Riding the Carretera Austral: Patagonia’s Wild Heartbeat
There’s a rhythm on the Carretera Austral. Not a song, but the pulse of rugged beauty and isolation that sinks deep with every turn. We’re miles from Valparaíso where our journey started, and the road feels like it’s calling us closer to the edge. Patagonia stretches endlessly, an expanse that’s as much about braving the elements as it is finding yourself within them.
Our Honda CRF250Ls hum along the gravel, engines meeting the winds that sweep down from ice-capped peaks. We’ve heard tales of this road—endless fjords, glaciers, forests—but words do it no justice. The truth is rawer: jagged mountains towering on either side and jurassic jungle clawing towards roads that seem barely more than whispers cut through untouched wilderness.
After Chaitén, we take a detour to Futaleufú, not so much for Futaleufú itself as for the road to get there. On the way, the cold rain gnaws at us, relentless. Shivering on our motorcycles and with all the campsites still closed in early spring, we check into a hostal for the night. A few cups of tea and some lively conversation with other travelers lift our spirits right back up.
Feeling re-energised the next day, we find a wildcamping spot nearby to get some fishing done and spend the night. Alas, while pitching the tent to let it dry, another blow hits: our tent tears. It’s hard to describe that kind of frustration when you’ve been so soaked, exhausted and cold for the past few days. And to top it off, early the next day, Jonas’s windscreen decides to break right off (again), rattling our spirits and making us question our life choices.
After stopping for some consolation cake and a hot beverage, we decide to press on. Living on the road means the only way is forward, keeping those wheels turning until a solution is found along the way.
Soon we reach Queulat National Park. Standing beneath the hanging glacier (Ventisquero Colgante), we feel dwarfed by nature’s magnitude, each layer of ice and rock telling a story. Continuing further South, we take some time to sew our tent back together, edit you a new YouTube video and remove Jonas his windscreen once and for all. Even more exposed to the rain and Patagonian winds, the road to Ushuaia will be a cold one!
The road keeps rolling, and a few days later we find ourselves hiking to Lago Duff in Cerro Castillo. Being able to hike along this motorcycle journey brings us pure joy. It’s a reminder of how alive we feel, how close we are to such untameable nature, and that every setback is just another turn on this unpredictable, humbling journey.
In the little towns along the way life seems to move slowly. People are easy to talk to, kind and ready to help. More than a few travellers find themselves stranded with car tyres torn apart by these gravel tracks, another reminder to take care along these roads. It’s a land where the rugged terrain and the fierce climate demand respect. In many ways, it’s just the kind of challenge we crave: the grit, the unknown and the satisfaction of pushing past comfort.
Camping here? Cold and rewarding. Nights bring icy air that seeps into your bones, reminding you that comfort is a luxury not affordable everywhere in the world. We zip up and brace ourselves as the Milky Way and the Southern Cross start to glitter. Beneath the starlight, surrounded by the hum of wild Patagonia, the Carretera’s truth sinks in. It’s more than a road. It’s a journey where each kilometer leaves a mark, pulling you into a story as vast and untamed as the land itself.
