I was ready to leave Chile but a little intimidated about riding out of Santiago. Thankfully, I received some great directions from the kind folks at La Bicicleta Verde and got out without a hitch. Though riding in three lanes of fast city traffic without a break down lane is a little tiresome maintaining a constant vigilance especially for the city buses. The only road to the Argentine border appeared to be unequivocally closed to anything but the internal combustion engine. . . however, police passed without a word.
I saw other bikes on the highway and even met a couple roadies along the way and I followed a local commuter on some good frontage road going through a break in the fence to re-access the highway.
I started climbing gradually out Santiago passing through the shady streets of Los Andes with a quick stop to shop for New Years eve then began climbing up the Rio Aconcagua. I did not know how much climbing I had to do exactly - preferring to leave the dread inducing details to discovery and packed 3 days of food. I had not done any big climbs since the Peruvian Andes 3 months ago so my acclimatization was long gone - Santiago, Chile is at 520 meters and the pass at 3200 meters = 2700 mts/8800 ft climbing.
When I saw this sign it sort of sank in - gradiente fuerte prox. 55kms - and I camped by the river.
Next morning the climbing began. Early in the afternoon the climbing began in earnest through 30 switchbacks (they number 'em I don't count 'em).
Looking down on the previous 16 switchbacks. Eventually the switchbacks ended at Portillo Ski area sitting on the head of a lake. Ski runs actually passed over the road using the long stretches of avalanche tunnel.
Cars were lined up waiting while Chilean customs got militant about vegetable confiscation. Also, vacationing Argentinos heading for the beaches try to bring food from home to avoid paying for it in Chile.
The final bit of climbing was in a avalanche tunnel closed to traffic but passable by bike avoiding the single lane traffic on a rough dirt road. I felt unbearably slow from the altitude.
The Christ the Redeemer Tunnel was a welcome sight and I was driven through the tunnel by a road worker that met me as I rode up.
And I was in Argentina.
And I began a nice 18km descent to the customs checkpoint setting a new personal speed record for the trip of 80+kph or 50mph - that is haulin' ass on a fully loaded touring bike I tucked and went.
The road passed Mt. Aconcagua and down a long alpine valley of the chocolate Rio Mendoza
Passing customs was a painless and I chatted with a group of middle aged women that invited me to dinner when I arrived in Mendoza - Argentine customs did not bother with inspecting me.
It started to rain a little riding down the valley - my first real rain in a long time and I set my tent out of sight off to the side of the road. In the morning I repacked all my gear for the rain.
Riding through a morning drizzle the day cleared as I moved down the valley.
Passing through Upsallata I stopped at a Parrilla for grilled meat that Argentina is famous for. Heading out of town the promise of a good soaking with thunder and lightening stopped me to put on my rain coat right outside of a hostel . . . I stopped passing a nice afternoon/night visiting with some Brazilian cyclists and cleaning my stove. One of them was a primary school teacher in Sao Paolo, we adjusted our headsets together then enjoyed the stars chatting about teaching. He spoke Portuguese while I spoke Spanish - the two languages close enough to be mutually intelligible. I have always loved the sound of Brazilian Portuguese.
I was glad I stopped because the view in the morning was incredible looking towards Aconcagua and I thought of my skis in the attic.
I continued down valley through 20+ tunnels
while white water rafters played below me in the Rio Mendoza.
The city of Mendoza is on a flat plain below the mountains that water endless vineyards.
Mendoza is a good sized city of 110,000 people but I sailed right past the city. The entire city is shaded by large trees and looks more like a forest than a city from the road.
Once in the city you walk below the shady canopy while people sit out side at the "restobars" or play in the abundant public space.
I was ready to leave Chile but a little intimidated about riding out of Santiago. Thankfully, I received some great directions from the kind folks at La Bicicleta Verde and got out without a hitch. Though riding in three lanes of fast city traffic without a break down lane is a little tiresome maintaining a constant vigilance especially for the city buses. The only road to the Argentine border appeared to be unequivocally closed to anything but the internal combustion engine. . . however, police passed without a word. I saw other bikes on the highway and even met a couple roadies along the way and I followed a local commuter on some good frontage road going through a break in the fence to re-access the highway.
I started climbing gradually out Santiago passing through the shady streets of Los Andes with a quick stop to shop for New Years eve then began climbing up the Rio Aconcagua. I did not know how much climbing I had to do exactly - preferring to leave the dread inducing details to discovery and packed 3 days of food. I had not done any big climbs since the Peruvian Andes 3 months ago so my acclimatization was long gone - Santiago, Chile is at 520 meters and the pass at 3200 meters = 2700 mts/8800 ft climbing. 
When I saw this sign it sort of sank in - gradiente fuerte prox. 55kms - and I camped by the river. 
Next morning the climbing began. Early in the afternoon the climbing began in earnest through 30 switchbacks (they number 'em I don't count 'em).
Looking down on the previous 16 switchbacks. Eventually the switchbacks ended at Portillo Ski area sitting on the head of a lake. Ski runs actually passed over the road using the long stretches of avalanche tunnel.
Cars were lined up waiting while Chilean customs got militant about vegetable confiscation. Also, vacationing Argentinos heading for the beaches try to bring food from home to avoid paying for it in Chile.
The final bit of climbing was in a avalanche tunnel closed to traffic but passable by bike avoiding the single lane traffic on a rough dirt road. I felt unbearably slow from the altitude.
The Christ the Redeemer Tunnel was a welcome sight and I was driven through the tunnel by a road worker that met me as I rode up.
And I was in Argentina.
And I began a nice 18km descent to the customs checkpoint setting a new personal speed record for the trip of 80+kph or 50mph - that is haulin' ass on a fully loaded touring bike I tucked and went.
The road passed Mt. Aconcagua and down a long alpine valley of the chocolate Rio Mendoza
Passing customs was a painless and I chatted with a group of middle aged women that invited me to dinner when I arrived in Mendoza - Argentine customs did not bother with inspecting me.
It started to rain a little riding down the valley - my first real rain in a long time and I set my tent out of sight off to the side of the road. In the morning I repacked all my gear for the rain.
Riding through a morning drizzle the day cleared as I moved down the valley.
Passing through Upsallata I stopped at a Parrilla for grilled meat that Argentina is famous for. Heading out of town the promise of a good soaking with thunder and lightening stopped me to put on my rain coat right outside of a hostel . . . I stopped passing a nice afternoon/night visiting with some Brazilian cyclists and cleaning my stove. One of them was a primary school teacher in Sao Paolo, we adjusted our headsets together then enjoyed the stars chatting about teaching. He spoke Portuguese while I spoke Spanish - the two languages close enough to be mutually intelligible. I have always loved the sound of Brazilian Portuguese.
I was glad I stopped because the view in the morning was incredible looking towards Aconcagua and I thought of my skis in the attic.
I continued down valley through 20+ tunnels
while white water rafters played below me in the Rio Mendoza.
The city of Mendoza is on a flat plain below the mountains that water endless vineyards.
Mendoza is a good sized city of 110,000 people but I sailed right past the city. The entire city is shaded by large trees and looks more like a forest than a city from the road.
Once in the city you walk below the shady canopy while people sit out side at the "restobars" or play in the abundant public space.
so many tunnels...glad to see you have reached the final country...keep on truckin'...peace p
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