Mountain Bike Adventures

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The "Across the Andes" trip is a two-part course that takes us through the Andes Mountains along the Chile / Argentina border, and along the picturesque Chilean coastline. The overall course is rated as intermediate mountain biking ability with technical sections.
Chile, which generally shares the same longitude as Boston and New York City, has opposite seasons to our own. By the time we arrive, summer will be kicking into full swing. Summer in Chile is typically very dry with little or no cloud cover. In Santiago, temperatures will range from hot to really hot with lots of sunshine! The temperatures in the south will be much more moderate, especially up in the mountains.

As a group, we will arrive in Santiago, Chile Friday morning and immediately be transported south to a small village west of Chillan, which is about 400 km south of Santiago and 100 km west of the Chile/Argentina border.

The next morning the riding – and the adventure – begins. We will be following a series of dirt roads and trails into the mountains and across small passes up to the Argentina border. The trails can be difficult and technical at times with an abundance of climbs and descents.

Although this type of trip can be paralleled to an adventure race in terms of course content and endurance, this is not a race! While the route will be grueling at times, the job of the fully equipped support crew and guides is to ensure safety and basic comfort and to provide the experience of a lifetime!
The "Across the Andes" trip will consist of 9 days and 8 nights in South America with 6-7 days of riding. Approximately 3 nights will be spent in tents while the balance will be in small pueblos.

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Day by Day Itinerary

(More photos, course maps and video clips are still coming!)

Departure Day - (Thursday)
Depart for Santiago, Chile

Arrival Day - (Friday)
Travel/rest day. Arrive in Santiago and travel south to Chillan

Day 2 - (Saturday)
First day of riding. Ride from Pinto to Cien Pesos.

Day 3 - (Sunday)
Second day of riding. Cien Pesos through the valley and back around.

Day 4 - (Monday)
Third day of riding - into the Andes we go! Cien Pesos to Baño Peuco. Today is the "Big Climb" day. There are thermal hotsprings at Baño Peuco which means we can relax in hot steambaths after a day of pushing our bodies up and into the Andes Mountains and close to the Argentine border.

Day 5 - (Tuesday)
Fourth day of riding. Baño Peuco to Yungay. From Yungay we will be whisked off in a bus to the airport where we will fly from Conception north to Santiago. From Santiago we will be met by another support vehicle which will take us further up the coast to a small coastal town and a virtual mountain bike Mecca of singletrack! We should arrive there at about 10:00pm in time for a late dinner. Accommodations will be Robinson Crusoe style cabanas 200 yards from the beach and gourmet cuisine at every meal!

Day 6 - (Wednesday)
Most people are usually content to just kick back and relax in this sleepy little beach town after 4 hard days of riding in the south, but if you like you can jump back on the bike for a guided tour into what may likely be the best riding you will ever experience in your life. The riding in these foothills and mountains is nothing short of a mountain bike heaven!

Day 7 - (Thursday)
Today will be an early start and we will be working our way back up into the mountains. We will have a big climb up into a dusty little pueblo for lunch, after which will be some more climbing to our final destination for the day; a campsite at about 3,500'. This campsite is perched on a ridge where on your left will be the snow-capped Andes and on your right will be the Pacific. If the sunset over the Pacific doesn't blow you away, the sunrise the next morning over the Andes mountains is sure to test any reason you may have for going back to work!

Day 8 - (Friday)
Today may well be the best day of riding. The net elevation change for the day will be a 3,500' drop. We will be winding through some amazing singletrack that will run by wild cactus and herds of wild horses! We will be back at the cabanas for a late lunch and a well deserved (and necessary!) siesta before the final night of festivities begins!!

Day 9 - (Saturday)
Today is a rest day on the beach or around the town in Maitencillo. We will start packing the bikes and loading the vehicles at about 12 noon and will be departing for the airport at about 5:30pm for the evening flight back home. If you have decided to stay on in Chile for an extended holiday, we can arrange accommodations or help you get somewhere else you may be headed.

Return Home Day - (Sunday)

"Man, that trip was tough!"

Departure Day - (Thursday) Depart for Santiago, Chile Arrival Day - (Friday) Travel/rest day. Arrive in Santiago and travel south to Chillan Day 2 - (Saturday) First day of riding. Ride from Pinto to Cien Pesos.

	Day 3 - (Sunday) Second day of riding. Cien Pesos through the valley and back around. Day 4 - (Monday) Third day of riding - into the Andes we go! Cien Pesos to Baño Peuco. Today is the "Big Climb" day. There are thermal hotsprings at Baño Peuco which means we can relax in hot steambaths after a day of pushing our bodies up and into the Andes Mountains and close to the Argentine border. Day 5 - (Tuesday) Fourth day of riding. Baño Peuco to Yungay. From Yungay we will be whisked off in a bus to the airport where we will fly from Conception north to Santiago. From Santiago we will be met by another support vehicle which will take us further up the coast to a small coastal town and a virtual mountain bike Mecca of singletrack! We should arrive there at about 10:00pm in time for a late dinner. Accommodations will be Robinson Crusoe style cabanas 200 yards from the beach and gourmet cuisine at every meal! Day 6 - (Wednesday) Most people are usually content to just kick back and relax in this sleepy little beach town after 4 hard days of riding in the south, but if you like you can jump back on the bike for a guided tour into what may likely be the best riding you will ever experience in your life. The riding in these foothills and mountains is nothing short of a mountain bike heaven! Day 7 - (Thursday) Today will be an early start and we will be working our way back up into the mountains. We will have a big climb up into a dusty little pueblo for lunch, after which will be some more climbing to our final destination for the day; a campsite at about 3,500'. This campsite is perched on a ridge where on your left will be the snow-capped Andes and on your right will be the Pacific. If the sunset over the Pacific doesn't blow you away, the sunrise the next morning over the Andes mountains is sure to test any reason you may have for going back to work! Day 8 - (Friday) Today may well be the best day of riding. The net elevation change for the day will be a 3,500' drop. We will be winding through some amazing singletrack that will run by wild cactus and herds of wild horses! We will be back at the cabanas for a late lunch and a well deserved (and necessary!) siesta before the final night of festivities begins!! Day 9 - (Saturday) Today is a rest day on the beach or around the town in Maitencillo. We will start packing the bikes and loading the vehicles at about 12 noon and will be departing for the airport at about 5:30pm for the evening flight back home. If you have decided to stay on in Chile for an extended holiday, we can arrange accommodations or help you get somewhere else you may be headed. Return Home Day - (Sunday)

		"Man, that trip was tough!"