INDIAN CYCLIST on the WORLD’S WILDEST GRAVEL ROAD | Chile Patagonia | Ep.20

So friends, let me show you a 360-degree view of nature. Here you go, mate – this is milk and four plums. They cost ₹800. The road is like this, brother – you can’t even walk properly on it. Just stones everywhere. We have to go over there… over there. How is it even possible?

Good morning, salaam, namaste, sat sri akal, ram-ram to everyone. At this moment, I am in Puerto Río Tranquilo, inside Chile, on the Carretera Austral road, which is a 1,200 km road said to be one of the most beautiful in the world. I was going to stay here one extra day, but I ended up staying three extra days because I was extremely tired. My hands were hurting a lot. So now, before New Year, I am setting off again. After riding more than 200 km from here, there will be a town. I will try to reach there.

The altitude is quite high. I will have to cross two or three mountain passes, like our Rohtang Pass back in India. It’s 9:00 in the morning now. You can see the weather. Clouds are coming from that side. It feels like rain is coming. But it’s colourful and pleasant. If the weather stays fine and there is no gravel road, then everything is perfect. But if there is gravel, then there will be problems. I have been told there is gravel for the next 100–110 km.

Overcoming difficulties – that’s what cycling is about. Friends, please do share a little as well. Like and comment too. It doesn’t cost you anything, and at least I will be able to stay in a hotel or hostel sometimes. Otherwise, I have to camp every day, and camping daily is very difficult. Ride all day, then pitch the tent again, cook food… yes, with practice the tent and cooking process becomes smooth, but still, sleep in a hotel or hostel is much better. In a tent, you don’t get that kind of rest. So please like, share, and if anyone hasn’t subscribed, please subscribe and share this beautiful journey with your friends. Maybe someone does such a journey once in years – we are among those, and we are able to show it to you. There are very few who can show such journeys.

Alright, enough lecture. Let’s move on.

This is the small town where we were staying. We will head to the right. First, let’s find a supermarket to buy something to eat, then we’ll continue. Oh brother, the wind is very strong. It’s a small village, but they have made such a beautiful park. The total population of this village is less than 500. In India, you can find 500 people just working in one field. “Ruta Sur” means Route South. And look, there’s a food truck. You’ll see caravans like these everywhere here. And this is the supermarket. I only need some fruit and milk.

Here it is – milk and four plums. They cost ₹800. This milk has oats mixed in it, so I won’t need to cook oats separately. If I get hungry on the way, I’ll just have this. But ₹800 is very expensive. You could say ₹200 for milk, ₹200 for plums – but this is more than double that. I’m thinking of having one more coffee before leaving.

I’ve come to the petrol pump inside the village. I thought I’d have a coffee before leaving. This coffee costs ₹300 and it’s just medium size, not large. And you’ll see stickers everywhere here – the whole area is full of stickers.

As soon as I bought the coffee, what usually happens with us happened again. A storm came, rain started, and it felt like everything would break apart. So I’m standing under some shelter. Once the rain slows down, I’ll leave. It’s like shaving your head and then it starts hailing. The wind is extremely strong. And the worst part – we have to go in the same direction from where the wind is coming.

Alright, the weather has improved a little. The wind is still strong, but I thought it’s better to leave now. We have to ride alongside this lake for 30–40 km. What to do? The wind is so strong from this side. But look at the view in front – so beautiful. They’ve even written that this is a photo point. We have to go there… how is it possible? But I feel that after crossing this mountain, it might get better because maybe the wind is turning around the mountain.

The bike keeps rattling on this gravel road. Even while going downhill, you have to apply force. The road is in terrible condition. There are so many stones – how can anyone cycle on such stones? What should I do? I don’t understand.

The dogs here are very cute. “No, I am from India.” “India, India.” “You are going?” “Photos?” It’s cute.

This seems to be a camping site. The owner came and said I could take photos. There’s a beach here. I just took some photos. It was raining, and I needed a place to stand, so this turned out good for me. It’s very beautiful. Amazing! You can stay here at night, but I’ve only done 15–20 km so far, so I won’t stop. Let’s see.

The water here is so clean and drinkable. This water goes from here to the camping site. And what a beautiful beach. Personally, I like beaches on lakes more than sea beaches. I’ve never liked sea beaches much. Maybe you do – let me know. I’m a mountain man, so I prefer lake beaches in the mountains.

Friends, I sat here for quite a while. It kept raining lightly and still there’s a drizzle. But now I’m thinking of moving on. Gracias, chao chao. Leaving this camping site and moving ahead. Look at this beautiful view. I’m riding alongside the biggest lake in Chile. It’s drizzling, the sun is coming out, and it’s raining again at the same time.

Look at the view ahead – nature’s wonders. Maybe around 100–125 km of gravel is still left, and after that the road will improve.

We have reached a very beautiful spot. Let me show you – such wonderful views. Look on this side, and on that side there are clouds and the lake. And that waterfall is falling directly into the lake. If there were no bridge, it would fall straight into the lake. It’s coming from very far up in the mountains.

So friends, finally we are leaving this lake behind.

This lake lies half in Chile and half in Argentina. We have ridden alongside it for around 70–80 km. The views were absolutely stunning. Honestly, this is one of the best routes of my journey so far, out of 130 countries. The beauty here is purely nature’s gift. And the best part? There is hardly any traffic.

In Chile, this lake is called Lake General Carrera, and on the Argentine side it is known as Lake Buenos Aires. In Spanish, a lake is called ‘lago’. In the local language, it is called ‘Chelenko’, which means ‘stormy water’. The total area of the lake is 1,850 square kilometres, and in some places it is 586 metres deep. It may look simple from the surface, but it is extremely deep. There are glaciers all around, and their melted water collects in this lake. Further ahead, the Baker River flows out from it. A little further from here is a town called Chile Chico, where the lake connects with Argentina. You could say Chile Chico is the last town of Chile in this direction. But now we have reached the western end of the lake, where it eventually finishes.

I can only say – wow! What a natural wonder. If it hadn’t been raining, I would have flown my drone. The views here are incredible.

Friends, let me show you a 360-degree view of nature. Starting from here – look at the mountains, river, lake, mountains again, the road, greenery, houses, animals, river, the open landscape, glaciers, and this bridge. And right in the middle of this 360-degree view are my cycle bags and me. What an amazing sight! Riding on this road truly made my heart happy. Look at the flowering on both sides – so beautiful. And the view ahead… it’s raining now. If it wasn’t raining, this would have been an even more mesmerising scene.

I stopped to enjoy nature’s beauty. “Hey man, how are you?” “Hello.” “India?” “Yes, I’m from India.” “Oh!” “I’m travelling around the world.” “You need something?” “No, no, thank you. I’m just enjoying this beautiful place. It’s amazing, mind-blowing.”

What plant is this? Please tell me in the comments. I have never seen such a beautiful plant before. It’s swaying like waves.

The rain has become heavy again, so I need to find a place to stop. “Bahía Murta? Argentina?” “India.” “Wow.” It’s raining heavily. I’ve stopped for a while and will move once it slows down.

I’ve parked my cycle here. Look at this beautiful view even in the rain. A man from Chile came and said he has visited India many times. Another rider is travelling on a Himalayan motorcycle. The Royal Enfield Himalayan is quite popular here.

From here to Chaitén is about 612 km, and I don’t know how far I’ll manage today. It’s already 4:00 pm, but I still have around five hours of daylight. I’ll try to reach my destination in the next two days. The rest is in God’s hands.

What have they put up here? Tourists are everywhere. Hardly any locals – it’s mostly tourists.

After waiting for half an hour, I set off again. The weather keeps changing – sunshine and rain alternating. Riding on these rough gravel roads, my friend! But now I’m starting to see small settlements every 10–15 km. Earlier, for 200–300 km, there was absolutely nothing.

From here, there are still about 800 km left to Puerto Montt. Look at this climb – it’s steep. Only 10 km remain to my camping site. I’ve come from far behind. Honestly, I feel like stopping right here. It’s such a peaceful place.

I’m turning here – it looks like a camping site. It’s still raining lightly. I’m getting completely soaked. Wow, what a beautiful place!

So here’s the situation: inside this shelter there’s a bed. If I take the bed, it costs ₹1,000–1,200. If I pitch a tent, it costs ₹750–800. Considering the rain and getting soaked all night, it’s better to pay a little extra and stay inside. Otherwise, there might be insects or disturbances at night. But look at the view – so incredible, even in the rain.

I’ve parked my cycle here. This is the room – two beds inside. There’s nothing on them. They gave me some oil and matches and told me I could light a fire if needed. There’s no electricity. I’ll spread my sleeping bag and mattress here and sleep. I’ll try to keep my cycle inside at night so I can leave easily in the morning. The temperature is around 6–7°C. It’s cold, but manageable.

Now I’ll change these wet clothes, arrange something to eat, and rest. On the first day I managed around 60 km. About 170–180 km remain to the next city. Tomorrow will be tough – a lot of climbing. First up to 700 metres, then down to 200 metres, then up again to 1,200 or 1,400 metres, and back down. But in this rain, stopping here in such a beautiful place was the right decision.

Good morning, friends. I’ve woken up. It’s 8:30 am. My clothes have dried. I’ll make some coffee and then leave. It was raining heavily 10–15 minutes ago, and now the sun is shining brightly. I’ve never seen weather change like this so quickly. But it’s good that it rained – the dust on the road will settle.

I had slept in my sleeping bag. Now I’m packing everything up. Some of my things got wet yesterday because of the rain. For breakfast, I only have oats mixed in milk. I’ll eat that on the way.

Today I plan to ride around 90 km. So far on this route, I haven’t managed long rides – I usually stop at 50–60 km. But today I’ll try a longer ride. The first 30 km are uphill, and there will be headwinds. After that, the road might improve once we take a turn. If it’s not gravel, one can maintain good speed. On gravel roads, riding is almost impossible.

Carretera Austral – ‘Carretera’ means highway, and ‘Austral’ means south. So this is the Southern Highway of Chile, 1,200 km long. Construction began in 1976 and it’s still not fully completed. Initially, the Chilean Army started building it. It’s a dangerous yet incredibly scenic road.

The road looks beautiful, doesn’t it? I hope you’ll like the video too.

I’m ready now. Packed everything. Had a puncture earlier, fixed it, and left the damaged tube behind. Look at this view – after the sun came out, it looks even more stunning. Glaciers all around – this is what a true 360-degree view feels like. Small wooden huts in between, built entirely of wood without insulation like thermocol.

It’s 9:00 am now, and I’m finally leaving. Even packing up takes an hour. My preparations never seem to finish! I have 2 litres of water with me. Hopefully, I’ll find more water ahead.

Since there are glaciers around, there shouldn’t be any shortage of water. The rest is in God’s hands. Come on, Dhanno (my bicycle), let’s move. Take God’s name and begin the journey.

This is how they “repair” the road here. They don’t really fix it properly. The stones sink down, and then they simply bring the stones back and spread them again. Just look at the condition of the road. On top of that, part of the mountain has broken off and fallen onto the road.

Two birds are fighting over there. I’ve parked Dhanno because there’s a strong headwind. Look at the clouds coming down from the mountains. And this river is flowing very fast. These views are the reason I keep riding. It’s so peaceful – there is no sound except the flowing water. Occasionally, a car passes by and disappears. Otherwise, I am just moving along in my own rhythm.

Sometimes I ride, sometimes I walk because the road is in terrible condition. Ahead there’s a climb, so I’ll probably have to walk for about 10 km. It’s a different kind of rhythm altogether. Many people say, “What is there to see on your road?” And I say, “What can I show you on a road?” The real joy I feel here is something I can’t put into words.

We still have to go up into those mountains. Soon the clouds might come down again.

I made some porridge – not the ready-made milk one, but proper porridge. Just as I started drinking it, it began to rain again. It feels like Lord Ram is saying, “Keep moving, don’t stop.” But I’ll finish drinking first, then I’ll move. There’s a climb ahead, so I need to change my clothes. It looks like the rain will get heavier.

I’ve changed everything now. I’ve kept the mic inside; if I attach it outside, it will get soaked. Sometimes I get confused. It has been raining the entire day. Non-stop rain.

What bird is this? If anyone knows, please tell me. I’ve never seen such a bird in my life before.

The road is terrible today. If I can just finish these last 100–125 km of gravel, there will be some peace. Look at the waterfalls on the sides – so beautiful. But the problem is the heavy rain all day. Now the clouds have cleared a little.

This road is full of deep potholes. You can’t even ride through them properly. Come on, Dhanno. Mountains everywhere. Even going downhill feels scary because the road is so bad. Everything rattles.

Let’s eat some dry fruits. The road has troubled me a lot. It’s about to rain again. Look at the condition of my clothes. And if I show you Dhanno, you won’t believe how dirty she is. Normally, I keep her clean whenever I get the chance, but this road has ruined her condition.

Look at that beautiful mountain ahead.

I met a cyclist couple from Belgium.
“Where are you from?”
“Belgium.”
“I’m from India.”
“It’s beautiful here.”
“Yes, but from here onwards it’s all gravel.”
“Yes, very hard. The next 20 km are worse, but after that it’s good.”
“Where did you start?”
“Four months ago.”
“I started from Ushuaia.”
“Ushuaia? Where are you going?”
“To Alaska.”
“Wow!”
“Yes, it’s just the beginning. We only did 20 km today because of the wind.”

I told them that when I was riding from Ushuaia to Puerto Natales, the wind sometimes reached 100–150 km/h. In Patagonia, the biggest problem is the wind. It’s the most beautiful region, but the wind is extreme.

They had started from Puerto Montt and had only managed 20 km today because of the wind. It was already 4:00 pm. I had covered 60 km, but my last 20 km were also going to be tough. About 24 km ahead there’s a small valley with some houses and hotels. I’ll try to find a hotel there.

It rained all day, and now the sun has come out again. It’s 5:00 pm. God’s play is amazing.

I met some locals from Chile.
“I’m from India.”
They congratulated me and said they were from Chile.
“I’ve been travelling for 10 years,” I told them.
“Ten years?!”
“Yes, by bicycle.”

They stopped their car just to talk. Look at the water here – so clean. It forms a small lake, fed by glacier water. Glaciers all around still have snow, even though it’s peak summer and December is almost over.

Only 18 km remain. Honestly, without this valley’s beauty, cycling would be very hard. But now it feels enjoyable. I’m eating peanuts – here they call them Japanese peanuts.

The road is so bad you can’t even walk properly. Stones everywhere. I’ve been riding like this for the last 5 km. And now a storm has arrived again.

Finally, I reached the town. It’s a small valley nestled in the mountains. The wind is extremely strong. In the last 10–12 km, the road finally became paved. For the first time ever, my bicycle went over 70 km/h downhill. The wind was in my favour and the slope was steep. Controlling the bike at 70+ km/h was difficult; it was shaking badly. Somehow I managed and parked it here. Even now, I had to park it carefully because of the strong wind.

Tomorrow I need to cross that mountain ahead. So tonight I’ll stay in this village. It’s a small village in a valley – very beautiful. Every village here has a similar decorative design. I’ve even seen such designs in Haryana on social media.

I stopped earlier to take photos of the mountains. As soon as I parked the cycle, it fell over because of the strong wind. I leaned it against a rock and quickly took the picture. The mountain peaks here are very sharp and look historic.

There are a few other cyclists here as well. Many shops are closed. There’s a supermarket ahead. Look at that statue – a man with his dog. And the flowers in this area are unbelievable.

I’m still wearing my rain gear because I was soaked all day. Now the weather has improved in the evening. I’ll go to the supermarket and buy some food. I still have two to three hours of daylight. I’ve already ridden around 90 km today. I started at 9:00 am, and now it’s 6:30 pm – nine hours of riding.

I bought an onion, a tomato, some plums, and peas. The problem is I couldn’t find flatbread, so I need to look for another supermarket. I’ll check online and go there.

There’s a hostel 1 km ahead. The others here are expensive – nothing below $35. This one shows $20, so I’ll go there and check. There’s a small uphill climb of 100 metres to reach it, but that will reduce tomorrow’s climb.

I got a bed for 20,000 Chilean pesos (around $20). I’ve showered and freshened up. It’s 9:30 pm now, and look at the sky – no proper sunset yet.

I’ve sautéed the onion and tomato, and now I’m cooking peas. The only problem is I don’t have flatbread, so I’ll eat it with bread instead.

The vegetable curry is ready. It looks good!