Price: U$D 2,400.00.
Mountain Bike Week in Patagonia.
The ultimate mountain biking week in Patagonia! During this tour you will ride a mix of single track and backcountry secondary roads. You should plan on getting your bike dirty with stream crossings and trails that take you through temperate Andean forests, farmers fields, working estancias and the Patagonian steppe.
Our evenings at the lodge give you a chance to recover, rest and relax in the wood-fired hot tubs while enjoying a local micro-brew or a glass of Argentine Malbec.
Our mountain biking tour starts and ends in San Carlos de Bariloche. Most flights will have a connection in Buenos Aires.
You should be physically fit and have moderate to intermediate mountain bike riding skills to join this trip. For your own comfort and performance, it is recommended you travel with your own mountain bike but rentals are available.
Your Patagonia adventure mountain biking tour begins in San Carlos de Bariloche, the gateway to Patagonia. We will pick you up at the Bariloche airport (BRC) or your hotel. Once settled into the hotel, your guides will help you build your bike or get fitted on your rental. This evening we will take our bikes for a spin along the iconic “circuito chico” which travels through the spectacular scenery of the Lake District of Bariloche. This short and easy ride is an opportunity to fine-tune our bikes and warm up our bodies after long days of travel and ultimately get you pumped for the week of riding to come. We will ride to a “cerveceria” (brewery) where we will have dinner and enjoy a cold brew while taking in the breathtaking views of Bariloche. Overnight Bariloche Hotel.
Distance: 12km
Riding time: 2 hours
Highest point: 877m
Elevation gain: 448m
Elevation lost: 400m
Today’s ride starts in the small village of Llanquin just 60km outside of Bariloche. Here in the “enchanted valley” we ride secondary roads through small settlements and working estancias (ranches) bordered by the crystal clear waters of the Limay River. This 30km ride consists of rolling hills with fast descents and sweeping views of the valley and its curious volcanic rock formations. The Limay river is the perfect place to cool down with a swim and enjoy our picnic lunch. Overnight in Bariloche (BL).
Distance: 30km
Approx. riding time: 4 hours
Highest point: 1338m
Elevation gain: 317m
Elevation lost: 920m
Day 3: Ride Perito Moreno Mountain Trail and visit to El Bolsón Market
This morning we will leave Bariloche and drive south to El Bolsón where we will settle into our backcountry lodge accommodations for the next three nights. Once settled we take a shuttle to the trailhead for todays ride. Here we pedal for 20km on a secondary road through the rural area of “Mallin Ahogado” passing a mix of small farms and a unique forest of “ñire achaparrado” which is a kind of stunted tree native to Patagonia. Today we have the pleasure of sharing our lunch with a family of first generation homesteaders. After filling up on empanadas and mates, we continue our ride right back to the lodge.
After showers, we’ll head into the centre of El Bolsón to explore the town and the famous Artisanal Market. After we’ve had our fill of the 300+ stalls of handmade everything (from sculpted wooden cutting boards, jewelry, instruments, pottery, natural creams, oils, toys, beer, juices and more!) we’ll sit down for dinner at one of the many local restaurants. Beer lovers will have the chance to try one of the many microbrews that are prolific in El Bolsón! (BL)
Distance: 28km
Approx. riding time: 3.5 hours
Highest point: 605m
Elevation gain: 445m
Elevation lost: 445m
Day 4: Cholila - Lakes and Outlaws
Today we’ll head even further south to the town of Cholila a sparsely populated region with two claims to fame. The first is the annual barbecue festival which includes horse races, artisan markets and serves up an average of 300 lambs and 10,000kg of meat over 3 days! The second is because it was once the home of the famous American outlaw Butch Cassidy.
This ride takes us past Butch’s old homestead and continues towards the town of Cholila along secondary roads that skirt the Alerces National Park and the Carrileufu river. After approximately 20km we reach Lake Cholila and continue our ride along its pristine shores passing through a mix of virgin forest and a forest that is still recovering from wildfire. After about 7km the trail starts to veer away from the lake and we begin to climb. This long uphill section opens up to beautiful views of the valley and the lake. From there we descend back down to the lake where we rest and wait for our local “lancha” (boat) to whisk us across the lake with our bikes and all, back to our waiting vehicle. This evening is a great night to relax at the lodge in the wood-fired hot-tubs and sauna! (BLD)
*Please note the boat ride is dependent on the lake conditions, otherwise we will return by vehicle.
Today we can roll out straight from the door of the lodge and start our exploration of the Azul River Valley. This is a challenging day with long climbs and some loose gravel descents (hence the option to hike or bike). Our final destination is the “Refugio of the Cajon del Azul” a mountain hut found at the narrowest point of a granite canyon on the Azul River. This mountain hut offers up delicious homemade pizzas and salads picked daily from their mountain greenhouse served alongside cold mountain micro-brews. After lunch we’ll spend some time relaxing and cooling down with cliff-jumping and swimming in the crystal clear (and cold!) waters of the Azul River. Tonight’s well-earned dinner will be had at the lodge. (BLD)
Distance: 14km
Approx. riding time: 3 hours
Highest point: 684m
Elevation gain: 646m
Elevation lost: 642m
Today we say goodbye to El Bolsón as we head back north towards Nahuel Huapi National Park for one of our favourite singletrack mountain bike rides! For 20km we will ride flowing single track with stream crossings on suspension bridges over the Manso River. The ride ends at a rustic restaurant where we’ll enjoy a riverside lunch.
After lunch the adventure continues as we trade our mountain bikes for whitewater rafts and begin the descent of the famous “Frontera” section of the Manso River. No experience is required to enjoy this spectacular paddle through class III-IV rapids in turquoise water. The raft trip ends at the Chilean border where our vehicle will meet us and transfer us back to Bariloche.
After settling into our accommodations in Bariloche we will meet up for our final dinner at one of Bariloche’s best “Parilla” (barbecue) restaurants.(BL)
Distance: 26km
Approx. riding time: 4 hours
Highest point: 556m
Elevation gain: 226m
Elevation lost: 69m
For those who are flying out today, a shuttle can be arranged to the airport in the morning after breakfast. Otherwise you may choose to book additional nights to extend your stay and explore everything that Bariloche has to offer! (B)
