I think I first crossed into Patagonia near Junin de los Andes, Argentina, at least if you go by the rough guideline that Patagonia begins south of the 38th parallel. After meandering around the Argentinian Lakes District for a week, I crossed over the Andes to Pucon and Villarica and then rode south to Puerto Montt, Chile where the Carretera Austral begins.
There had been some landslides after an earthquake in the region and some of the ferry route near Hornopiren had been changed at the time, so instead of following the traditional route, my travel companion and I opted to take a ferry to the island of Chiloe to ride to the end of the PanAmerican Highway. We then caught a ferry from Castro to Chaiten about 140 miles into the Carretera Austral. From there we rode south as far as Cochrane. We were bound for Ushuaia and decided against going all the way to Villa O'Higgins at the end of the CA because it's a dead end and we were short on time. We crossed the Andes and into Argentina at Chile Chico and rejoined Ruta 40. If we had turned north, we could have completed a loop and returned to the Argentinian Lake District, but instead we headed south toward Tierra del Fuego and all the amazing roads and landscapes that southern Patagonia has to offer. This was in early 2015 and the road wasn't paved. Horrendous winds whipped across the roads as we made our way farther south on Ruta 40 which left us swimming in gravel at times.
Tierra del Fuego, Torres del Paine National Park, Los Glaciares National Park and the towns in that part of the world all exist in one of the most stunningly beautiful environments on earth. Where else can you see condors and penguins, trek on a glacier, hike in sideways rain that literally leaves one side of your body (head to toe) rain-soaked while the other is dry, retrace the steps of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, drink whisky with glacial ice cubes, attend a Chilean rodeo, take a boat ride on a turquoise glacial lake to see a marble cathedral, try cordero al palo (local roast lamb) and watch ships depart for Antarctica?
While the idea for "The Patagonian Loop" initially came from our group conversation on Adventure Rider Radio's RAW podcast, the Carretera Austral and Ruta 40 actually form more of a ladder, with Ruta 40 extending much farther south than the Carretera Austral does. My hope is that riders and travelers find their own path in this gorgeous landscape, loop, ladder or otherwise, and experience the beauty of Patagonia for themselves.
