Bikepacking

Bikebacking from Bariloche to San Martin de los Andes.
Plot twist, we are suddenly bikepacking!
We decided to rent gear at the friendly bike company “bike Patagonia” to cover the 210 km between Bariloche and San Martin de los Andes in about 3-4 days. Now our readers will think that this would be an easy feat to bike 210 km in 3 days. Well, we thought it too :)
Day 1: Bariloche to Villa Llanquin (47.3 km- 582 elevation gain).
The process of testing and renting the bikes, load them with our gear and get ready takes quite a time. Luckily we are able to give the company our big backpacks to be transported to San Martin de los Andes. We start biking around 12:00 and find a nice pedestrian lane to leave the city. Our lunch spot is quintessential “bike trip” for me: on a grass patch of the supermarket in the last village we will see in 2 days: Dina Huapi. We stock on gaz (eyes watering expensive!) and food (also very expensive) and then continue. It is around 15:00 now and it is getting very hot.
We are able to take a nice side gravel road, which comes with very steep ascents and some fences crossing but also goes along the magnificent Rio Limay. The water is perfectly clear and when we are able to go close to the river, it is pleasantly shaded from big trees.
We arrive late and tired in Villa Llanquin and find the recommended campsite Don Jacinto.
Day 2: Villa Llanquin to Villa Traful (65.2 km- 1010 elevation gain).
The day starts with 30 km on the main road, which is surprisingly not too crowded (many locals warned us about the danger of traffic but we find it better than Switzerland, as the roads are broader and there is a gravel lane besides). After 30 fast kilometres we start the VERY thought road to Villa Traful. The heat is increasing, the head wind is getting strong, the road is very bumpy (especially with sore backsides), the ascents are steep and cars passing by create a lot of dust. I am at my limit, although we only need to bike around 37 km. At one point the wind is so strong that we can not stay on the bikes, luckily this is only on one given pass. We arrive exhausted and very dusty at a campsite.
Day 3: Villa Traful to Lago Villarino (50.6 km- 980 elevation gain).
Today is luckily easier than the day before because we can start early with the gravel road (about 25 km) and join the main road for the last stretch.
We stop on the side of the main road to make coffee and meet nice Uruguayan also on a bike trip.
We arrive early at the free campground of Villarino and eat our second lunch there before falling asleep from the heat and biking.
Day 4: Lago Villarino to San Martin de los Andes (48.3 km-600 elevation gain).
Easy day on the main road to San Martin de los Andes, the temperature is perfect and the traffic is mostly going in the other way. With some small exceptions, the cars passing us with caution.
The last part is a long descent to San Martin de los Andes, we meet many bikepackers going the other way.
We are in San Martin de los Andes for an early lunch. Almost all accomodations are fully booked or very expensive so we opt to stay at the local campsite. Also the busses to Pucòn seem to be sold out until 3 days after so we will have 2.5 days in San Martin de los Andes. It rains in the evening so we go have dinner at the restaurant in the village that looks like a copy of an Austrian mountain village and is very touristy.Read more