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| Quick Facts | |
| Means of travel: | Motorbiking |
| Country: | Argentina / Chile |
| Grade of expedition: | Moderate |
| Group size: | 3-8 motorbikers |
| Next departure: | 12 January 2010 |
| Days: | 24 |
| FAQ: | View |
| Terms & Conditions: | Download |
| Introducion | Are you up for the challenge? |
| The LEF factor | Price |
| Itinerary | Next departure dates |
| Our guides | Photo gallery |
Introduction
This expedition follows the famous Route 40 from Salta in the far north of Argentina to Ushuaia in Tierra de Fuego, the most southern city in the world. It is a tough journey riding over mountain passes up to 3000 metres high crossing rivers and riding large parts of the route on gravel roads. The landscapes are phenomenal. We will pass through lush green hills and beautiful wine regions, cross deserted pampas and breathe pure air when riding through wide open valleys surrounded by impressive glaciers and snow capped mountains in the heart of Patagonia.
We travel the sole road in Argentina that goes from North to South, following the east flanks of the Andes mountain range. Here we regularly wander off on old parts of Route 40, which are barely in use, and we will cross the Chilean border twice to ride alongside amazing fjords and enjoy spectacular views. During 23 days we will ride 7000 kilometres following a route considered one of continents best.
Riding a motorbike through Argentina is legendary. This expedition is inspired by Che Guevara who travelled on his Norton bike through this country as part of his large journey through South America. As a medical student he left Buenos Aires to learn about his country and connect to the people he met on the road. This trip made a huge impression on Che Guevara. Therefore riding your motorbike along small mud brick settlements, passing the Mapuche Indian areas of Neuquen and crossing the heart of Patagonia with its remarkable mountain tops of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre will be an experience you will never forget.
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This LEF expedition is a challenging adventure. Travelling large distances, riding on gravel roads and being exposed to ever changing climates and rugged landscapes make it unsuitable for the delicate. Riding a motorbike through Argentina inspired by the journey of Che Guevara will show you a fascinating blend of the Argentinean way of living and the amazing landscapes of this country. These elements make Route 40 an extraordinary ride and one of the best in its kind.
Day 1 Salta The expedition starts. We will prepare the motorbikes and introduce you to your fellow travellers and guides. We will leave the green mountains and tobacco fields of Salta and ride into the dry Canyon Quebrada de Cafayate. The first day will be an easy day riding on relatively good asphalted roads. We will enjoy our first night in the village of Santa Maria.
Day 2 Plains of Catamarca Today will be a long run on the open plains of Catamarca surrounded by high mountains. We will cover a distance of about 400 kilometres, parts of which will be off-road. We will pass little authentic villages with a true local Argentinean feel and spend the night in one called Chilecito.
Day 3 Valley of the Moon The third day is a demanding day where you will encounter gravel roads, cross a 2300 metre mountain pass and enter the valley of the moon with its greyish red rock formation shaped by the wind over many centuries. We will arrive in San Agustin after a ride of approximately 330 kilometres.
Day 4 Mendoza We continue Route 40 through the land of vineyards and estancias, as Mendoza is one of the main wine making regions of Argentina. We will ride approximately 400 kilometres today.
Day 5 Aconcagua Today you can choose to have a leisure day or join us for a ride. We take a tough gravel road leading us over a 3000 metre mountain pass with an incredible view from Aconagua, the highest mountain of the western world. We ride further to Puente de Inca, a beautiful natural bridge and from there return to our accommodation. It is a ride of approximately 390 kilometres.
Day 6 Malargue We will ride past small establishments between miles of colourful fruit plantations. Then we continue Route 40 down south through the pampas of Diamante which provides amazing views of lakes and the volcano Diamante. We will make a small detour to the ski resort of Las Leñas located in the heart of the Andes. We ride both on- and off-road today and travel a total of 440 kilometres.
Day 7 Chos Malal Today we will ride from Malargue to the traditional village of Chos Malal, covering a distance of 430 kilometres. The road is tough and fits in well with the landscape of eroded rock formations and tunnels shaped by the wind. The scenery is dominated by basaltic lava flows with beautiful volcanoes in the back ground.
Day 8/9 Araucaria Forest Over these two days we ride through the landscapes of Pino Hachado, Caviahue and Copahue, with their snow capped volcanoes and shining lakes seamed by unearthly Araucaria forests. Large parts of this leg are gravel roads. We continue our ride through a glacier carved valley alongside the border of Chile and spend the night at a lakeside hotel in the Idyllic Villa Pehuenia and San Martin. On both days combined we will ride approximately 580 kilometres.
Day 10 Lake District Bariloche 'Seven Lakes' We will ride through this stunning area of lakes, snow-capped mountains and large forest is impressive. We will partly follow the old Route 40 which weaves through the mountains with some spectacular look out points.
Day 11 Bariloche Today you can either relax in town or choose to do a leisure ride of 80 kilometres to the lake of Nahuel Huapi.
Day 12 El Bolsón We ride over forestry roads through the hippy town El Bostón and the National Park Les Alerces. We will spend the night in the Welsh settlement Trevelin.
Day 13 Chile Once again, we cross the border into Chile to ride over the gravel road Carretera Austral, through an area that once could only be reached by boat. The strong ocean and high fjords provide stunning views. The weather in this area can be windy and rainy so be prepared for a tough ride fighting the elements. We will spend the night in Puyuhuapi after an off-road trip of 250 kilometres.
Day 14 Serro Castillo We continue our ride through Chile riding past waterfalls, mountain passes and hanging glaciers. The ride will be around 400 kilometres with 200 kilometres off-road. We will spend the night in Puerto Ibanez.
Day 15/16 Inland Ice Field We follow the beautiful Lake General Carrera from Chile into Argentina. With good weather we will have spectacular views on the largest inland ice field in the world. We will spend the night at the Southern tip of the lake at Terra Luna Lodge in Chile and Estancia Los Toldes in Argentina. The ride is approximately 560 kilometres.
Day 17 Patagonian Steppes Today we ride through true Patagonian landscape of exposed steppes, for a distance of 320 kilometres again over Route 40. We will enjoy the night at Estancia La Angostura.
Day 18 Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre We ride to the mountains of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre with their remarkable and impressive shapes. These are the mountains which have given Patagonia world fame. We will ride 160 kilometres off-road today and about 120 on asphalted roads. We will stay the night in El Chaltén.
Day 19 Callefate We start the morning with a hike to Fitz Roy view point and ride in the afternoon to Callefate covering approximately 250 kilometres.
Day 20 Glacier Perito Moreno Today we will visit the famous glacier of Perito Moreno with its impressive size of 5 km wide, 30 km long and 60 metres high. The glacier ends in a lake where large pieces of ice constantly break loose and fall in the water. We will take a boat ride to the glacier and spend the night in our accommodation in Callefate.
Day 21/22 Torres de Paine We continue Route 40 southwards and cross the Chilean border to reach the famous National Park of Torres de Paine. We will stay the night at the national park and will do a short but impressive hike. The next day we will ride to Puerto Natales. Total distance combined is approximately 420 kilometres.
Day 23 Punta Arenas Today we will ride to Punta Arenas over exposed plains . We will visit a beautiful lake, home to many flamingos and view the Otway penguin colony along the way. Approximate distance is 320 kilometres.
Day 24 Fire Land - Ushuaia We will cross the Estrecho de Magallanes by boat, leaving Chile behind us and entering the Argentinean Tierra del Fuego. This is an impressive island with exposed weather and a few sheep farms at the horizon. We will ride through Rio Grande, a sheep farmers' town and cross the pass near Tolhuin to arrive at our end destination Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, and also the endpoint of our expedition. Congratulations! You have ridden 7000 kilometres through the impressive and rugged landscapes of Argentina and Chile and have mastered the challenging roads.
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Mathias and Adolfo of the Argentinean company Horizonte Tours are your men! Mathias (1970) is the leader of the expedition and will make sure you enjoy every single minute of this amazing journey. He has a true passion for motorcycles and has travelled throughout many countries in Africa, Middle East and Asia. He is an excellent biker to guide you through off-road Argentina and share his knowledge on the culture with you. Mathias is of German origin, but has been living in Argentina for many years. His Argentinean wife shares his passion for motorbikes and has joined several of his motorbike adventures. Together they run Horizonte Tours, LEF Expeditions is proud to work in partnership with them.
Adolfo (1980) was born in Argentina and is the guide who follows the expedition in the 4x4 vehicle. Like Mathias he has a great passion for motorbikes, has many years of experience riding off-road in the back country as well touring through Argentina. He is responsible for the safety of the expedition and is great company for pillion passengers. Together they make an excellent team to lead you over 7000 kilometres of Argentinean and Chilean roads.
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Are you up for the Challenge?
The expedition is demanding as the road conditions vary and require good riding skills. The expedition consists of thirty percent gravel roads and seventy percent asphalted roads. The asphalted road may change without warning into gravel road, leaving you to quickly adjust speed and be prepared for riding over an unstable surface. Parts of the road could be flooded by debris or you may have to cross a small river on the way. The asphalted roads may not have been maintained well in some places and require your concentration to manoeuvre around potential obstacles such as holes or debris. The roads through mountain areas can be narrow with steep drops on the sides. Riding through villages and towns requires extra attention as traffic is different from what you may be used to and can be confusing and chaotic at times. All this will require a fast response and good motorbiking skills to stay safe on the road.
You are up for the challenge if you are physically fit, feel comfortable riding a motorbike and have the right attitude. Being physically fit allows you to enjoy riding the motorbike for many hours a day and over a period of weeks in a row. Furthermore it is important that you are comfortable riding a motorbike and that you are able to assess, anticipate and respond quickly to changing traffic situations. Off road experience is preferred but not required. Most important of all is having the right attitude. If you are positive, enjoy challenging yourself and are determined to make it a great journey, then you will ride as a King of the road.
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Price
The price for joining the 24-day Route 40 expedition from Salta to Ushuaia is 6600 Euro per person. If you would like to join as a pillion passenger the price is 4400 Euro. As a pillion passenger you can either sit at the back of your companion's motorbike or travel in the support vehicle behind the motorbikes. Places for pillion passengers are limited.
The price for joining the Route 40 Expedition from Ushuaia to Bariloche is 3600 Euro per person and for a pillion passenger 2200 Euro. This duration of this part of the expedition is 12 days. The price for joining the Route 40 Expedition from Bariloche to Salta is 2900 Euro per person and 1700 Euro for the pillion passenger. The duration of this part of the expedition is 10 days. All prices are including taxes.
Included
The expedition provides you with almost everything you need. It includes a Honda Transalp 650V, fuel costs for the journey, spare parts, maintenance and repair when required as well as maps, third party insurance, first aid kit and baggage storage. Airport transfer in Salta and Ushuaia, accommodation sharing a twin room and dinner and breakfast are included. Further, an experienced guide speaking Spanish, English and German will lead the expedition, and our great driver that follows the group in a 4x4 support vehicle will take care of transporting the luggage.
Excluded
Not inclusive are your flight tickets to Argentina, tourist visa, vaccinations if required for Argentina and suitable travel/medical insurance. You will also have to pay your own entrée fees for National Parks or excursions and personal expenses such as laundry, drinks and lunch.
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Next Departure Dates
Route 40 Expedition Salta - Ushuaia
12 January - 4 February 2010
Salta - Bariloche: 12 January - 22 January 2010
Bariloche - Ushuaia: 23 January - 4 February 2010
Ushuaia - Bariloche: 8 - 19 February 2009 (13 days)
Bariloche - Salta: 1 - 10 March 2010 (10 days)
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