18. Park Patagonia to Cochrane

It was a hungry start to our third and last day, Thursday 27th February, in Parque Nacional Patagonia. Almost all our oats gone, Hannah had half a breakfast bar and Robbie had the other half, as well as just a half portion of oats and some body mass gainer milkshake. We packed up and walked/cycled our bikes down the grassy path back to the visitor centre, passing guanacos in the morning sun. Out the other side, we bumped into one of the film crew, who was intrigued by our trip, and filled us in on the details of the filming.

We carried on east to ruta X-83 and waited for a guanaco family to cross before setting off to the north and curving round to the west. As the road started to descend, Robbie got over-excited and disappeared off into the distance round a bend. Five seconds later, Hannah felt her yellow rack bag sliding off the back end of the bike and came to grinding halt with Robbie nowhere to be seen. The situation was not helped by rapidly declining blood sugar and when Hannah rejoined Robbie around the corner five minutes later, his question of “what had Hannah been doing?” did not go down well.

We continued back west through the park in sombre reflection for the next twenty minutes, but the magnificent scenery soon revived spirits, as we arrived back at the park gates. Luckily a winning combination of the last remaining crackers and cake saved the day.

We stopped briefly to admire the views down into the Rio Baker valley, the glacial river an incredible silver blue colour as it cut down through the canyon.

It was a bit of a slog south up the canyon side for 3 km but we were rewarded with a glorious 200 metre descent back down to river level. We then turned east of south away from the Rio Baker, with one last hill to overcome before arriving in the Rio Cochrane valley, the placid crystal clear waters of the river in stark contrast to Baker from earlier.

Here we passed a local couple, out for a day ride from the town. By chance, Robbie stopped 50m from them to take a photo and looked down to see a mobile phone by the river bank. He took it back to them to ask if it was theirs and it turned out they had been searching for it for a few minutes, completely in the wrong place. We took this good fortune to be a good omen for the days ahead and carried on to the southeast passed several roadside shrines.

It wasn’t far now to Cochrane and the km passed by easily. We waved at a couple of hikers heading north, presumably finding a walking route into the national park, before arriving at the outskirts of the town. We cycled past the usual ramshackle bungalows before a steep decent down and right turn into the town centre.

iOverlander suggested the best camping option was down south on the other side of town, a little way out but right by the Carretera’s Cochrane river crossing point. We headed straight there and were immediately sold on the beautiful riverside setting, with fishermen casting their lines on the opposite bank. We pitched up quickly and then headed straight into town to find food, beer and good vibes. On the walk in, we passed numerous fruit trees on every street corner and gorged ourselves on fresh plums before finding the best (and possibly only) cerveceria in town, to sit outside for beer and an emormous plate of veggie salsa chips.

After beer, we did a quick food shop and returned to camp to relax, enjoy our first properly hot shower since Puerto Rio Tranquilo, and cook up some hearty vegetable chili. We also met an Australia and German who had arrived after us, also cycing south on the Carretera having hired bikes at the same time from the same outlet in Puerto Montt. Meeting there, they decided to do the route together and had grown good friends.

On Friday we had a relaxing start and then used our day completing chores for the coming wilderness journey south to Villa o’Higgins. We took out some more cash in case of emergency, or lack of options for when we might re-enter Chile down in the far south, and then stocked up on food and vegetables around town before another trip to Taverna Tehuelche, beer only this time. To our pleasant surprise, who should sit down next to us but the Dutch family travelling by overlander who we had met in El Blanco south of Coyhaique a couple of weeks previously. They were still having issues with their car that had plagued them for the last month: whilst they now had the right part at last, they couldn’t find anyone to fit it. We shared stories for a while and then bade them farewell as we headed back to the campsite to pack. Writing this now in lockdown in Buenos Aires, we do hope they managed to find somewhere nice to rest up whilst the pandemic continues around us. It must be very tough with a young family, and an expensive vehicle constraining options.

In the evening back at camp we met a lovely young Chilean couple, Pablo and Marianne, also cycling south on touring bikes, who had joined the German and Australian for a barbeque, as well as a solo cyclist heading south as well. We all ate inside the communal shelter to escape the midges outside and had a good old chat about past adventures and what was to come. Pablo warned us of potential bad weather in Villa o’Higgins later in the week and said their aim was to make it there by Wednesday to take the ferry. We could hardly believe that was possible, but headed to bed in good time ready for the biggest adventure yet from tomorrow onwards.