the rain, lack of fuel, the animals but
it’s the wind that is main problem in
this region. It is sometimes so strong
that it was impossible for me to stop.
Without forward motion the wind
would have dropped the bike. I even
think that in this region the wind
should not be defined in kilometres
per hour but by the degree of angle
the bike leans to ride straight. A
squall can easily blow you across the
road, luckily there’s not a lot of traffic
in this area.
After a well-deserved rest at the
end of the world it was time to head
back north, really, I had no choice …
I started early morning to cover the
700 kilometres to Punta Arena (Chile)
and the next warm bed however, Ush-
uaia did not want me to leave.
To reach the town, a small moun-
tain needed to be traversed. The day
I was set to leave it was covered in
snow and ice. I had to reschedule.
The next day there was still ice on the
road toward the top, but I decided
to go anyway. Eleven hours on the
bike, through the cold, rain and wind,
followed. I’d seen better day …
In the south of Chile, there was
something that should be written
in any motorcyclist bible. The “Car-
TRAVERSE 27
retera Austral”, at 1241 kilometres
long, this road goes through the most
stunning scenery. After a 41-hour
ferry ride I reached the end, or in my
case the start, of the ‘Southern High-
way’. Now came days of enjoyable
riding with lakes, glaciers, thousand-
year-old forests, waterfalls, rivers,
beaches, little fishing villages and
perfect dirt roads. I felt home in this
part of the world. I really thought
Patagonia was providing me with its
best. Such a blessing to ride here
with my passport to freedom and
accomplice Baloo.
I find it hard to put names to places