Trip Summary - Northern Argentina and Chile

Trip Summary:

Moving Average: 80.3 km/h

Moving Time: 83:28 hours

Total Distance: 6670.4 km = 4002 miles 

Travel time: 14 days

Travel per day: 476 per day

Flat tires: 2 (both within 30 minutes of each other)

Accidents:1 (rear ended on the road by a truck that was driving too fast on a mountain road)

Stops in San Luis (province of San Luis), Uspallata (Mendoza), Las Flores (San Juan), Vinchina (La Rioja), Tinogasta (Catamarca), crossed into Chile at Pasa de San Francisco (4,730 meters altitude = 15,470 feet) in the Andes before coasting into the immigration/customs office on fumes where we spent the night and were happy to be fed toasted rolls with spam by the janitor, Juan Carlos.  The next day we fired the afterburners (after Juan Carlos arranged for the water truck driver to bring us 20 liters of fuel) and made it to the coast and stayed in Taltal, Chile.  The following day we decided that driving through the Atacama Desert was like driving through most deserts so we skipped Antofagasta and made it to San Pedro de Atacama, where we spent two nights.   We crossed back into to Argentina at Paso Jama (Chile ruta 27 & Argentina ruta 52) and dropped down to San Salvador de Jujuy(Jujuy) with two flats en route and were assisted by a fellow adventure rider (thanks Gonzalo) who had just the parts we needed while changing a flat on the highway in the dark.  The next day we traveled to Cafayate (a good place, in the province of Salta) and finally Frias (a not-so-good place in the province of Santiago del Estero).    We ended the trip with flaring after burners traveling from Frias to Buenos Aires arriving Thursday, ‎April ‎17, ‎2014, ‏‎12:43:10 AM - a very long day.

Trip Summary, April 2014

Matt's done; he said he's "Rode-Out"

Packing it in.

Arrived Buenos Aires at 12:43 AM

Impact zone, fortunately, the bags took the brunt...

Road Rash

After 6,745 km in 13 days of some seriously rough roads through Argentina and Chile with lots of dirt and several passes over the Andes at 16,000 feet and Matt finally admits he doesn't want to see a motorcycle for a while...
Never mind a few flat tires and getting slammed into from behind by a truck in the mountains with no serious injuries - you know you're extremely skilled (LUCKY) when the truck that kissed my moto had to be towed down the mountain while we were able to ride on.  Too bad my luggage, their mounts and most of my cloths are toast.  Armored cloths , real boots and a good helmet are good things.

Cheers,
Nick, from my phone.

Crossing into Argentina at Paso Jama and route into Jujuy

Matt with wild alpacas in the altiplano.

 In the high desert at 15000 ft with alpacas.

An amazing twisty road north of Jujuy and vistas south of Salta.

The route down from the altiplano where we dropped from 13,800 feet to 7,100 feet in about an hour.

Flat number 1

Flat number 2

While fixing flat number 2, Gonzalo, a fellow adventure rider (returning from the Bolivian border) stopped to help and had the correct tube - we were trying to cram a 19 front tire tube into the back rim... Later we all went out to dinner later.  

Dinner with Gonzalo 

Cheers,

Nick

Saturday 2

Panoramic of the high desert with volcano in the distance

Watering hole for the alpacas

Cheers,
Nick, from my phone.

Saturday, just touring in the mountains at San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Twisty

Update

Cheers,
Nick, from my phone.

Dirt road twisty above San Pedro de Atacama

Panoramic

Cheers,
Nick, from my phone.

OUT OF GAS in the middle of nowhere, Chile!

4,726 meters elevation

Aduana Marriott, in the Andes of Chile

Matt and Juan Carlos

Juan Corlos hospitality, which was warmly appreciated.

McTasty

Tea and crumpets

Got gas and ready to roll

Riding riding riding... like the energizer bunny, we just keep going.

We ran out of gas at the border of Argentina to Chile at altitude 15000 ft and ended up spending the night in the emergency shelter of the immigration office on top of the mountain in the middle of NOWHERE!!! It's all part of the adventure (or so they say, I just want to know who "they" is?). The janitor (Juan Carlos) took us in and fed us spam-ish sandwiches and sweet tea then gave us 8 blankets to use on a couple of box springs they had laying on the floor.  The next morning Juan got a hold of the water tanker driver who brought fuel from 180 km away (on dirt road down elevation of 11,000 feet).  Then he made us scrambled eggs and toast in his little camp stove - delicious!   He was the only one willing to graciously offer any assistance while the 3 border officials ignored us.  Juan Carlos received our sincere gratitude and an early Christmas present.

On the coast of Chile in Taltal

Rode off the mountain on a few hundred km of dirt.  Got tired of mountains so Noe we're riding the coast, sort of.  

Cheers,
Nick
from my phone.

Tinogasta, Argentina

The border was closed on the Chile side above Vinchina and a major landslide prevented us from  cutting over to Chilicito so we drove four hours around a major mountain ridge and then up towards a different border crossing.  We ended up driving the last hour on a dirt road in the dark but we coveted a lot (too much) ground today. 

Cheers,
Nick
from my phone.

Riding north of Mendoza Argentina

Leaving Las Flores for the frontier of Chile - we'll be riding gavel and dirt  all day crossing the Andes at about13000 feet; it's getting cold!
Will post more photos later if we have wifi.