Hike A Biking Paso El Bolson

Day 1 – From Road to Trail

From El Bolson, it was a quick 15km to the town of Lago Puelo, where a river separated us from the hiking trail. We didn’t know what to expect, other than that a few weeks ago some other cyclists turned away because the crossing seemed too dangerous for them. We planned to judge for ourselves.

First, we crossed two small creeks, which filled us with confidence, thinking this would be no problem. That all changed quickly when we arrived at the shore of the real river crossing.

My immidieate thought was that this was not possible to cross with a bicycle.

In front of us was a river that must have been 30 meters wide with an unknown max depth, and the current was moving very fast. I could envision it in my head, trying to cross with my bike over my head, only to slip and get washed away into the nearby rapids. Zach shared my concern, and we decided to stop and eat some lunch to consider our options.

Thankfully, some hikers arrived on the other side of the river, and we watched them cross rather effortlessly. The water appeared to reach near the waist at the deepest and the current seemed manageable. My confidence increased, but Zach was still hesitant.

In order to convince him, I crossed the river with nothing to see how it felt. The current was much stronger than I was expecting, and the rocks were covered in a slippery moss that caused me to nearly fall multiple times. I began to second guess the idea. On the way back, I walked about 10 meters upstream, and I found it to be much calmer and more stable. Once back with Zach, I knew that we could cross it with no problem.

Before I could change my mind, I threw my unloaded bike over my head and headed for the other side. I made it without any problems and felt a surge of energy hit me as I walked up the opposite shore. I had never crossed a river so big with a bike, and it felt good to push my limits.

We had to go back and forth a few times to get all of our gear across. We high-fived once it was all done and dusted before starting on the hiking trail.

The first two kilometers was excellent single track through a lush forest. Our stoke was high, and we tried to enjoy every meter of it because we knew it wouldn’t last.

Soon, the hiking trail turned into, well, a hiking trail. It was time to hike and push our bikes through narrow paths laden with rocks and roots winding their way up and down the hills. We knew what to expect, but that still doesn’t prepare you for the reality of having to push and carry a 40kg (85lb) bike through the trail.

It was tough work, but we pushed on without complaint, knowing we had no one to blame but ourselves for getting into this. While we rested between pushes, we could see the lake and far peaks through the trees.

About three hours and six kilometers later, we arrived at the Argentinian border control.

It was already getting late, so we camped at the nearby free campground by the lake. We cooked and talked the evening away, both of us happy with how the day went and ready for the challenging 12km push to the Chilean border tomorrow. Zach was so confident that he even brought up the idea of continuing an extra third day on the hiking trail. It would be best to wait until we felt after tomorrow first.

Day 2 – The Big Push

After getting our passports stamped in the morning, there was 12km and 800m of climbing between us and the Chilean migraction.

Our arms were sore, and the climbs were steeper, but we continued slowly, meter by meter. Since I travel with a backpack, I filled it with all of my heaviest items and put it on, which made pushing and picking up my bike much easier. There were a few steep sections that took us more than 30 minutes to cover only a couple of meters, as we had to lift our bikes while stepping carefully up a rock wall. The trail was difficult, but we pushed on with a positive attitude.

A few kilometers after the migration, we crossed the border into Chile. While I had technically spent two days riding in Chile after Bolivia, I consider this my real welcoming to Chile. This will likely be a border crossing I’ll remember for a long time.

From the border, it was a brutal climb that we took slowly. It was only 200m of gain, which pedaling would be nothing, but when you have to carry your bike up it, step by step, you feel every meter. We took a break at the top, and by now, we both knew that there was no chance we wanted to extend the hike-a-bike an extra day.

We continued on, mostly walking our bikes but occasionally able to ride a hundred meters here and there. There were many wooden bridges over some of the creeks, and this one was the coolest. The river was fast and loud, and the bridge was skinny and slippery.

The last two kilometers to the migracion office were wide and smooth, and we were there in no time. A sense of relief knowing there were no more trails to have to carry our bikes up. Overall, the 12km hike took us around 8 hours.

We talked to the migracion officers, and they directed us to a nearby field to camp for the night so we could return in the morning for our stamps and to take the short boat across to finally be back on a road.

Day 3 – Welcome to Chile

In the morning, we completed migracion and boarded a boat with a very unhappy driver who made sure we understood that he did not like bicycles. Thankfully, the ferry was only a few minutes long.

The feeling of joy we felt when we were back on a gravel road and pedaling our bigs was immense. Compared to the previous days, we were flying.

The difference between Argentina and Chile was noticable. As we moved closer to the ocean, the landscape felt more lush and dramatic. The forests were thicker and greener, the mountains were taller and topped with a layer of snow.

Soon, we were connected with the main gravel road that would take us through the Valle del Puelo. Zach and I were ecstatic; the gravel road was in pristine condition, and we climbed and descended through an endless valley of forests and mountains. All the suffering from the past two days was worth it to get to ride through here.

We were pushing for a small brewery that is situated on a large river, where we planned a celebratory evening of beers before camping on the river. The brewery was small but very well-built. Somehow, during the evening, we talked to the wife, Pamela, of the couple who owns the brewery, and she talked about how they needed a lot of help and offered Zach and me a job to work there. Zach, as a brewer (if I have forgotten to mention, he is a very experienced brewer in Canada), and me as an assistant. She insisted we stay tomorrow night as well, so we can meet her husband Alberto. We were interested in meeting him but unsure about taking a day off for it.

Around camp, we talked excitedly about the dream of living here and working at a brewery. The beauty and tranquility in this valley are hard to put into words; it would be a wonderful experience to live here for a few months, learning how to brew beer. I love the idea of learning as many trades and skills as I can, furthering my knowledge in ways I would have never thought.

Day 4 – An Unexpected Job Offer

After talking all night about the brewery, we decided to stay to meet Alberto to talk about working there. He arrived in the evening, and quickly, I became a translator for Alberto and Zach. Alberto quickly mentioned he had a problem with his beer, which Zach knew from tasting it. Alberto needed help, and Zach was exactly what he needed. We spent the evening drinking and talking beer, building a plan for what we could do.

They wanted us to start working right away, but that was not possible. I had to get to Ushuaia first. It is the only thing on my mind and I have to finish it before the winter comes. Zach could return in a few weeks after a bit more biking first. If things went well and Zach likes working there, I will come back and meet him after Ushuaia.

Day 5 – To the Ocean

We hit the road the next morning with soft plans of working at a Patagonia brewery floating around our minds. Soon, we came to a lake where we would be boarding our first ferry of many in Chilean Patagonia. I love taking ferries on bike tours, there is something magical about them.

It seemed like every few kilometers, we crossed another river or traveled along another lake. The amount of fresh, crystal clear, water here was something I had never expereinced before.

In the town of Puelo, we joined the final road that would take us to the Carretera Austral.

For the first time since Colombia, I was biking along the ocean, although the experience couldn’t be more different. The road was tough as it climbed steeply up and down along a mountainous coast.

We were looking for a wild campsite unsuccessfully for nearly two hours. The coastline here was too rugged and rocky, and we could not find a good spot to camp. With sunset slowly approaching, we followed a dirt road that was closed and found a good enough spot that was protected from the wind and had a river nearby. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do just fine.

After a few nights of trying my lentil and rice dinner, Zach was converted as well. We included some chorizo this time and I have to say, it was incredible.

Day 6 – Joining the Austral

We rode the last gravel section along the coast until we finally arrived at the junction with the Carretera Austral. This is one of the most famous roads in the world for bicycle touring and for all types of travelers. I will save more information for my next blog as it will cover my time biking this road. The cloudy weather behind the sign is a bit of foreshadowing of what is to come.

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