Day by Day:

Day 1 Friday: Depart your home town
Fly to Miami and connect on an over night flight to Buenos Aires Argentina.

Day 2 Saturday: Travel to Trevelin, Patagonia Argentina
Early morning arrival in Buenos Aires, welcome to the warmth of the Southern Hemisphere in summer. 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: Ride Border Benedicto's
After a relaxing night's sleep at a hotel in the quaint Welch town of Trevelin deep in Patagnia Argentina, we begin this exciting trip with a quick shuttle across the Chilean/Argentinean border, where you'll meet your guides, leave your luggage with our vehicles and jump on mountain bikes to immediately begin this adventure! we begin the first ride by heading downstream through green rolling hills and ranch land. Within several miles we 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 past a 136-acre working ranch set deep in the forest, overlooking the river valley below. 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. 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 4 Monday: Ride to Campo
After a full breakfast, say goodbye to your Chilean hosts as we ready for the second part of the ride. 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 Monday: Ride to Ramirez
We first ride along the Lonconao Lake to the community of El Río Azul. Here we will enjoy lunch by the Futaleufu River. We continue riding down the Futaleufu to where we see it enter lago Yelcho. Along this lake we find a simple bed and breakfast.

Day 6 Tuesday: Ride to Santa Lucia
After breakfast we ride up a hill and down into a valley village called Santa Lucia. Here we meet the southern gravel highway called the Southern Highway. This road to the end of the earth. We ride it over the highest elevation that we will encounter on the trip. The forests are of huge Coyhue trees and giant Devil's Club plants. It is downhill till we get to the western end of Lago Yelcho, which offers a spectacular view. Our lodging tonight is simple but the view outrageous as we look across the Rio Yelcho to a spectacular exiting Lake Yelcho.

Day 7 Wednesday: Ride to Cardenas
Outside of Santa Lucia we know we are in the Andes. Snow crowned peaks are 360 degress around us we start climbing just outside of town about 900 feet up a pass. Giant develis club line the road. riding along a stream. Dramatic view of the glacier and blue ice as we are riding downhill to our lunch spot on the lower lago yelch. Here we crossing a suspension bridge sourrounded by a glaciated cirque of mountains. If you have ever seen a more dramatic view from a road I do not know where.

Day 8 Thursday: Ride to Chaiten/Ferry to Puerto Montt
We ride on 15 miles of paved road into Chaiten.

Day 9 Friday: Andes to the Ocean (15 miles)
We ride on 15 miles of paved road into Chaiten for our mid day flight back Puerto Montt.

Day 10 Saturday: Day in Puerto Montt/Flight back to Santiago
Depending on when your flight departs, you'll have time to explore the port city of Puerto Montt. Take a look around, do some shopping or just enjoy a nice lunch before departing to Santiago and on to home.

Day 11 Sunday: Return home

Accomodations:

Remote Ranches

Eco Camp Campo Tres Monjas

Wilderness Camping

Town Bed and Breaskfast

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, accommodations 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 for 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 highly 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 15th to May 1st Experience Needed: Familiarity with camping helpful Physical Challenge: Moderate Cultural Experience: High Nature Experience: Maximum Comfort Rating: High Max Trip Size: 14 Min Trip Size: 4 Region Visited: Remote 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. Direct Line, USA: +1.208.629.5032 (7am/5 pm mst) Toll Free, USA: +1.888.488.9082 (7am/5 pm mst) Travel Consultant 1 Travel Consultant 2