Alaska to Argentina 2009
Alaska to Argentina 2009
I am planning this (one year) North to South ride possibly to start in August 2009. Is there a fellow cyclist who fancy joining me on the venture - or part?
Alaska to Argentina
what an adventure....
you will need to tell more...
eExpectations
Timing
Quality of travel ( by that I mean full touring/MTB?lightweight/packable/brompton?)
Type of person you are looking for...
All the best
Go for it!
Zonc
you will need to tell more...
eExpectations
Timing
Quality of travel ( by that I mean full touring/MTB?lightweight/packable/brompton?)
Type of person you are looking for...
All the best
Go for it!
Zonc
Alaska/Argentina
The plan is to fly / bus to Prudhoe Bay Alaska for an early August start and spend the best part of 10 months cycling to Ushuaia / Tierra del Fuego by May, (hopefully beating the worse of the weather in Patagonia but I know it can still be rough down there with the wind). I have, and am still considering South to North - leaving Ushuaia early November, as I have heard that winds can be from the south on the Pacific side of the Andes north of Santiago / Chile. I suffered headwinds all the way across Australia(west coast to east in 2006) and have learnt my lesson!
I have always travelled alone on my rides which include TransAm USA, Russia, Alps/southern europe, Australia etc. but for this one I think 2 heads are better than one for the planning and solitude / security is also a factor. If I cannot find a fellow rider i will do it on my own - and it is amazing how you meet up with other cyclists on route/ part route anyway. But if pos. i prefer to share.
I am 53 years old and I would be taking a year out of teaching to do this ride. However if I am not given the time off I may wait a few more years to retirement. I estimate 60 miles a day 6 days a week for 44 weeks = approx 16000 miles. Mostly camp but cheap hostels / hotels were possible. budget $100 a week (£20 a day). I love my touring bike but know that there are gravel roads in places (will not always stick to Pan American Highway as there are lots of interesting places either side! Galapagos Isles / Machu Picchu etc. so a MTB style (no silly suspensions) bike may have to be considered - ala Beaumont. Timing is a big factor because of the seasonal differences and 10 months is quite demanding. If the ride had to finish in Anchorage or B.Aires because of the weather closing in or the time factor then so be it - if you see what I mean (although it would be a pity not to complete the tip to toe / or toe to tip . .). So that's me . sorry about the meanderings but hope you get my drift and where I am coming from as they say.
martin
I have always travelled alone on my rides which include TransAm USA, Russia, Alps/southern europe, Australia etc. but for this one I think 2 heads are better than one for the planning and solitude / security is also a factor. If I cannot find a fellow rider i will do it on my own - and it is amazing how you meet up with other cyclists on route/ part route anyway. But if pos. i prefer to share.
I am 53 years old and I would be taking a year out of teaching to do this ride. However if I am not given the time off I may wait a few more years to retirement. I estimate 60 miles a day 6 days a week for 44 weeks = approx 16000 miles. Mostly camp but cheap hostels / hotels were possible. budget $100 a week (£20 a day). I love my touring bike but know that there are gravel roads in places (will not always stick to Pan American Highway as there are lots of interesting places either side! Galapagos Isles / Machu Picchu etc. so a MTB style (no silly suspensions) bike may have to be considered - ala Beaumont. Timing is a big factor because of the seasonal differences and 10 months is quite demanding. If the ride had to finish in Anchorage or B.Aires because of the weather closing in or the time factor then so be it - if you see what I mean (although it would be a pity not to complete the tip to toe / or toe to tip . .). So that's me . sorry about the meanderings but hope you get my drift and where I am coming from as they say.
martin
Alaska Argentina
Just re read by posting - maths never my strong point. £20 pounds a day =£140 a week !
Martin
Martin
Check out this link: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=382381
It is a discussion of riding from Alaska to Mexico and contains several excellent links that will be of interest to you.
This link: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=401289 discusses road conditions in Alaska and the Yukon and also contains links that will be of interest to you.
This page has 8 links to information about bike touring in Alaska.
This page has 3 links to information about bike touring in South America.
There are lots of other links at www.biketouringtips.com that you might find useful.
Good Luck,
Ray
It is a discussion of riding from Alaska to Mexico and contains several excellent links that will be of interest to you.
This link: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=401289 discusses road conditions in Alaska and the Yukon and also contains links that will be of interest to you.
This page has 8 links to information about bike touring in Alaska.
This page has 3 links to information about bike touring in South America.
There are lots of other links at www.biketouringtips.com that you might find useful.
Good Luck,
Ray
Visit my on-line bike touring archive at www.biketouringtips.com
tip to toe
hi martin
i have a couple of months to brew things over; your ride is one i would like to do, but first i want to try and find companions for the trans-canadian.
not looking too promising at the mo, so i will keep your intentions on the back-burner.
my bike and trailer are always ready to go, just need boxing(!) up.
what sort of quotes do you have to fly up there, or down there.
and can you carry bike boxes on the alaskan buses?
so, keep me as 'a possible, ok?
cheers
kevin --toyotakev@yahoo.com
i have a couple of months to brew things over; your ride is one i would like to do, but first i want to try and find companions for the trans-canadian.
not looking too promising at the mo, so i will keep your intentions on the back-burner.
my bike and trailer are always ready to go, just need boxing(!) up.
what sort of quotes do you have to fly up there, or down there.
and can you carry bike boxes on the alaskan buses?
so, keep me as 'a possible, ok?
cheers
kevin --toyotakev@yahoo.com
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eileithyia
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- Joined: 31 Jan 2007, 6:46pm
- Location: Horwich Which is Lancs :-)
Wow this is the trip I want to do some time, sorry 2009 just too soon for me, though.
Don't understand anyone who wants to do Transam, cycling across all the prairies, the mountains of the west are far more appealing.
Don't understand anyone who wants to do Transam, cycling across all the prairies, the mountains of the west are far more appealing.
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
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rualexander
- Posts: 2645
- Joined: 2 Jul 2007, 9:47pm
- Contact:
In 1992 I cycled from New Mexico to Alaska and it was fantastic, superb scenery, friendly people, good weather mostly. I went via Arizona (Grand Canyon), Utah (Monument Valley), Wyoming (Grand Tetons & Yellowstone), Montana, British Columbia, Alberta (Banff & Jasper NPs), British Columbia again (Cassiar Highway), Yukon (Dawson City), and into Alaska (Denali).
Furthest north I got was Fairbanks and only just before the first snowfalls (early september).
In 1997 I cycled from the Argentinian Lake District south to Punta Arenas, but did not get to Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia. Careterra Austral was great, Patagonia pretty desolate and very windy but good all the same.
So that only leaves me with several thousand miles in between to think about for sometime in the future!
Furthest north I got was Fairbanks and only just before the first snowfalls (early september).
In 1997 I cycled from the Argentinian Lake District south to Punta Arenas, but did not get to Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia. Careterra Austral was great, Patagonia pretty desolate and very windy but good all the same.
So that only leaves me with several thousand miles in between to think about for sometime in the future!
Hello,
I am interested in cycling through Patagonia from the the south and would like to join you. However, I think that trying to cycle 60 miles each day in that part of the world will be pushing it if you are camping and cooking your own food etc., most days. I don't want to dampen your keeness. Do you speak Spanish because it will help to have some knowledge of the language? It's a nice language to learn.
Best wishes,
jane
I am interested in cycling through Patagonia from the the south and would like to join you. However, I think that trying to cycle 60 miles each day in that part of the world will be pushing it if you are camping and cooking your own food etc., most days. I don't want to dampen your keeness. Do you speak Spanish because it will help to have some knowledge of the language? It's a nice language to learn.
Best wishes,
jane
Re: Alaska to Argentina 2009
Hello Martin
Are you still planning your tip to toe trip and if so I'd be interested to know how plans are going? I have been thinking about this trip myself but had not got further than thinking it would be good to do. I agree with Jane that you may find South America really difficult without a knowledge of Spanish. From my experience of (driving in) Chile there are a quite lot of gravel roads if you want to get off the Carretera Austral and I am not sure how you would find taking a trailer on these. I am sure there are those in CTC who have tried this and can advise you. But even a car slides around quite a lot on the deep gravel in places. I have just returned from a 2 week intensive (beginners!) Spanish language course in Seville and last year did the end to end ride in the UK. But believe I would need to get my Spanish to a higher standard before undertaking the tip to toe route so perhaps 2010 is more likely to be my timing.
Best of luck with your planning. I hope things are going well. Richard
Are you still planning your tip to toe trip and if so I'd be interested to know how plans are going? I have been thinking about this trip myself but had not got further than thinking it would be good to do. I agree with Jane that you may find South America really difficult without a knowledge of Spanish. From my experience of (driving in) Chile there are a quite lot of gravel roads if you want to get off the Carretera Austral and I am not sure how you would find taking a trailer on these. I am sure there are those in CTC who have tried this and can advise you. But even a car slides around quite a lot on the deep gravel in places. I have just returned from a 2 week intensive (beginners!) Spanish language course in Seville and last year did the end to end ride in the UK. But believe I would need to get my Spanish to a higher standard before undertaking the tip to toe route so perhaps 2010 is more likely to be my timing.
Best of luck with your planning. I hope things are going well. Richard
Re: Alaska to Argentina 2009
I generally think 18-20 months is about the typical length of time for Alaska to TdF if you want to enjoy it, because that way you can time it to get the seasons more or less right the whole way down. It also gives you enough time to enjoy it. As it is, you'll be doing most of S Am from Peru southwards (on the assumption it doesn't matter too much in Colombia and Ecuador) in contrary seasons. For example you'll be in Peru in the wet season; so if you want to cycle the Highland route you'll get weather and mud. Then you'll roast in Northern Arg, and then freeze in Patagonia. On 12 months you'll be worried the whole time about covering enough km to finish it. Stop places and see them. There really are more wonderful places to spend at least a day in than one day off a week will give you. And you'll find cycling a mere 60km a day on wiggly mountainous unpaved roads in the highlands of Peru, etc, will take you far too long to get from one end of Peru to other for your 20 week South America budget. Such that you'll probably find yourself cycling straight down the west coast of S Am as far as you can just to cover the km.
If you do really want to do it on that timescale, my best suggestion to you, though it will cost you a little more money, is to get on an aeroplane in Panama and fly to TdF, and then cycle South America in the reverse direction. That way you'll be enjoying South America in reasonably sensible seasons. And you have to get transport from Panama anyway.
If you want to know what cycling A to TdF fast can be like, have a look at this. http://www.bikeitsolo.com/
You'll find plenty more travelogues here. http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Island/6810/
If you do really want to do it on that timescale, my best suggestion to you, though it will cost you a little more money, is to get on an aeroplane in Panama and fly to TdF, and then cycle South America in the reverse direction. That way you'll be enjoying South America in reasonably sensible seasons. And you have to get transport from Panama anyway.
If you want to know what cycling A to TdF fast can be like, have a look at this. http://www.bikeitsolo.com/
You'll find plenty more travelogues here. http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Island/6810/
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rualexander
- Posts: 2645
- Joined: 2 Jul 2007, 9:47pm
- Contact:
Re: Alaska to Argentina 2009
Whilst it would certainly be preferable to know a reasonable amount of Spanish in advance I wouldn't worry about it you will soon pick it up as you go. I knew no Spanish at the start of my ten weeks or so in Patagonia but by the end I was able to understand most of what people were trying to say to me and able to speak to the locals at a basic level. So over the many months of your trip you should become reasonably proficient!