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Mountain Bike Lodge Andes to Pacific Los Alerces National Park Bike Palena Valley Bike Santiago Safri Vacations
 
 
Mountain Biking Vacation
Trails and Culture

A mountain bike vacation with us will immerse you in the raw physical beauty of Patagonia's best kept secret. Most of our rides follow along the "senderos vecinales," or trails of the neighbors. This is an extensive network of trails and swinging bridges used by locals on horseback oxcart, and foot.

We use bikes to move through the remote regions of the Futaleufu River Valley in Patagonia Chile. a series of spectacular rides amongst the lakes, rivers, and old growth forests of the pristine and remote Futaleufu River valley. Each day you are exposed to Patagonia nature in its wild splendor. We ride close to the clear lakes and pristine rivers. You will experience cultural immersion at a remote working ranch next to a National Reserve of Huemul, a rare small deer like animal. You will spend one night near the little village of Futaleufu. Grab your Spanish phrase book. Your Chilean hosts know lots of exciting history from the days the pioneers. The following morning we ride along the river to the comfort of our Eco Camp Tres Monjas. Here you will be able to mountain bike and explore seldom visited parts of this Patagonia river valley. Participants may have a one day multisport options like rafting the world class Futaleufu river. Rides can be custom tailored in difficulty to the physical abilites of the riders....

Slide Show, Interactive Map, Video, 3-D Trip Tour

Day by Day:

Day 1 Friday: Depart your home town
Fly to Miami and connect on an over night flight to Buenos Aires Argentina. Welcome to the warmth of the southern Hemisphere in summer.

Day 2 Saturday: Travel to Trevelin, Patagonia Argentina
Early morning arrival in Buenos Aires. Change airports and catch another flight to Bariloche, or Esquel Argentina. From Bariloche, a luxury bus will take you on a beautiful drive along the Patagonian lakes and mountains to Esquel. IF you fly direct to Esquel you can arrive in Trevelin with some time to enjoy the area. Trevelin, Argentina is a charming mountain village gateway just 45 minutes from Futaleufu River in Chile. Trevelin is serviced by ground transport (Bus or private taxi) from the Jet ports in Bariloche (4 hrs) or Esquel (40 min). Check into a hotel in this charming village and walk to one of several superb restaurants. Unwind, relax, and get a good nights sleep before the start of you trip 9:00 am the next morning.


Day 3 Sunday: Your Trip Starts at the Border to The Greatest Playground on Earth! (Futaleufu, Chile)/ Ride to Benedicto's
You will be met at the border where you will orient yourself to our front suspension Specialized bikes. We begin today's ride by heading downstream along the Futaleufu river on section of the only paved road in our region. We start through green rolling hills and ranch land. Within several miles we depart the paved road and start on the gravel road and enter a deep black rock gorge. Our trail is cut into the side of the canyon, giving a bird's eye view of the restless, radiant turquoise Futaleufu River below. Several miles later the gorge opens into the remote Las Escalas Valley. We will ride across this enchanting valley and enter an old growth, temperate forest of Coigue trees. Coming out of the forest, The ride leads us to a 136-acre working ranch set deep in the forest, overlooking the river valley below. Apart from the spectacular views, this self sustainable ranch, without road access or electricity is a marvel in its own right. There, you will be greeted by our host at a rustic wood crafted ranch that functions completely off the grid. You will get the full tour around the ranch, before sitting down to a feast of traditional Chilean cuisine. After dinner you can watch the owner spin his own wool and browse through his hand made products, before settling into your comfortable sleeping quarters. Enjoy a warm night's sleep in comfortable, homemade beds as you look forward to a bountiful breakfast and your ride to camp the following morning.

Day 4 Monday: Riding - Throne Room to Campo Tres Monjas
After a full breakfast, say goodbye to your Chilean hosts as we ready for the second part of our Futaleufu Valley mountain biking week. The Futaleufu Valley trail continues downstream, rejoining the Futaleufu River. You will be able to ride to an overlook of the powerful Class V "Throne Room" rapid. This Class V + rapid is a whitewater power storm blasting through a narrowing in the canyon walls. After viewing this maelstrom from a cliff above, we will have lunch on a gravel beach on the side of a huge calm pool below with excellent fishing. The trail continues with beautiful green meadows and spectacular vistas of the rugged mountains. We arrive at perhaps the climax of beauty at the confluence of the Rio Azul and Rio Futaleufu. Here under the gaze of the Tres Monjas (Three Nuns) peak we will stay at our luxurious Patagonia Eco Camp. White sand beaches welcome us after we cross the Azul in tandem canoes. We will camp here for the night and enjoy the sauna, hot showers, masseuse and sit-down dining. Mountain bike riding in Chile doesn't get better than this!

Day 5 Tuesday: Optional Ride or Rafting the Futaleufu in Season
We can choose to hike or bike our way to the Futaleufu put in. We jump in the rafts for an outrageous whitewater experience on the heart of the Futaleufu river! This is the most action packed section of whitewater - a virtual whitewater power storm! This section, from the Zapata swinging bridge to the Puente Futaleufu, includes five miles of Class IV+ rafting action. Rapids such as "Entrada", "Pillow", "Tiburon", and "Mundaca" with its must-see explosion hole, will keep you on your toes. This Class 4/5 section prepares us for the sections we have yet to do. As if this highly charged river trips wasn't enough, we'll take out in one of the most gorgeous sections of the Futaleufu, the Macal section, after we have ample time to soak in the beauty of snow capped mountains, glaciers and pristine forests on the lower section. After the trip we return to our Camp and take advantage of our sauna and massuse and work out any sore muscles you might have after a big day of paddling.

Day 6 Wednesday: Ride up the Rio Azul
Today we ride toward the backside of campo's soft pastures and head up through the spectacular glacier ringed Rio Azul Valley arguably the most spectacular views the amazing valley offers. Crossing the Rio Azul on a swinging bridge we head upstream as far as we choose to ride. We see the Rio Azul and its different moods of whitewater with exotic ferns and greenery along the river. We return to camp on the other side of the Azul and we cross in Canoes to get back to camp.


Day 7 Thursday: Ride downstream to the near the Terminator Rapid.
Downstream on the road..............cross the Futaleufu on a cable car.......Ride back upstream to Campo.

Day 8 Friday: Ride to Border/on to Trevelin, Argentina
Awake this morning and enjoy the last breakfast in Futaleufu! Today we'll get all of our luggage packed up before the trip's last ride. We ride toward the village of Futaleufu and on to the border, much the same way we arrived. Enjoy the last ride as you make your way towards civilization and the life you left back home. Our vehicles will be waiting at the end of today's ride. Our luggage will join us as we make our way toward the border on our way to Trevelin. Check into your hotel, take a shower and change clothes before enjoying your last night in Patagonia. There are a handful of outstanding and reasonably priced restaurants in Trevelin that we can recommend. Relax, recover and look back on the exciting week of mountain biking before heading back the following morning.

Day 9 Saturday: Return to Capital City
Depending on your connections you are now are in Argentina ready for an early departure in a cab from you hotel to the bus station in Esquel for the trip to Bariloche and your flight back to Beunos Aires. A private transfer can be arranged direct from your hotel to the airport in Bariloche. If you have a flight from Esquel you have the morning to enjoy and buy gifts in Trevelin before your 2 pm flight to Buenos Aires and the connection back to your home country.

Day 10 Sunday: Return to home town.
Take an overnight flight to your hometown from Santiago, Chile.

Accomodations:

Remote Ranches

Eco Camp Campo Tres Monjas

Price per Person: $1995.00 USD
   

Special Flexibilities: Exchile will be flexible to make your trip a total success. The actual program for your custom trip will vary according to the desires and skill level of your group, weather, or other factors. Patagonia has constantly changing weather patterns that might affect what day is best for a certain activity. If a certain part of your trip is not possible due to danger risks and weather extremes, our experienced guide staff will work with you to figure out the best possible option to substitute for the weather complications. If you have any concerns, please feel free to ask us more about the situations and what is guaranteed on the trip.

Included: Your described trip, guiding, instruction, activity equipment, local transportation, shuttles, all meals, wine with dinner, acomodations at our eco-camps, cabins, ranches or lodges, while on your trip. We offer a free pick up on Sunday mornings at 9 am in Trevelin at your hotel, and drop off to your hotel in Trevelin, Argentina on Fridays at 9 pm. See the packing list of your activity, for the specific clothing that is required.

Not Included: Transportation to and from your home town, and your accommodations and meals in Trevelin Argentina or alternate trip pick up point. You can reserve and prepay on the web your transport from your final air destination, to and from your pick up-drop off point before and after your trip, or you can direct us to charge your visa card and do it for you. We higly recommended having exchile make hotel reserves in Trevelin. (room capacity in this small village is limited). Expediciones Chile is not financially responsible for your travel complications getting to your trip pick up point and from the drop off point, HOWEVER, we will be relentless allies in offering our services to help solve any issues that you may encounter.

 
Season: November 15 to April 5
Experience Needed: This is some challenging riding
Physical Challenge: High
Cultural Experience: Maximum
Nature Experience: Maximum
Comfort Rating: Medium High
Max Trip Size: 6
Min Trip Size: 2
Region Visited: Patagonia Chile and Argentina
Lakes, Rivers, Sites Visited: Futaleufu river, Rio Azul, Rio Espolon, Lago Lonconao, Lago Esplon, Secret Lagoon, Campo Tres Monjas, Futaleufu Chile, Trevelin Argentina.
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Mountain Bike Lodge Andes to Pacific Los Alerces National Park Bike Palena Valley Bike Santiago Safri Vacations