Day 5 - Ride to Yelco - updated - High Maintenance - 6 Week Carretera Austral - 2024

January 23, 2024

Day 5 - Ride to Yelco - updated

We left Chaiten a bit late, last minute run to the bank and David had to pick up a new rain jacket. Can’t be without a rain jacket that doesn’t zipper up in the pouring rain ! Too funny found a Patagonia store in Chaiten. Of course double any prices you pay back home, forget tracking tip numbers, tip is double and triple check everything, costs of replacements is soooo expensive if you are even lucky to find what you need!

OMG is simply a way to describe the scenery today. It was a bit cloudy when we left and a bit cool, after an hour the sun was out and we were cycling in shorts !

The ceiling in our cabana .. remember a pretty poor town. The ceiling in my tent looks better

David met a nice couple in the Patagonia store, a British couple Sue and Jason that were going to the same place we were, they were driving and asked us to join them for a drink at Yelco. There is a nice hotel there as well as a great campground.

Again every corner you turn on the highway you see great snow capped mountains.

We met a nice lady Beth that ran a little coffee stop. There was an old DC3 used to survey the land for the highway. It crashed and dragged out 6km by oxen to become a home. The link below is cool story on the plane. She explained the Chaiten volcano that erupted in 2008 covered the city in ash. Strange thing was locals warned the government, however they focused on other volcanoes. They were supposed to be evacuated for 4 years the locals said screw it came back after 2 years and rebuilt the town, only half of people returned. You appreciate what you have when you see what little the people live on. They are all so friendly always greeting you with an Ola and most people driving by beep their horn and give you a thumbs up.

This was the plane converted to a house. The plane still belongs to the Chilean government, the owners of the land are going to make it a museum. David and I said make it a Cabana :)

What it looks like now. If you ever travel down this way worth a stop! Great German pastries !

Oh my kill count is up to over 25, we asked Beth about them, like our Ontario deer and black flies, short life span by the end on January they are gone. We still get them for a few months up north. Tip number whatever, come in February not January. Just a week to go for us.

So we found out that you need to really step on them. Like the walking dead, they can come back. This little you know what was faking it by squirming around.

Again so scenic, unspoiled by progress of fast food restaurants and tour companies. Owner of Patagonia clothing bought huge tracts of land for conservation.

I could post so many pictures, there are so many awesome views.

Awesome camp site, drinkable water, hydro and flat for the tents !

View of the hotel grounds. Stunning views

I’ll have to finish this later using the hotel Wifi, campground is in the trees and it’s getting dark., walking dead bugs out there, they are pissed I killed their cousins.

6:00 am time to finish the journal. When you get up for a bio break usually when getting out and in of the tent you are wide awake ! So a note to self, drink less after dinner. The campsite is great. There are very many campers of all kinds. We found out this area is very popular for Chilean people from Santiago, they have their summer homes down here to escape the 40 plus degrees with humidity at home. Seems everywhere we escape a very hot summer or a snowy or cold winter. I wonder is their a place you don’t have to?

The campsite was 20,000 pesos around 30$ , you pay over twice that for a decent cabana. With all the amenities this is a better choice, at least you know who slept in your tent in the past.

Again dogs everywhere we found out that Chileans love their dogs! The one in the picture was so cute had to give him a piece of bread. He just lay there saying please.

Had to give him some of the great pasta made !

The hotel is 180 $ US a night we decided to at least have their buffet breakfast.
Cabana’s can we cost effective if you don’t mind roughing it, a decent hotel if you find one is not cheap.

I will always remember the views, in a car you would miss them! So many motorcycles on the road too, although most adventure type, the roads would be brutal on a regular bike.

With these pictures every day makes riding so much fun, even going up hill

Today's ride: 55 km (34 miles)
Total: 448 km (278 miles)

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