• Helene Rimberg
Current
  • Helene Rimberg

The Grand Adventure

A bike trip with no end Read more
  • Back to dry land

    March 11, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Another cramped night but a pretty morning makes up for it. Spend the day, again, moving between outside to see the sights and inside to stay warm. Manuever through very narrow channels and arrive in Puerto Natales. Check in to our hostel and out for a high end lamb dinnerRead more

  • On da boat

    March 11, 2024, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    Long and fairly uncomfortable night. Breakfast (and all subsequent meals) is not very tasty or nutritious but we have snacks. Spend the day staring at the horizon, waterfalls and towering peaks alongside us. Do a ‘tour’ around a shipwreck and make a port stop in Puerto Eden - though we can go no further than dock. Eat some pastries and reboard. Partial clearing affords colorful views and rainbows.Read more

  • The bike is not the only means of travel

    March 9, 2024 in Chile ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    Early morning to catch 7:30 bus. Still dark as we walk ourselves to the bus stop. Very bumpy 3 hour journey over the road that it took us 2 + days to ride. After crossing on the small ferry, hang out in the shelter, watching our bigger ferry and the smaller one switch places on the dock. Chaos ensues as they board our ferry but we get on and settle in for almost 2 days.Read more

  • Villa O’Higgins

    March 8, 2024 in Chile ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    Rainy night but stayed warm and dry in our pod. Wandered around in the cold rain in the little town looking for a bike repair store as my bike took some abuse on the ripio. No luck. Did our best to round up food from depleted stores. Finalize plan to take the bus back to Puerto Yungay to catch the ferry to Puerto Natales. Dine again at the nearby cerveceria.Read more

  • We made it!

    March 7, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    With only 30 kilometers left we slept in and had a late start. Mostly dry, and clear skies afforded great views as we wound our way through the valley to Villa O’Higgins - el fin de la Carretera Austral. It was a tough and amazing route and I am glad to be done! Stayed in a little hut and out for dinner and beer!Read more

  • Glaciers and waterfalls

    March 6, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Though it poured during the night, the morning was relatively dry. Nice warm up on flat gravel before embarking upon our climbs. Tough going but glaciers towering above us created many roadside waterfalls. Arrive at Refugio Racies, a wonderfully warm oasis.Read more

  • The final stretch

    March 5, 2024 in Chile ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    Day starts with a very steep and long climb. Waterfalls and rushing rivers surround us as we climb. A long descent leads to the ferry terminal at Puerto Yungay. And a 2 1/2 hour wait until the next one. Light rain and sun breaks finally gives way to constant rain as we board. An hour later we continue along the Carretera. Rain increases as we arrive at a campground with no host. Let ourselves in to the cyclist Refugio and make camp.Read more

  • A return to craggy peaks

    March 4, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Cold morning gave way to a beautiful sunny day. Though the ripio was much better for the most part, the washboards and loose gravel presented challenges. Found ourselves surrounded by trees - both along the road and up the mountains. Another lovely campsite by a ‘noisy’ river.Read more

  • Fall is in the air

    March 3, 2024 in Chile ⋅ 🌫 9 °C

    We had a nice surprise to start our day - asphalt for 4 miles including a hill. Though the morning clouds parted, there remained a fall-like chill in the air. Continue along rivers and lakes. A long final downhill led to our wild camp by the river.Read more

  • Short and sweet

    March 1, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Though only 18 miles to Cochrane the road and hills made for a challenging day. Doug did find a fox friend. Day is clear but chilly as we start climbing. Just when it seems too much we get some asphalt and then another Confluencia. Roll our way to Cochrane. Beers, bad pizza and great desserts round out the day.Read more

  • The fun continues

    February 29, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Start with a big up that takes forever as the ripio is loose and washboard. Make it to Puerto Bertrand for lunch and then pass La Confluencia - joining of two rivers. Find a sheltered wild camp and settle in for the night.Read more

  • A very long day

    February 26, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    A bit of rain keeps us moving quickly in the morning providing a nice early start. The clouds provide a nice contrast to the mountains. Road has improved a bit as we finish our climb and head down the other side. And then it goes worst. Arrive at what we had thought was final destination only to realize I had left off 12 miles. Doesn’t seems like much but at a speed of 5 mph, over bone jarring washboards that is a lot. Two flat tires to round out the day and barely make it till Puerto Rio Tranquillo before dark. Nice salmon dinner and collapse.Read more

  • @&$)!? Ripio

    February 25, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Within a few minutes of leaving our campground we hit the ripio - gravel roads would be our future for over 300 miles. It was a rough start - very rocky and loose and hilly. Tough to enjoy scenery as staring at road. Barely make it 20 miles and call it quits for the day. Find a very nice wild campRead more

  • DOWN to Rio Ibanez

    February 24, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    A very chilly start to our day. The frost on the tent and icicles in the water bottles suggested we were close to 0 C. Sun makes an appearance allowing us to get moving. A very gradual and long uphill to the highest point on the Carretera begins the route. After that we zoom down to the river valley, stopping frequently to marvel at the views. The jagged, glacier peaks are back. Stop in town for lunch and food and head up again to our campsite.Read more

  • Cerro Castillo

    February 23, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Left our cozy hostel, heading south and into a cross wind. Busy road, weaving amongst brown mesas. Wind shifts to a tailwind but still chilly. Long climb into Cerro Castillo park. Stop at campground but it is swarming with caterpillars. Not possible to stay. After a few more miles find a way down to the river and place to camp.Read more

  • Racing against the rain

    February 20, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Cloudy morning and rain is forecasted so move along quickly. Ride the river valley along a busy road. Actually enjoy a bit of a tailwind. Last climb includes a tunnel and cobblestones but cruise on down into Coyhaique and check into our hostel before the rain starts.Read more

  • Lakes and more peaks

    February 19, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Sunny day and a nice uphill to start us off. Arrived in Villa Amengual but not much to it. Pulled together some breakfast with amazing views. Soaring peaks all around us. Very green! Arrive in Villa Manihuales and opt to press on. Gather our dinner food and battle a headwind until reaching a beautiful wild camp right in a sandy beach.Read more

  • Our first gravel challenge

    February 18, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We were dreading today as we had been warned about how hard it was to - 2000 ft up and on unpaved road. All that was true but it wasn’t that bad. Especially as down was paved and scenery was mind boggling. Found an oasis/campground with beer and pizza.Read more

  • Two days in one

    February 16, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Beautiful morning as we wound our way up and around Lago Risapatron. Winding and rolling all the way to Puyuhuapi. Arrive just as store is closing for siesta time so kill a few hours. Unfortunately clouds roll in and rain starts just as we are leaving. Ride along the fjord to campground with sheltered tent sites and a kitchen area.Read more