor jacuzzi, with a great view was ready for the boys to jump into, dinner was getting ready : a lamb cooked on a sword, the speciality of Patagonia. EXCLUSIVE FISHING LODGE JUST FOR THE GROUP 6

7 RIDING IN GROUP The next morning we were entering Chilean territory again and this would also be the first sections of gravel roads for our riders. The winds between lakes and mountains and a light rain was the perfect excuse to stop for a hot coffee or hot chocolate and brownies. The group was in a hurry to reach the destination, the reason being, tonight we are stopping at the Puyuhuapi hot springs. We arrived in good time, still early in the afternoon and the ferry was there to take the group to the hotel which is located on a fiord. The Mexicans did not wait too long to reach the pools and enjoy the rest of the day. 7

8 Time to get back on the road again riding on the southern highway and in a climate which at times is determined to make you wet, and after a great ride we finally reached the city of Coyhaique. CARRETERA AUSTRAL 8

9 AND THE TEQUILA? See testimony of Gabriel Gonzalez y Miguel Padilla in: Once at the lodge, our Mexican friends noticed a serious problem, they had run out of tequila a situation totally unacceptable that set Erik on his way with an important mission: to get the precious drink, a task that was successfully resolved. 9

10 CROSSING THE ANDES: ARRIVING TO PATAGONIA Again it s time to cross the Andes back to Argentina and the famous Patagonia, a land so desolate, dry and constantly swept by strong winds. Although February is the dry season, we found out that the destination we intend to reach tomorrow has had rain for eighteen hours straight. We all know what that means, a clay surface ahead that is as slippery as soap. Riding in those conditions is quite demanding and the Route 40 took its first victims, Alejandro with a small fall at low speed, but unfortunately it cost him his ankle. We loaded his bike onto the ramp of the support vehicle and we kept going, but not for long, in less than ten minutes we heard John on the radio: Mario had fallen off his bike and had damaged his shoulder. 10

11 The bike was off the road and could not be ridden we then decided to take Alejandro s bike off the ramp and put Mario s on. Erik rode Alejandro s bike and Gaby drove the support vehicle - we all set off again but this time with extreme care as there was no more room for accidents. Finally we all made it to Perito Moreno town and while the group lunched outside the hospital, our friends Alejandro and Mario were waiting to have Xrays taken. The results of the test? Mario: a broken shoulder and Alejandro a fractured ankle, unfortunately for them it is the end of the trip. VICTIMS OF ROUTE 40 11

12 For the rest of the group now begins the hardest stage of the desolate Route 40, the challenge we are all here for. The accommodation: Patagonian ranches dedicated to raising sheep and horses. One of the highlights of staying on these farms is the spitted lamb cooked by the gauchos, a truly local treat. LAMB COOKED BY THE TRADITIONAL ARGENTINE GAUCHO WAY 12

13 GLACIER: A NATURAL WONDER See testimony of de Hector Cuadra in: We soon arrived at one of the most anticipated destinations of tour, El Calafate, and the Perito Moreno Glacier, declared one of the wonders of the natural world. It is a massive wall of ice and one of the few glaciers in the world that is not sinking. In Calafate we rested for a day and the group went to visit the Glacier on a private tour. 13

14 It is time to leave Argentina again to go to Torres del Paine in Chile. The road ahead, a sequence of curves on gravel that goes through the mountains and takes us to the lodge where we will spend the night. A hotel nestled at the foot of a magnificent mountain range. The view from the restaurant, the amazing Paine towers. UNIQUE BEAUTY 14

15 ROAD TO THE WORLD S SOUTHERNMOST TERRITORY See testimony of Ruben Cabrera in: It is time to enter the world s southern most territory, the island of Tierra del Fuego (Land of the fire). The only thing to separate us from the island; a twenty minute ferry. The small town of Cerro Sombrero is where we spend the night and dinner is the occasion for many laughs and stories of the trip. 15

16 EXPERTS IN CUSTOMS This time the crossing to Argentina is without any delay, at this point of the trip, our Mexican friends are true experts in the process of crossing customs. After Argentina customs we reached the paved road and the group stopped for lunch at a lodge overlooking Lake Fagnano, the menu being Patagonia Trout, a delight to the palate. 16

17 Ushuaia, the most southeast city in the world, welcomed us with a sunny day. Here we have two nights, tomorrow we visit the national park Lapataia, near Beagle Channel and the official end of the Nº3 route, the end of the world. THE END OF THE EARTH 17

18 AGAIN WE FINISHED ANOTHER ADVENTURE AND ROUTE 40 PATAGÓNICA has given us the opportunity to make new friends. 18

19 WE START AGAIN FROM SOUTH TO NORTH PATAGONIA Circuit Argentina & Chile N 2.0 SAMt PATAGONIA TOUR - MARCH 2013 From south to north, from Punta Arenas to Osorno Again SAMt team is ready to begin yet another adventure, always in Patagonia, but this time we ll do it from south to north, starting in Punta Arenas and finishing in Osorno. Our group is made up of, two couples: (Arti and Atul from India and Varkki and Madhura from Canada). The other members are Anton and Amor (father and son from South Africa), and their close friend Phillipus, also from South Africa. See video of the Patagonia tour from south to north in: 19

20 COLD AND RAIN: OUR FIRST COMPANIONS IN PATAGONIA cloudy day with some intense cold rain greeted us A for the first miles of Patagonia. After a quick fuel stop in Puerto Natales, the group was ready for a warm lunch, a rich soup followed by chicken wraps, the catering was organized by SAMt. After we all warmed up it was time to keep going. See testimony of Anton in: 20

21 See testimony of Varkki in: THE FIRST KILOMETERS ON GRAVEL After a few miles we entered the National Park of Torres del Paine and therefore the first kilometers of gravel road. Everyone was very concerned about having to ride on the gravel road and also coping with heavy rain, since all riders had little off road experience. The group passed the first gravel road test just fine and it is guaranteed it will be the topic of conversation over dinner tonight. 21

22 FRONTLINE VIEW The granite horns (Paine Towers) are the protagonists in this place and the hotel is located at their feet, and we were given the usual cozy greeting. 22

23 The route will now take us to Argentina, and our final destination: Calafate and the Perito Moreno glacier. We have some more rain and it is getting colder, two good reasons for the girls, Arti and Madhura to jump quickly into the support vehicle. We finally arrived at El Calafate and we all stopped to take some pictures of the Lake Argentino, no matter how many times we see it, it never ceases to amaze us with its strong blue color. Here the riders have a break to visit the glacier, one of the most important tourist attractions of the whole southern Patagonia. THE GLACIER: A NATURAL TOURIST ATTRACTION 23

24 RIDING ON THE FAMOUS GRAVEL ROADS OF PATAGONIA See testimony of Atul in: It is now time to explore the Route 40, famous for the gravel and the Patagonian strong winds. Lucky for the riders the winds are calm and we all reach the hotel without any problems. This part of our journey, is about the isolation of the Patagonia and the accommodation on farms. One farm is still active in the production of wool and has been suitably modified to receive visitors. We all arrive at the farm of Gregores just in time before a heavy rain starts falling. At night the group meet around the flames that are slowly cooking a lamb, the specialty of the area. 24

25 ROUTE 40 We all know that the next day is gravel ahead and with the rain we could have complications, because the road crosses sections of clay soil that is virtually impossible to pass with a motorcycle. After dinner a look at the sky brings tranquility, the stars shining in all their glory the rain has stopped. 25

26 The next day starting time wasn t too early we had a short ride ahead and we wanted the sun to dry the muddy sections of the road. We are all now on our way to Perito Moreno, the road is in good condition but as the new road is being built the group has to go through countless detours. Eventually we reached the road of the main route that will take us to the hotel where we will spend the night. Six kms of gravel to reach our destination, but with the rain the day before the road is now pure clay, and one of the riders fell off the bike. The fall was almost while he was stopped, so neither the bike nor him got hurt. FEELING THE ADVENTURE Given the conditions of the road we decided to leave the bikes parked at the entrance and just take everybody on the support vehicle. 26

27 See testimony of Amor in: A LONG DAY Clutch out for tomorrow was set early as we had a long day ahead, plus customs to get back to Chile. It was a very cold morning, but the sun eventually broke through and by midmorning it was a beautiful day. Today is an important day as we leave behind the Route 40 a reason for all to celebrate at night. Although we said Route 40 was left behind, the challenge still continued with the Carretera Austral, and the riders enjoyed the riding experience they have gained after many miles of unpaved road. The reward for the effort was the final destination for the day: Puyuhuapi hot springs. Getting to the hotel early in the afternoon gave everyone the chance to relax in the thermal pools and enjoy 27

28 the spa. The hot springs are located just beside the Pacific Ocean, and its icy water. It didn t take long for the group to start a competition, the idea was to get out of the hot water and quickly jump into the ocean and repeat the task a few times, the winner was Amor who managed to stay submerged in the sea for over five minutes, before running back into the hot spring! A SHORT BREAK See testimony of Madhura in: 28

29 We leave Chile again to return to Argentina, crossing through Futaleufú and arriving at our destination: a fishing lodge in Trevelin, and for dinner a roast lamb cooked on a sword, the last one for the trip. PATAGONIAN LAMB A DELICACY IN ARGENTINA AND CHILE 29

30 CROSSING THE ANDES FOR THE LAST TIME The trip is now coming to an end, but before it is over we travel the remaining miles to Bariloche and the Lake District, offering the riders a great contrast to the Patagonia left behind. Here everything is green, trees, lakes and snow-capped peaks, just a fantastic road and scenery. The last day is short one and a good asphalt road, we cross the Andes for the last time to finish our trip in Osorno. During the crossing we get to see some of the still remaining ash from the volcano Puyehue that erupted a year ago. 30

31 We arrive at Osorno and after the group park their bikes for the last time we shake hands and get a beer to drink a toast to a fantastic trip and with this group SAMt finishes the Patagonia season. Thank you all for choosing us and we hope to see you back one day to ride with us again! See testimony of Philippus in: See testimony of Arti in: 31

32 3.0 followdakar2014 BOLIVIA, ARGENTINA y CHILE The Dakar Rally undoubtedly known as the world s most dangerous race is back in South America and this time includes a very special destination - Bolivia. LIFE IS NOT - WITHOUT A PASSION 11 days Front line action! Official Travel Partner Limited Vacancies! See video of the DAKAR 2013 in: SAMt For bookings please contact: gzampini@samttours.com Mobil: + (56 9)

33 followdakar2014 BOLIVIA, ARGENTINA y CHILE SAMt will again follow this incredible event, providing participants with all the ingredients for a lifetime adventure. This time however, those who join us will not only have the opportunity to watch the rally, but also to get to ride on the largest salt desert in the world -The Uyuni Salt flats in Bolivia- A destination where SAMt has the pleasure to take many riders every year. Follow the Dakar 2014 will provide the participants with the opportunity to live a unique experience, crossing the deserts of Chile, Argentina y Bolivia. Tour... DAKAR Circuit: Bolivia, Argentina y Chile 33

34 followdakar2014 BOLIVIA, ARGENTINA y CHILE Highlights UYUNI SALT FLATS, BOLIVIA With an area of 12,000 km, and situated in the southwest of Bolivia. It lies at an altitude of 3,700 meters just west of the Township of Uyuni and extends like a huge flat white desert. Uyuni and extends like a huge flat white desert. ATACAMA DESERT, CHILE A place climatologists call absolute desert. There are sterile, intimidating stretches where rain has never been recorded, at least as long as humans have measured it. You won t see a blade of grass or cactus stump, not a lizard, not a gnat. But you will see the remains of most everything left behind. Uyuni is the world s largest salt flat The Atacama is known as the driest place on Earth More information! SAMt CONTACT gzampini@samttours.com